Noodles with creamy spinach sauce

1lb box of mini fuscili (The sauce was only enough for abt 3/4 of the box)
Bring water to boil. In meantime make the sauce. When water is boiling add the pasta and cook till done.

olive oil
1/2 red onion
3-4 clove garlic
4-5 dried red chilies crushed
2-3 tomatoes
bunch of spinach
1c cooked kala channa/chickpeas
1c sour cream
freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese

Roughly chop the veggies. Put oil in pan and add onion and garlic. When well cooked add red chili and tomato. Salt. Cover with lid to soften tomatoes. Add spinach and wilt it. Then grind coarsely, not completly smooth. Add back to pan, add the *warm* kala channa and stir in sour cream. Dont heat the cream or it may separate. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve over the pasta noodles.

Cheese dip

4 oz neufchantal cream cheese
4 oz extra sharp cheddar
2TBS roasted red peppers(Guessing at measurement, start with less and add to taste)
Green or red chilies
2-3 TBS finely chopped red onion
1/2 lemon juiced
salt(just a sprinkle, the cheese is already salty)
black pepper

Leave cheese out to soften for couple hours. Grind cheddar in food processor(or shred it). add remaining ingredients and process till mostly smooth. Pour into container and chill in fridge till firm.

This makes about 2 cups. Recipe can be doubled for parties.

Spinach-Mint Potatoes

Palak-Pudina-Aloo

1bunch of spinach, chopped very fine
1bunch of mint
green chilies
3 medium potatoes
1 small red onion sliced thin
1 med-lg tomato
ginger
garlic
1T cashews, soaked in a little water
coriander powder
cumin powder
turmeric
red chili powder
garam masala
salt

Pressure cook the potatoes. Peel and chop.
In a pan, put a spoon of oil, add onions. when translucent add ginger, garlic. Cook well, add tomatoes, cover and cook till tomatoes are mashed. Add mint till wilted
Grind with the cashews.
Chop spinach very small or put into food processor.
In another pan, heat oil then add the chopped potato, and brown it nicely. Add the spices. Then stir in the spinach. Then add the paste, and cook another 5-10 mins. Optional-- add a splash of heavy cream. Serve with rice or roti

Cooked this week -3-

Omelet w/onion and broccoli
Mango pulisseri, zucchini masala, rice
Spinach sambhar, rice
Potato masaala, poori
Curd rice, Green tomato pickle
CC scones
Green channa chaat

(Away for the weekend)