To go alongside my main dish of Easy Chicken Tikka Masala with basmati rice, I made this accompanying vegetable recipe also with an Indian flair from the unique spices. It cooks so quickly that you can get started on it just when the Chicken Tikka Masala goes into the oven for 10 minutes.
I did have one unplanned moment when I opened my bag of mustard seeds without scissors and therefore tore open at it so hard that mustard seeds exploded all over the kitchen floor and counter. Thank goodness for the handi-vac!

I used swiss chard instead of spinach because its what I had in the fridge, but as far as I could tell this made no real difference. The recipe is so simple and the peppery spices wafted all the way to the dinner table making us very hungry! It tasted just as good as it smelled, and was not hot from spice, just flavorful. It went down smoothly and was a nice accompaniment to the more piquant sauce of the Chicken Tikka Masala. Here are my sautéed greens with Indian Spices:

Martha Stewart Greens with Indian Spices ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2014

Spinach Sauteed With Indian Spices

Recipe from: Martha Stewart Living, December/January 1996/1997
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 
• 2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise 
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced 
• 2 tsp. julienned ginger or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric 
• 1 pound fresh spinach, stems removed 
• 1 tsp. whole yellow mustard seeds 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions: 
1. In a high, straight-sided medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and the garlic, and cook until shallots are lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Stir in ginger, cumin, and turmeric, and cook for 30 seconds. Add spinach and mustard seeds; season with salt and pepper; cook, tossing until spinach is just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from skillet, and serve immediately.