Mooli palak is a popular Indian dish made with fresh spinach leaves, radish pieces and tender radish leaves together with traditional spices. Onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic and green garlic are cooked in hot mustard oil before adding radish and greens. These are then cooked until they become tender. The flavor of the dish is further enhanced through a combination of spices and green tomatoes, while the final tadka of mustard seeds, cloves, cinnamon and hing adds a deep aroma to the dish. The recipe shows you how to create mooli palak at home through easy-to-follow instructions.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Mooli palak is a popular Indian homemade sabji, especially enjoyed during winter months.
- Serve it with roti, paratha, or steamed rice for a wholesome meal.
- Mooli palak offers a mildly spicy, earthy, and pungent flavor with soft greens and tender radish.
- Other similar recipes are aloo palak, mooli sabji, palak bhaji, mulo shaak, and sarson ka saag.
The Ingredients:
To make the sabji:
- 300 grams spinach (leaves, roughly chopped)
- 300 grams radish (cut into small pieces)
- 50 grams radish leaves (roughly chopped)
- 2 pieces onions (medium size, finely sliced)
- ¼ cup green garlic (finely chopped)
- 5 pieces green chilies (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic (very finely chopped and mixed)
- 1.5 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tbsp red chili powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 pieces green tomatoes (roughly sliced)
To make the tadka:
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 4 pieces cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon (half-inch stick)
- ½ tbsp mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp asafetida (hing) powder
I found the mooli palak recipe at my aunt’s house during a winter family gathering. Her cooking style combines basic methods with traditional recipes which inspired me to watch her prepare this dish. I observed her cooking process as she created flavors through mustard oil and fresh greens. I recorded the entire process on my phone along with the expert tips she shared.
The following weekend I prepared the dish for my family and its outcome proved to be excellent. The sabji had an earthy flavor with a perfect texture. My husband enjoyed the home-style taste which reminded him of his childhood meals. My two sons whom I raised to dislike green vegetables ate all their food. I felt deep gratitude upon discovering such an appealing healthy recipe.
How to Make Mooli Palak? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Fry 2 pieces of medium sized, finely sliced onions, 5 pieces of finely chopped green chilies and 2 tbsp of very finely chopped and mixed ginger garlic, and then add ¼ cup of green garlic, one by one, in 1.5 tbsp of smoking hot mustard oil.
Step 2: Add small pieces of 300 grams of radish, ½ tsp salt, cover and cook.
Step 3: Add 50 grams of radish leaves first and then 300 grams of spinach leaves, both roughly chopped. Add ½ tsp salt more when soft. Mix, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4: Add ½ tbsp of red chili powder, 1 tbsp of coriander powder, ½ tsp of turmeric powder, and ½ tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder.
Step 5: Make space in the middle to add 2 pieces of roughly sliced green tomatoes. Cover them with the sabji. Cover and cook for 4 minutes on a low flame.
Step 6: Mix the tomato pieces now.
Step 7: Make a tadka with 1 tbsp of mustard oil, 4 pieces of cloves, 1 piece of cinnamon (half-inch stick), ½ tbsp of mustard seeds, and ¼ tsp of asafetida (hing) powder. Add and mix with the sabji. Transfer it to a serving bowl.
Step 8: Your tasty and healthy homemade mooli palak sabji is ready.
Recipe Card
Mooli Palak
Ingredients
To make the sabji:
- 300 grams spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- 300 grams radish cut into small pieces
- 50 grams radish leaves roughly chopped
- 2 pieces onions medium size, finely sliced
- ¼ cup green garlic finely chopped
- 5 pieces green chilies finely chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic very finely chopped and mixed
- 1.5 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tbsp red chili powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 pieces green tomatoes roughly sliced
To make the tadka:
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 4 pieces cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon half-inch stick
- ½ tbsp mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp asafetida hing powder
Instructions
- Fry 2 pieces of medium sized, finely sliced onions, 5 pieces of finely chopped green chilies and 2 tbsp of very finely chopped and mixed ginger garlic, and then add ¼ cup of green garlic, one by one, in 1.5 tbsp of smoking hot mustard oil.
- Add small pieces of 300 grams of radish, ½ tsp salt, cover and cook.
- Add 50 grams of radish leaves first and then 300 grams of spinach leaves, both roughly chopped. Add ½ tsp salt more when soft. Mix, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add ½ tbsp of red chili powder, 1 tbsp of coriander powder, ½ tsp of turmeric powder, and ½ tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Make space in the middle to add 2 pieces of roughly sliced green tomatoes. Cover them with the sabji. Cover and cook for 4 minutes on a low flame.
- Mix the tomato pieces now.
- Make a tadka with 1 tbsp of mustard oil, 4 pieces of cloves, 1 piece of cinnamon (half-inch stick), ½ tbsp of mustard seeds, and ¼ tsp of asafetida (hing) powder. Add and mix with the sabji. Transfer it to a serving bowl.
- Your tasty and healthy homemade mooli palak sabji is ready.
