Saag Aloo

METHOD

1. Wilt your spinach in a large pot with a little bit of water. Drain, squeeze out the excess liquid and chop finely.

2. Peel and cut your Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes into 1-inch cubes.

3. Heat oil in a saute pan and add the black mustard seeds, cumin and asafoetida.

4. Add sliced onions and finely chopped garlic and ginger. When soft, add cayenne and turmeric.

5. Add the potatoes.

6. Add the chopped spinach and a little more water. Pop the lid on, turn the heat down and cook until the potatoes are tender.

7. I like mine with plenty of fresh sliced fresh chillis sprinkled on the top, served with my favourite Indian sides – pappadoms, mango chutney, naan and pakoras.

Serve your saag aloo with a selection of other Indian dishes, such as a lamb or beef rogan josh, some naan bread and a side of rice.

This is one of a series of dishes which we commissioned with food bloggers to celebrate our 70th anniversary.  Each blogger was asked to recreate a dish typical of a decade between 1948 and 2018.

The recipe comes from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary and is inspired by the food of the 1970s.

In the 1970s the Indian takeaway soared in popularity in Great Britain. Up until the start of the 70s, there were only around 1200 Indian takeaways throughout the UK,  After the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971, Britain welcomed thousands of Bangladeshis fleeing the violence. By the end of the 70s, there were over 3000 Indian takeaways across the country, the majority of them owned by Bangladeshi families.

Saag aloo, or spinach and potato curry, was a popular vegetarian option.

What you will need