Punjabi Kadhi with Spinach Dumplings

We made this simple spinach dumpling meal (entirely plant-based) from a Purple Carrot recipe card and it was so simple and good, I had to share. Purple Carrot is an AWESOME way to try plant-based meals without having to find the recipes or do so much shopping. Highly recommend checking them out. I tweaked this recipe slightly to fit into what I consider optimal (and included the notes) but play around with it!

A hilarious comparison of my dish (blue plate, total mess) and Purple Carrot's. Taste is all that matters, right?!

Serves 2, Cook and Prep Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients

1. 8 oz baby spinach, half roughly chopped (divided)

2. 1 onion, peeled and diced (divided) I used my food processer to dice it up quickly

3. ⅔ cup garbanzo bean flour

4. ¼ cup Dairy-free Yogurt I used Kite Hill Unsweet High Protein Yogurt

5. ¼ tsp baking powder

6. 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

7. 1 oz fresh ginger, peeled and minced Ok to substitute ginger powder - I did 1/2 tsp

8. 2 tsp curry powder

9. 5.5 oz coconut milk I used unsweet, plain Oatmilk. Coconut milk is high in sat. fat

10. 1 Bouillon Cube I used Kitchen Accomplice Veg Broth Concentrate 3/4 Tsp

11. 1 jalapeño, deseeded and thinly sliced

12. 8.8 oz precooked brown rice I used brown basmati rice made in the instapot (instructions below)

13. 2 tbsp mango chutney I used Trader Joe's Reduced Sugar Apricot Preserves

14. 3 tbsp vegetable oil*

15. Salt*

Instructions

If making brown rice from scratch, start now. I recommend making extra brown rice to avoid burning on the bottom. Add 1 cup brown rice with 2 cups water and set on High Pressure for 15 minutes and let naturally vent for 5 minutes. 1 cup of dry brown rice yields 2 cups rice so you will only use half. 1/2 cup for each serving.

1. Prepare the dumpling mixture Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped baby spinach and 2 tbsp water and cook until spinach is bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, and transfer spinach to a medium bowl. To that same bowl, add just 2 TBSP diced onion, garbanzo bean flour, yogurt, baking powder, 2 TBSP vegetable oil, and ¼ tsp salt. Stir the dumpling mixture until just combined. My Notes: I inadvertently used ALL of the spinach and did not do the prep as instructed which says to chop half and keep the other half whole. Whoopsies.

2. Make the sauce Return the empty saucepan to medium heat with 2 tsp vegetable oil. Once hot, add remaining diced onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add curry powder and stir. Add coconut (or oat) milk, bouillon cube (or veggie broth), and ¾ cup water, and bring sauce to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Once curry sauce has thickened, reduce heat to low.

3. Cook the dumplings Drop heaping spoonfuls of dumpling mixture into the sauce; you should get 8 dumplings. Cover dumplings and gently simmer until they expand and are firm to the touch, 5 to 8 minutes. TIP: Keep the sauce at a low simmer so the dumplings don’t break.

4. Sauté the spinach Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining baby spinach, jalapeño, and a pinch of salt. Cook until spinach is bright green and wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Or, if you're me, you realize now is when you used all the spinach in the first step! TIP: Remember to wash your hands after handling the jalapeño.

5. Serve Make a small tear at the top of the brown rice bag and microwave bag for 1 minute. Divide warm brown rice between large bowls. Top with sautéed spinach and punjabi kadhi. Dollop with mango chutney (or apricot preserves).