Chana Saag and Rice

Like many Indian meals we make, this is one of those that tastes better with time! We ate this for dinner three nights in a row, and we both swear it got better each day. The chickpeas make it super filling and the rest of the flavors mix together nicely. The only regret I have about this dish is that we didn't have a spicier curry powder, to really make us tear up. I would have loved to make this super-spicy to give it more personality. However, ours had a light spice to it that intensified each day and it was still good. This is pretty similar to some other recipes we've made, which made it easy to decide to cook it because we had almost all the ingredients on hand with the exception of the spinach. I recommend it if you want a simple, quick, satisfying dinner!

Cooking Notes: We used coconut milk instead of evaporated milk and used a 15-oz. can as opposed to a 12-oz. can. Also, we used slightly less chickpeas than she called for.

Chana Saag and Rice (adapted from Budget Bytes; serves 6)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1 large tomato, diced
1 lb. frozen chopped spinach
1 16-oz. can chickepeas
1 15-oz. can coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup white rice

Begin to boil 2 cups water for rice. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, then add onion and garlic. Use a veggie peeler to scrape the skin from the ginger, then grate it on a cheese grater, straight into the skillet. Saute the onion, garlic and ginger over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and transparent. Add the curry powder and cumin to the skillet, continuing to stir for about another minute. Add the diced tomato and salt, continuing to cook for about 5 minutes, or until the tomato has broken down and is no longer holding its diced shape. Water should be ready for rice, so add 1 cup rice to pot, stir, then cover and reduce heat, allowing to cook for 15 minutes, checking the water level at the 12 minute mark.

Drain the chickpeas and give them a quick rinse. Add the chickpeas, frozen spinach, and a half cup of water to the skillet. Stir everything together and then bring it up to a simmer over medium heat. Let the mixture simmer for five minutes so that the flavors can meld and everything heats through. After five minutes, most of the water should have disappeared. Turn the heat down a bit (medium-low) and add the coconut milk. Heat through or simmer until thickened-your choice. Adjust curry and salt to your liking. Serve over rice.

Recipe: Budget Bytes: Chana Saag