Indian Spiced Kale With Potatoes – Aloo Kale

Kale

Kale is one of the toughest greens I have come across, literally. A mere glance at those woodsy stems and chewy leaves isn’t exactly inspiring. But a closer look reveals much more. Kale boasts a nutritional value second only to spinach. Belonging to the Brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower are also members of the same family), this hardy green is rich in anti-oxidants, which may protect against cancer. So a readily available green, with so many health benefits and a lot less calories, has to be included in one’s diet.

Cooking kale to my likeness didn’t turn out to be that easy. Many recipes required just sautéing the green with red pepper flakes and garlic. No, it has to be something more than that. A mighty green as this one should stand up to robust Indian spices. The answer was with Pedatha. A recipe with greens with potatoes was to be modified to suit kale.

Before going to the recipe, I should talk about ‘Roasted Gram’ or pottu kadalai, as we call in Tamil. Bengal gram is obtained by skinning chickpeas/garbanzo. Bengal gram is then dry roasted and sold as ‘Roasted gram’ or ‘Roasted chana dal’. It is mainly used as a thickener in chutneys and curries. These buttery smooth lentils are great for snacking too.

Roasted Chana Dal

Pedatha, in many of her recipes, uses powdered roasted gram for a creamy texture. And, kale very well needs that. Thank you Pedatha, for your inspiration and ingenious ideas. The recipes I have tried and techniques I have adapted from this book, have never failed me. Thanks to Indira for bringing this book to our perusal. So, here it is, Aloo-Kale, the second installment of 1-in-3 - Western Greens Indian Style.

Ingredients

Kale – 1 bunch
Potatoes – 2
Roasted gram – 3 tbsp
Grated coconut – ¼ cup
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic – 2 cloves
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Red chillies – 2
Curry leaves – few
Salt
Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

Boil potatoes in salted water until done, but still firm. Peel, dice and keep aside. Prepare kale by removing the tough stalks. Chop the leaves into bite sized pieces. Grind roasted gram, coconut, ginger and garlic.

In a kadai or pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves and roast till dal turns golden brown. Add kale, turmeric and salt, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring in between. When kale is 3/4th done, add potatoes, coconut mixture and continue to cook on low flame, sprinkling water when necessary. After 5-7 minutes, when kale is fully done, check for seasoning and serve with roti or rice.

Indian Spiced Kale With Potatoes

53 comments:

amna said...

lovely pic the first one! have never tasted kale. i have some inhibitions against mixing healthy stuff with not-so-healthy ones. according to me, aloo is not much of a health food but kale definitely is. thats why i havent made palak paneer yet :D

nice recipe :)

Rachel said...

gosh those are lovely pics...and lovely wares...

Anonymous said...

hi suganya,

Lovely pictures I must say..(i think thats the first thing i notive about ur blog;)
I too am lost in the herb world after coming to USA..so many options to choose from.
Your 3-in-1 series should be helpful to me. Thanks. :)

Sig said...

WOW, what a stunning picture...

Srivalli said...

wow..lovely pictures suganya...

Anonymous said...

lovely pic :). Interesting recipe :)

EC said...

amazing pictures...do we get kale in india ???

sunita said...

Great recipe with equally great pictures :-)

Padmaja said...

I have never ventured into greens so much Su. I just love the way you presented it, shows such passion towards your cooking!!
Lovely recipe!!

Kamini said...

outstanding photography... I am sure the dish must be yummy too :)...

lakshmi said...

an approximate description of kale's taste? now i don't know how i can hunt these greens in india. can one grow them?

Unknown said...

The kale looks like a beauty - have never eaten it though - but i like your idea of cooking them western greens indian style...wonder how a keerai milagoottal style would suit this one...pics are as lovely as always.

FH said...

I say so too! Kale is woodsy and rough to look at and a chore to cut them too. But it's loaded with maximum Folate and tastes great once it's cooked down!:)
Hey Nags, aloo has some nutrients too, don't underestimate the power of Aloo!:D
Great dish Suganya, I have that book too!:)

Vanamala Hebbar said...

Amazing pics ... will try it

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

OMG!!!!!! the first pic is soooooooo damnnn goood!!!!! I cant tak my eyes off it.... the recipe sounds gr8 too!

Rajesh &Shankari said...

Hmm..I have not eaten kale until now. You inspire me to try it

Laavanya said...

Boy! Those pics are stunning.

Pravs said...

Beautiful pics and yes kale is something we need to add to our diet.
I have cooked kale with toor dal and liked the taste.Please do check
http://simplyspicy.blogspot.com/2007/12/kale-dal-curry.html

Rajitha said...

could not see the pics girl...the computer is acting up..but the recipe sounds great...i actually made kale,potaotes and red lettuce (i know!! wierd ;)..but made it like alu palak style!! will try this recipe next time...

Ashwini said...

S I just made swiss chard myself. I am on this green mission for 2008. Kale hmmm. will take some time :-)

Revathi said...

That is the prettiest picture of kale I have ever come across and will ever come across !! Superb !!

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Mmm I love kale; this sounds like a great recipe.

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Oh I love kale. It's really popular in Germany and funnily enough I have often made Alu Kale - it was a nice version to Alu palak. Nice going Sug!

Anonymous said...

Hi Suganya,
It is not fair.Post tour best photos after the recipe,because i still couldn't move my mouse below the first picture to read the recipe.I am stuck there itself.Wow,wonderful picture.I will try to read the recipe .
lakshmi.

Manasi said...

