Cook It 5 Ways: Spinach

Start your day with a spinach smoothie?

While we all love to indulge in our palak panner and palak paratha, this green vegetable is somehow restricted to making a handful of dishes in our kitchen. Either as a sabzi or a saag, not much is done to get this leafy veggie out of this zone and try something different with it.

To break the monotony, here are 5 recipes that will help you use all the spinach in your fridge in many more delicious ways.

Spinach Smoothie

A great start to the day, whip up this smoothie in no time.

In a blender add raw spinach, banana, coconut milk, water, dates and peanut butter. Blend well and pour it in a glass filled with ice. Top with some chia seeds or chopped walnuts and drink up.

Find a recipe here.

Spinach & Cream Cheese Dip

Planning to binge on some nachos? Give em' a good ol dip in this.

In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, chopped spinach, salt, pepper, coriander and paprika. Chill in the refrigerator for around 6 hours. Serve with your favourite chips.

Spinach Croquets

The next time you want a good 4 o' clock snack, make these.

Begin by boiling spinach and chopped onions with a little sat. Drain and add to a bowl with eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Mix them well and shape them into small croquettes. Keep aside for about 10 minutes before you fry them. Deep fry and serve with a dip.

Find a recipe here.

Spinach Ice-cream

Although that doesn't sound very appetising, it does however sound very healthy.

In a food processor, add frozen bananas, mint essence, frozen spinach, dates, whipped cream and chocolate chips. Mix well until the consistency is thick. Transfer into a large bowl and put it in the freezer for a few hours. Scoop and serve.

Find a recipe here.

Spinach Hummus

Give this Middle Eastern favourite a green twist.

To a blender, add chickpeas, spinach, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil and red chilli powder. Blend well until it becomes thick in consistency. Scoop into a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil and paprika and serve.

Find a recipe here.