Kale Tandoori

A different take on a classic Indian dish with amazing flavor combinations and loaded with nutrition!

Kale Tandoori isn't your everyday kale recipe.  In fact most often we love to simply sauté kale in a sauté pan with a little olive oil, some minced garlic and a splash of lemon juice. And every now and then we throw in some red kidney beans for color and more protein.

But the kale tandoori recipe is one of my favorites so even though it takes a little more work than a simple sauté I do love to make it.

A common misconception is that Tandoori refers to the type of recipe but actually tandoori cooking is a method. We don't use the tandoor, which is a clay pot used often for bread but also for many other dishes. But we liked the sound of it and we are using a garam masala spice mixture which is commonly used in Indian tandoor cooking, so we called this take on a traditional Indian recipe kale tandoori with apologies to our Indian friends.

Kale Tandoori

1 large bunch of fresh kale
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp. mild curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 (6-ounce) container plain, reduced-fat (2%) Greek-style yogurt
1/2 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper, to taste

To make garam masala:

1 Tbsp. coriander seed
1 Tbsp. cumin seed
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

How we make it

First, make the garam masala. Place the coriander, cumin, peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves in a small, dry skillet. Heat over medium-high heat to toast the spices. Toast them until they turn several shades darker than they are at the start. This should take about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the spices to cool completely then place them on a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder. Stir in the nutmeg. An option is to also include about 1/4 tsp. of saffron although it is very expensive. Use the spices in this recipe immediately after preparation or place in an airtight container. You can store it in a cool, dry place for as long as 3 months.

Preparing the Kale Tandoori

Separate kale leaves from their stems. Rinse well in cold water. Shake off most of the water clinging to leaves.

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pile moist kale into pan, heaping generously. Using tongs, turn and mix kale until it collapses, about 2 minutes. Keep adding kale until it all fits into pan. When kale is dark green and al dente, transfer to a colander. Rinse and wipe out pan, and set aside.

Let kale cool. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible, a handful at a time. On cutting board, coarsely chop kale.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic and sauté until scallions are tender, 3-4 minutes. Mix in curry powder and garam masala and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add kale and stir to combine. Mix in yogurt, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, just until kale is heated through, 3 minutes.

Do not let it start to bubble. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot or warm.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 93 calories, 4 g total fat (1 g saturated fat),
2 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 435 mg sodium.