Frozen spinach complements potato curry dish

Curried Spinach and Red Potatoes is a quick and easy curry that stands on its own. It can also be served over jasmine rice or with your favorite protein.

I love fresh spinach, but some recipes are just better with the frozen chopped spinach of my childhood. You know what I’m talking about: the mushy, wonderful spinach that is chopped, frozen, and intensely packed with flavor in every bite.

Today’s recipe for Curried Spinach and Red Potatoes is a quick and easy curry that stands on its own. It can also be served over jasmine rice or with your favorite protein — anything from grilled chicken to fish to tofu.

Its serving ease is topped only by the ease in which this savory, complex-tasting dish is put together — just 15 minutes of active work. The rest is simmering. The flavor is exotic yet homey all in the same bite.

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Curried Spinach and Red Potatoes

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 servings as a main dish, 6 as a vegetable side dish

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground mustard

¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste

2 cups vegetable broth

2 pounds red potatoes, cubed

1 pound frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well (see Cook’s Note)

Salt to taste

Juice from one fresh lime

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a 4-quart saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent browning. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and ground mustard and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Stir to coat onion well and distribute spices.

Add broth, potatoes, and spinach. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover to cook 20 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally and add up to ½ cup water if saucepan gets too dry.

Adjust red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Add lime juice and serve.

Cook’s Note: Make sure to squeeze all the excess water from the spinach to prevent an overly moist, discolored curry.

Approximate values per side serving (1 of 6 servings total): 176 calories, 4 g fat (trace g saturated), no cholesterol, 7 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, 325 mg sodium.