Chowli nu Shaak (Amaranth Leaves with Peanuts)

This is ostensibly an amaranth leaf curry, but the recipe notes say that you can substitute spinach, collard, kale, or mustard greens in a pinch. We had a bunch of black kale on hand that needed to be eaten, so I figured this would be a good way to use it up.

I wasn't expecting much from this curry given the short ingredient list and watery sauce, but I needed a quick and easy vegetable dish to go with the lentil dumplings and broth I'd made and this fit the bill. That said, this actually surpassed my expectations. It was a lot more flavourful than it looked like it was going to be!

Chowli nu Shaak

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 450g red amaranth or black kale leaves
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. asafetida
• 1/2 c unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 c. water

Directions

1. Rinse the leaves very well. Trim out stems and slice the leaves into ribbons.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add mustard seeds to oil, cover, and cook until the seeds stop popping (30-60 seconds).
4. Remove from heat and add cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and asafetida.
5. Return to medium-high heat and add a handful of leaves. Cover and allow to wilt slightly before adding another handful. Repeat until all leaves have been added and wilted.
6. Add peanuts, salt, sugar, and water.
7. Cook, covered, for 10-15 minutes. If you like a slightly thicker sauce, remove the lid for the last 5 minutes of cooking.