“Aloo-Palak” combination has been forever associated with curry which is an adaptation of aloo-saag from the Punjabi cuisine.

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“Aloo-Palak Shorba” is my attempt at incorporating this familiar flavour in a soup form. The addition of potato to the soup gives it a smooth and thick texture without the need of adding corn starch or cream for thickening or creaminess. It is quick and easy to make and healthy too.

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“Daddy, I made palak soup!”🍃…

Growing up I remember my mom would include green leafy vegetables into our diet in as many ways as possible. To my dad, all green leafy vegetables were equivalent to spinach probably because that was the one mom made most frequently. He would often fuss that she makes spinach dishes so often.🤪 Maybe I should tell my mom to make this Aloo-Palak Shorba for daddy.🤣

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Recipe makes 3 servings

Ingredients:

• Spinach – 1 small bunch
• Potato – 1, medium
• Butter – 1tsp
• Bay leaf – 1
• Cinnamon – 1inch piece
• Cloves – 2
• Black pepper powder – 1tsp
• Cumin powder – 1/2tsp
• Coriander powder – 1tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4tsp
• Salt – 1tsp

For garnishing:

• Butter – 2tsp
• Watermelon seeds – 1tbsp, toasted

Instructions:

1. Pressure cook spinach and potato with 1cup water for 3-4 whistles. This is the preferred way of cooking if you do not like raw taste & smell of spinach. I like my spinach well cooked and wouldn’t mind on losing some of the vibrant colour in the process. (If you would rather have a brighter coloured soup, check the method to cook towards the end of this blog post in “Tips & Tricks” section.)
2. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
3. Grind spinach and potato to a fine paste along with the water it was cooked in.
4. In a kadai, heat butter. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Saute for a minute on low heat.
5. Add the potato-spinach puree and 1cup water and bring to boil. Let it simmer on low heat so that all the flavour of spices have time to get infused into the soup.
6. Check consistency & taste of soup. Adjust by adding water & spices if required.
7. Once it begins to boil, turn off heat. Strain the soup and serve in individual soup bowls with a drizzle of butter (optional) and toasted watermelon seeds. Watermelon seeds add a welcome crunch to this smooth & silky soup. Serve with a side of garlic-butter bread slices for a hearty meal. Enjoy!

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Tips & Tricks:

• For a brighter coloured soup, blanch spinach – drop spinach in a pot of boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes. Scoop them and immediately dunk in a bowl full of ice-cold water. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes. Then follow rest of the procedure for making soup from step 3 onwards.

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If you happen to try my Aloo-Palak Shorba🍃 recipe; leave a comment, let me know how it turned out. Check out my other soup recipes:

Spinach-Almond Soup

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Have a great day you all!

Love
M❤️