Connect with us

Recipes

Spinach Dumplings with Tomato and Fenugreek Sauce

Planning to cook dinner to impress your date this weekend? A chic & romantic Indian restaurant in London is revealing a secret recipe from their menu that is sure to wow your date. Don’t forget to share your experience with us.

You certainly won’t find spinach dumplings in India. The nearest thing is Kofta, which are usually balls of minced lamb but which can be made with mashed vegetables. The tomato and fenugreek sauce, though, is typically Punjabi.

Spinach Dumplings with Tomato and Fenugreek Sauce
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 250g/9oz/ 2 ¼ cups paneer cheese,grated
  • 2 large potatoes, boilet until tender, then peeled and grated
  • 100g/ 4oz/2 cups fresh spinach leaves, finely shredded
  • 2.5cm/1 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 green chillies, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ajowan seeds oil for deep-frying
  • For the batter:
  • 100g/4oz/1 cup gram (chickpea) flour
  • ¼ teaspoon ajwain seeds
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 150ml/ ¼/ ⅔ cup pint water
  • 150g/5oz/2 ½ cups fresh spinach leaves, finely shredded
  • For the tomato and fenugreek sauce:
  • 1kg/2 ¼ lb tomatoes, cut in half
  • 125ml/4fl oz/ ½ cup water
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2.5cm/1 inch piece of fresh ginger, crushed
  • 3 green cardamom pods
  • 5 gloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons mild red chilli powder
  • 75g/ 3oz/ ⅓ cup butter, diced
  • 100ml/3 ½ fl oz/scant ½ cup single cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed dried fenugreek leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala a pinch of sugar (optional)
Instructions
  1. To make the dumplings, put the paneer, grated potato, spinach, ginger, chillies, salt and ajwain seeds in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Divide the mixture into 12 balls, the size of golf balls.
  2. For the batter, put the flour, ajwain and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Gradually stir in the water until you have a smooth, thick batter. Spread the shredded spinach out on a baking tray. Dip the dumplings in the batter and then roll them in the spinach to form a good coating.
  3. For the sauce, put the tomatoes in a large pan and cook over a medium heat until they begin to soften. Pour in the water, then add the garlic ginger, cardamom pods, cloves and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and simmer until the tomatoes have completely disintegrated. Pass through a sieve into a clean pan, add the chilli powder and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the butter a little at a time, stirring constantly. When the sauce turns glossy, add the cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the salt, fenugreek and garam masala, then taste and add the sugar if necessary.
  4. Heat some oil in a deep-fat fryer or a deep saucepan. Add the dumplings and fry for about 1 ½ minutes, until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the sauce.