Brown Lentils aka Kaali Daal (Pakistani way)

I was in third grade, and we were sitiing in peshawer AC flats and were having lunch in our long two doorway dining room. The table cloth was striped yellow, blue and white. My mom served us spinach and like any other kid i started playing with a little left over. I would squeeze it in my hand and drink the broth that would come out. I did not have spinach for 6 years after that incident .

Then one day, my mom cooked Palak chicken for a party and i had some with white rice and some plain yougurt. I re-discovered the yummiest vegetable known to me!

I cooked today thinking how easy it is nowadays to cook palak. FrozenPackets of vegetables make our lives so easy.

I started with half a cup sliced red onion with 2 table spoons of oil in a pan. Then i made 2 tsps of ginger and garlic paste (mush it up) and added to the onion when they turned light brown on medium high heat.

Then i added two chicken breast cut in cubes and sauteed them with onion, garlic and ginger and added the following spices.

2 tsp of salt.

1 tsp of cayenne

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

3-4 whole black peppers

1 cinammon stick

sauteed these spices with chicken for 13 seconds and then add 1/2 a cup of milk or 2 tbs yougurt. Once that comes to boil, add the frozen spinach(a packet) and frozen/fresh tomatoes(1 large) to the mix, cover it and let it cook for 45 mins on low heat. Then once all is cooked turn the heat up to medium high and keep sauteeing it for 10 mins until the oil seeps up. Add cilantro and green chillies for garnish.

Serve it with white rice, pea pilaaf, cold onion cucumber salad and yougurt.