Palong Saag eer Ghonto or Spinach with Vegetables

Palong Saag eer Ghonto or Spinach With Vegetables
(No Onion or Garlic )

This palong saag eer ghonto or spinach with  vegetables is a common winter dish in Bengali household due to the availability of variety of seasonal vegetables and fresh spinach in season.This can be cooked both with onion and garlic as well as without onion and garlic.This time I cooked without onion and garlic. If you want to check the palong saag eer ghonto recipe with onion and garlic version you can click the link below :-

Palong Saag eer Ghonto or Spinach With Vegetables (with Onion and Garlic )

Preparation Time - 15-20 min cleaning saag and other preparation can be  done during that time.
Cooking Time - 20-25 min.


Ingredients :-

1. 1 bunch Spinach /palong saag.
2. Mixed vegetables of your choice but do add the Pumpkin and Brinjal and Radish also imparts a nice flavour.
3. Whole spices Bengali panchforon or 5 spice mix ( readily available in the market and is a mixture of fennel or saunf or mouri + jeera/cumin + methi or fenugreek seeds + onion seeds or Nigella or kalonji + either black mustard seeds or Radhuni ) my one had radhuni so I mixed 1/2 teaspoon of black mustard seeds .(you can leave out the radhuni if you do not have it )
NOTE - if your spice mix has mustard seeds you do not have to add the extra half teaspoon of the mustard seeds.
4. 1 dry red chilly.
5. 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds ,dry roast cool and grind it.
6. Turmeric powder less than 1/4 teaspoon.
7. Salt as per your taste.
8. Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon or as per your taste.
9. 1 fresh chilly crushed.
10. Preferable Mustard oil (1- 1 and 1/2 tablespoon ) or any other vegetable oil.
11. Bori ( Bengali sun dried lentil dumplings) ( optional but highly recommended if you can get it )

Preparation:-

1. clean and soak the spinach or palong saag in enough water and keep aside so that the mud particles sediment down and collect the spinach .Throw the muddy water and again refill with enough water and  repeat the procedure few times until the spinach or saag is clean.

2. Dry roast cool and grind the Cumin/jeera seeds.

3. Fry the boris and keep aside.

4. Chop the vegetables and the spinach/saag.( I usually chop the radish smaller than the pumpkin so that it cooks along with the pumpkin).

Cooking:-

1. Add mustard oil in an utensil ( I used non stick ) and let it become hot then and add the dry red chilly ,let it turn black and then add the panchforon or Bengali 5 spice mix and the mustard seeds.The mustard seeds will splutter so be cautious.

2. Then add the Pumpkin,Radish and mix and then cover and cook.

3. After 2-3 min add the turmeric and Brinjal/eggplant/begun and mix and again cover and cook.

4. When the vegetables are almost done add the chopped spinach/palong saag and mix and cover and cook.

5. When the spinach wilts and gets mixed well with the veggies and the vegetables are also cooked properly add the sugar and salt and mix well.

6. Lastly add the dry roasted and ground cumin/jeera seeds,fried Bori ( if using ) and crushed fresh chilly and mix. Cover and cook for 1-2 min.

7. Serve with hot steamed Rice and dal or even with Roti.

Pictures:-