Aloo Kale (Indian Style Greens and Potatoes)

 

The other night, my partner was whipping up some rice and chana dal khichari, and I wanted to make something vegetabley to go alongside. Since we had just picked up a crapload of kale at the market, leafy greens seemed the way to go; but while spinach is quite common in South Asian cuisine, its denser, chewier counterpart gets less in the way of subcontinental love. That being the case, I decided to cherry-pick ideas from a few different sources, and just get in there; with kale, potatoes, and a bunch of Indian spices, how far wrong could things possibly go? Well, I am happy to report that they did not go wrong at all, and this wound up being a very successful side dish. I toyed briefly with the notion of adding some coconut milk near the end, but opted for a drier texture as a better complement to the relatively soupy khichari. Served with some naan and spicy pickle, these two dishes made a very filling meal with plenty of leftovers, which (as everyone knows) are always even better the next day. 


Aloo Kale
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. mustard oil
~ 1 tsp. each: mustard and cumin seeds
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic

~ 1 onion, diced

~ 3 potatoes, diced and cooked as you would for potato salad (i.e., not falling apart)

~ 1 tsp. each: salt, chili powder, fenugreek, asafoetida
~ 1 large bunch kale, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped
~ 1/2 cup water


Directions
~ In a large, deep skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until they begin to sizzle and pop. 
~ Add the garlic and the onions and cook for about a minute. 

~ Add the potatoes and spices, stir to combine, and cook another few minutes until the potatoes have browned just a bit.

~ Begin adding the kale by handfuls, stirring with each addition to mix everything up. When all the kale has been added, stir in the water and cook about 3-5 minutes, until the greens are wilted but still retain some texture. Serve hot alongside your favorite dal and some spicy pickle.