Description
A nourishing millet and peanut curry meal with greens—light, plant-based, full of flavor, and ready in no time.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Spinach & Peanut Curry
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach, roughly chopped (see Variations)
Fresh Ground Curry Paste
- 1-2 green chilies, chopped
- 3-4 sprigs of cilantro/coriander leaves
- 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
- Salt to taste
- Sugar or jaggery, to taste
- 1/2 cup of yogurt
- 1 cup water
Peas & Millets Pilaf
- 1 1/2 cups varai (barnyard millet) (see FAQs & Notes + Variations)
- 1 tbsp ghee (see Variations)
- 1-2 green chilies, chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
- 1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen (see Variations)
- Salt to taste
- Sugar or jaggery, to taste
Instructions
Make the Curry Paste
- Add all the ingredients for the curry paste to a grinder or a blender and process until it comes together well with a coarse consistency.
Make the Peanut Curry
- In a small pot, heat ghee. Add cumin and let them sizzle.
- Pour the curry paste into the cumin-scented ghee.
- Rinse the grinder with very little water (about ½ cup) and add it to the pot. Give it a good stir.
- Stir in the chopped spinach and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes till the curry thickens and the spinach wilts.
- While the curry simmers, make the pilaf.
Making the Pilaf
- Rinse the millet under cold tap water a couple of times and set aside.
- In a pan, heat ghee, add cumin seeds and green chilies.
- Sauté briefly, then add the rinsed millets, followed by water, ground peanuts, salt and sugar or jaggery.
- Add in the fresh or frozen green peas.
- Stir to combine everything well.
- Cover and cook on low heat until water is absorbed, millet is fluffy and peas are soft and wrinkly, about 15-20 minutes.
To serve
- Spoon the peanut curry over the millet pilaf and serve hot. Optionally, top with a side of kakdichi koshimbir for a complete meal.
Notes
You’ll find a video of my mom making the traditional version of these two dishes above. It’s where this recipe starts—then I take her base recipe and add my own little twists: green peas in the millet, and spinach instead of potatoes in the curry.