Stir-Fried Spinach with Shrimp & Mustard Paste

Palang Shaak Shorshe Chingri

A popular condiment on the Bengali table is kasundi which is a mustard sauce that goes great with stir-fried spinach. Brown/red mustard seeds are ground to a fine paste, sometimes in combination with raw mangoes, and vinegar to make a sharp, fiery and tangy sauce. This sauce is served with greens or snacks and is unforgettable. The last time I bought a bottle in North America, it was most disappointing because the kasundi was made with acetic acid and burned my mouth. I threw the whole bottle away.

While stir-frying spinach the other day, I decided to try the next best thing. A package of salad shrimp mixed with mustard paste and added to the spinach at the last minute, gave me the desired and much-craved taste of kasundi with greens. This spinach dish was outstanding!

Ingredients: 1 lb. spinach, rinsed & chopped 1 pkg. pre-cooked frozen salad shrimp, thawed ¼ tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji/kalo jeera) ¼ tsp. turmeric powder 2 large onions, diced 6 cloves garlic, diced 3 + 1 Tbsp. mustard oil 2 Tbsp. brown mustard seeds, soaked with 1 tsp. salt 2 hot chilies, broken in half 1 tsp. salt

Directions: 1.   Soak mustard seeds in salt and water for half an hour. 2. Transfer mustard seeds to a strainer and rinse well under the tap. 3. Make a paste of mustard seeds, hot chillies and 1/2  tsp. salt in a blender. 4. Mix mustard paste with shrimp and set aside. 5.   Heat 3 Tbsp. mustard oil over medium-high heat and sputter nigella seeds. 6. Stir-fry onions, garlic and turmeric powder until onions turn golden brown. 7. Add spinach, salt to taste and simmer until spinach is almost cooked. 8. Add shrimp and mustard paste, stir well and simmer for another 3 minutes. 9. Garnish with 1 Tbsp. mustard oil, stir and remove from heat. Serve with steamed Basmati rice.