Spinach Pinto beans Stir fry with Ginger, Garlic & cumin Tempering and an additional enrichement with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. {Cooking with Greens & Beans}

Greens and Beans is a good combination to cook for every day meals. During Memorial Day weekend I had brought  huge baby spinach bag from Indian store. I used it for making spinach parathas, spinach stir fry with moong beans and this stir fry by adding Pinto beans. This is regular stir fry  with some difference, at end I did tempering with ginger, garlic, cumin, hing (asafoetida) turmeric, added extra tsp of cold extra virgin oil olive. This added additional layer of taste, texture and enrichment. I had no plan to blog this recipe but tempering made good difference, so I  decided to take an  image, it was 8 past and light was very low. In just 5 minutes managed to get 6-7  images placing dish on the patio, got 3 clear enough images to share. Any  type of greens and beans combination can be used to cook this stir fry.

Ingredients :

• 10-12 - generous handful fresh spinach leaves. (I used baby spinach) or 1lbs frozen chopped spinach.
• 1 Medium size onion - chopped finely
• 2-3 small Green chilies - finely chopped
• 1 Pinto beans Can - 15 oz size, drained and rinsed.
• 1 Tb.spoon oil + 1 T.spoon oil for tempering + 1 T.spoon - extra virgin olive oil
• 6-7 large size Garlic cloves - sliced lengthwise
• 1.5 inch cube of ginger - cut extremely fine into slices.
• 1 T.spoon - Cumin / Jeera
• 4 pinches - Hing
• 1 T.spoon Turmeric

How to make Spinach and Pinto beans stir fry :

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a big size open saute pan, add chopped onions, saute for 7-8 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Add chopped green chilies, saute for 30 seconds then start adding  chopped spinach in batches, 2-3 handful at a time, stir and turn  few times until spinach slightly wilts. Repeat same process for next batches. Allow to  Cook over high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often.
2. Next by using immersion blender roughly blend spinach and onion saute, Do not make fine puree. Add rinsed and drained Pinto beans, salt. cook for 5-6 minutes over medium heat.
3. Lower heat to lowest setting  while you prepare Tadka.
4. Heat  1 tsp oil in a very small pan or Tadka Pan over medium heat. First add julienned ginger - saute for one minute, then add sliced garlic - saute for one minute. Next add 1 tsp cumin, 4 pinches of hing, 1 tsp turmeric. saute for one minute, stirring continuously.Shut off the heat, add 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil. Transfer Tadka over spinach and pinto bean saute. Mix well. shut off the heat, let  it stand some time before serving with  roti or rice. You can use this saute as wrap and sandwich filling.

Palak and Pinto beans sabji.

cooked on 27th May, published on 19th June2013.