Saw this in Albertsons just yesterday and wondered how can it be cooked ( to suit my palette!) AND NOW I hv the solution!! THanx!
As ALWAYS, SUPERB pics!!

Rajitha said...

had to tell u ..the photo of the kale is beautiful..love the bowls with the color contrast..great idea

Susan said...

Kale definitely needs a kick in the pants with some study spices. Love your treatment, Suganya. Those photos are to linger over long after the meal is done.

Mansi said...

Looks great Suganya! never heard of it or saw it, but will look for it next time:)

Mansi said...

hey suganya, I rememebr seeing a vegie or vegan, some kind of cake on your blog...maybe it was soy, but I can't find it now:( do you know what post I'm talking about? I wanted to try making it, but couldn't find it on your site...

KonkaniBlogger said...

Suganya, great dish, and as usual excellent pics :)..I had made kale only once I think, just made it with dal..Like ur idea of Aloo Kale..

musical said...

Lovely recipe, Suganya! Will try it sometime. Since you love kale, you might also like to try kale with eggplants like a stir-fry (cooked in Kashmiri style or with spices of your choice).

Suganya said...

Many Thanks to all of you for your encouraging comments. Glad to know that there many green lovers like me out there.

EasyCrafts, Lakshmi, I don't think Kale is available in India. With already so many greens available there you guys should be content :). Kale is surprisingly a tougher green than any other available in India. Tougher than even beet or radish greens. If done badly, it may taste like an old slipper. Lakshmi, Kale thrives in cold weather. It even enjoys an occasional frost. I am not sure whether a tropical climate as in India would suit it.

Pravs, I saw your recipe. Your recipe is very interesting. Potato, dal and kale is one hearty combination. Thanks for the link. Will try it out soon.

Mansi, All my bread/cake collections are tagged under Cakes and Bakes. I don't have a vegan cake, but a vegan lemon poppy seed cookie. Are you talking about these Individual chocolate cakes?

Musical, Your recipe idea seems delish. Do you have a similar recipe on your blog? Can you please point to it.

Jayashree said...

This veggie is on my must-try list now....i've been reading so much about its goodness all over blogosphere.....Nice pics, btw...

lakshmi said...

hmmm - im bored of the greens here - i want new ones to experiment with.

Bharathy said...

Swiss chard is much popular,I believe..
Nice introduction to Kale!..

Wonderful to try a recipe form Bedatha..you know what the word literally means, Sugi? Great granny !:)..
Grannys stuffs are always yummy and healthy!..

Lovely pics!..

Susan from Food Blogga said...

That is one gorgeous bowl of kale. I agree with you, it is tough and woodsy. I've taken to par-boiling it first, then sauteeing it. I really love the flavor though and plan on trying this recipe. It's perfect for this time of year.

TheCooker said...

Kale is big favourite of ours, kale-potatoes particularly so.
Your 3-in-1 series is superb!
The photos are fab, as always.
You don't get tired of hearing that do you?
:)

Miri said...

Have never seen or tasted kale but have heard a lot about its nutrient values....innovative way of making this suit our palate!

DEEPA said...

Excellent Pic lady !!!...I have never had this combhination ....

musical said...

Hey Suganya,

Haven't posted that recipe. But basically you first stir-fry eggplant slices in lil' oil. Set aside. And then cook the kale greens as follows: In a lil' oil, add some asfoetida and red chilli powder, splutter and then add water enough to cook the greens. Add the greens and cook for 10 minutes. Add the eggplant slices. Add salt, cover and cook another 10 minutes or till the green and eggplants are done.

In Kashmiri cuisine, the oil of choice is mustard oil and leaves are not chopped. I just roughly tear the leaves apart. But if you don't like it that way, you can chop the leaves and use a different oil. I have tried it that way as well. Tastes equally good.

cheers,
musical.

Suganya said...

Musical, Thank you for taking the time to give me the recipe. I see why the combination works. Meaty eggplants with hardy kale sounds delish. I will try the stir-fry. Thanks again :)

Cynthia said...

I think I'm gonna try this with spinach. I'd love to eat this with some dhal.

Anonymous said...

Hi Suganya,

Today i made this dish and my guests liked it a lot. Thanks a lot.
You would have read many times, but I can't resist mentioning
"Your photography is too good."

nopony farmer said...

Made this today. Very good. Definately a keeper. Thanks.

Elisheva Schlanger said...

My husband has been growing kale in the garden all summer, and I've been trying all different recipes, but I haven't found the one that makes me like to eat kale- until now. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the delicious recipe.

Kay said...

I have never been able to find a kale recipe I liked. This is Awesome! I will recommend to all my friends who love Indian food. Thank You
Kay... TN

Unknown said...

I had bookmarked this recipe since last couple of months and finally made it yesterday with great hesitation .....WOW came out sooooo good...tasted like methi alu.First time in my life I bought and ate kale....amazing...will be making this on regular basis now...Thanks for the recipe!

Indian Cuisine Blogroll said...

Suganya,
Tried the aloo kale combo with little variation..didn't grind the chana dal and coconut, lazy me! loved the combo with chapathi...i've put a picture in my blog..
Deepa

kamlesh said...

is this available in india and what is the local name?

Sushmita said...

Hi, I tried this recipe today and it turned out pretty good. I have been contemplating using kale for a while now but didn't find a recipe to suit the Indian palette. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

Anushri Roy said...

kale...? what do we call it n Hindi or Bengali? is it easy available in our Indian market?

Suganya said...

kale ? what we call in tamil

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