This incredibly delicious, healthy, filling dry spinach Halloumi curry can be made in less than 20 minutes. Wilted spinach, squeaky cheese boldly flavoured with curry and cayenne pepper and topped with toasted nuts makes a wonderful vegetarian mid-week dinner option, too.
I am a big fan of curry. The combination I love most is a curry with cilantro and coconut. Yes, that’s my favourite. A big bowl of curry makes me feel happy. Anyway, if you decide on this mild curry recipe, feel free to increase the number of spices. On the other side, if you are looking for a different curry, check out my Cape chicken curry, an easy roasted aubergine curry or this creamy pumpkin cauliflower curry recipe.
This is one of the easiest curries I made at home, inspired by Jamie Oliver. I adapted my recipe to the ingredients I had at home or which I was able to find in the shop. Maybe you won’t find this dry spinach curry in India, yet you still get all of the Indian flavours. The addition of even a little bit of spices enhances the flavours of the dish a lot.
The key to cooking a dry curry, such as this one, is to cook without the addition of water. As the spinach wilts and releases its moisture, it takes on, along with cheese, the flavour of the spices, such as cayenne pepper and curry.
Talking about cheese. Do you know Halloumi cheese? The best way, that could describe it is: “This cheese squeaks”. Yes, Halloumi cheese has the tendency to squeak when bitten. I also read somewhere, the fresher the curd, the better the squeak. Ha ha ha. Halloumi cheese is a semi-hard, unripened cheese (made from goat’s and sheep’s milk) with a tangy and salty flavour.
Moreover, this cheese is an amazing source of calcium. In fact, it provides 70% of the adult recommended daily allowance in only one portion. Also, thanks to its high melting point, it’s perfect for cooking and grilling.
You can serve either rice, fish or some homemade Naan bread along with this delicious and quick spinach curry.
Ingredients for two portions of dry spinach Halloumi curry:
- 40 g cashew or peanuts (or any other nuts, toasted)
- olive oil
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 2 garlic cloves (sliced)
- 1 Tbsp of curry powder (or paste)
- 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp of apple vinegar
- 200 g Halloumi cheese (diced)
- 200-250 g fresh spinach
- salt
To begin, peel and slice the onion and garlic. In a large non-sticking frying pan, toast the nuts (cashews, peanuts or any other nuts) until golden. If you prefer, you can do this step in the oven, too.
Then, remove the toasted nuts from the pan and set them aside. Using the same pan, heat some olive oil and add the onions. Sautee them on medium heat for 5 minutes or until glossy. At this point, add the curry powder, cayenne pepper and a splash of apple vinegar.
Furthermore, stir in the diced Halloumi cheese and sliced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Then, add the washed spinach, cover with a lid and cook until wilted and almost all of the liquid evaporates.
Finally, serve the delicious dry spinach Halloumi curry with a handful of crushed toasted nuts and a pinch of salt. Absolutely delicious, light and healthy.
Enjoy!
