This delicious saag aloo would make a great accompaniment to any Indian meal. It comes from The Hairy Bikers’ Great Curries – look out for my other posts from this book!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

650g medium potatoes, preferably Maris Pipers
1 tsp fine sea salt
250g spinach leaves
4 tbsp ghee or sunflower oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 medium onions, halved and sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
10g chunk fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 long green chillies, finely chopped (deseeded first if you like)
1 tbsp garam masala
freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2.5cm cubes. Put them in a large pan and cover them with cold water. Add 1/2 tsp of the salt and bring to the boil, before reducing the heat and leaving to simmer for 6-8 minutes until they are tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, wash the spinach leaves well and pat them dry with a tea towel. Cut out the stems and shred the leaves. Set aside.

3. Put the ghee or oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the onions and cook them for about 5 minutes on a medium heat until softened. Then increase the heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the onions are browned, stirring constantly.

4. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli then cook for 2 more minutes, while stirring. Add the garam masala, remaining salt, potatoes and spinach leaves. Add the spinach in handfulls, allowing each batch to soften before adding the next.

5. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring until the spinach has softened and the potatoes are hot and coated in the spices. Season with black pepper and serve.