Palak Chole is a delicious North Indian spinach and chickpeas dish that’s nourishing, familiar, and deeply satisfying.
Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and packed with nutrients, this is the kind of meal you crave when winter evenings call for something warm and grounding. Served with soft rotis and a crisp mooli salad, palak chole transforms an everyday dinner into a soul-comforting experience.
ABOUT PALAK CHOLE
Palak = Spinach
Chole / Chana = Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Dishes like palak chole are a reminder that home-cooked Indian food can be simple, wholesome, and full of flavor. There’s no need for heavy creams or elaborate masalas here. Instead, this dish relies on an onion-tomato base, blended spinach, and warming spices to create something deeply satisfying. Similar to palak paneer or palak corn, the spinach is prepared simply, allowing its earthy flavor to shine, while chickpeas add heartiness and texture that make this a complete meal on its own.
It’s the kind of dish that fits perfectly into busy weeknights, when you want something nourishing without spending hours in the kitchen. Forgiving, and flexible, palak chole is everyday Indian cooking at its best.
INGREDIENTS
- Spinach: I prefer using fresh baby spinach for its mild flavor and vibrant color.
- Chickpeas: Palak chole has always been a last-minute “what should I make for dinner?” dish for me, which is why I often use canned, organic, no-added-salt chickpeas. That said, home-boiled chickpeas work just as beautifully.
- Spices: Coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, jeera powder, kasoori methi, and salt.
- Oil: I like using earthier oils for greens, so olive oil or mustard oil are my go-tos for this dish.
- Aromatics: Ginger, garlic, green chillies, and a squeeze of lemon juice to finish.
- Tomato: Fresh or canned; this isn’t a tomato-heavy dish, so whatever you have on hand works perfectly.
- 10 oz fresh baby spinach (2 packets, approx 300 grams)
- 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas / garbanzo beans
- ½ cup onion; chopped
- ⅓ cup tomato; chopped
- 3 tablespoons oil; olive or mustard
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, grated
- 2 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 green chilies, chopped finely
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri lal mirch/red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon haldi/turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon dhaniya/coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon jeera/cumin powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt; adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon kasoori methi/dried fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- To blanch the spinach, fill a pot with 6 cups of water, bring it to a boil and place spinach inside for one minute. Remove spinach and rinse with ice cold water. Drain and squeeze any remaining water out. In a blender, purée the spinach until smooth.
- Heat oil in a deep pan on medium heat and cook the onions until translucent
- Add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomato and mix, cover, cook, and allow the waters release from the tomatoes for 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the salt, red chili powder, haldi, dhaniya powder, and jeera powder.
- To this add the chickpeas and mix well.
- Add in the puréed spinach, mix, reduce heat to low and cover for 3-4 minutes allowed the flavors to come together.
- Uncover and stir in garam masala along with crushed kasoori methi.
- Remove from heat, give it a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and enjoy with rotis and fresh mooli.
HOW TO MAKE IT:
The magic of palak chole lies in how simply it comes together. Once the spinach is blanched and blended, everything builds in layers, softened onions, fragrant aromatics, gently cooked tomatoes, warming spices, and hearty chickpeas. The spinach is folded in at the end, allowing all the flavors to meld into a beautifully balanced dish. A final touch of garam masala, kasoori methi, and lemon juice brings brightness and depth, tying everything together in the most comforting way.
Enjoy,
