I tried these several years ago as my brother is coeliac and these, if you use the gram flour option, are gluten free. They are easy to make, freeze well and taste delicious.
This recipe serves 4 adults. Great for kids as it’s easy to portion, they can just have fewer dumplings, and for the veg phobic kids, they don’t even taste of spinach!
The original recipe is from BBC Good Food. Their recipe has a yogort sauce to serve with the dumplings, I didn’t like that very much, so have the tomato one.
What to serve with Spinach Dumplings
The dumplings are delicious with rice, pasta, noodles, nan bread or potato. They can be stretched a bit by having more rice or whatever, and maybe some veg from the garden.
Variations of Spinach Dumplings
You can, of course, vary the spices to whatever you have or like, a bit of turmeric in the tomato sauce is lovely, maybe a tandoori spice mix in the dumplings, or a good blob of a curry paste, Balti maybe. You could add a bit of coconut paste or milk to the tomato sauce, or make a completely different curry sauce to go with them.
What you need to make spinach dumplings
Dumplings
500g spinach, frozen, defrosted and squeezed out, or a 795g tin 98p, drained, (keep the juice for soup) use half 49p
170g gram flour if you want the gluten free version or
170g wheat flour
100g onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed, or rounded tsp paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
large pinch salt
Spicy Tomato Sauce
carton passata or tin tomatoes
100g onion, finely chopped
pinch salt and pepper
fine chopped chilli, pinch chilli flakes etc, go easy if you don’t want it too hot
How to make spinach dumplings
- For the dumplings, put all the dumpling ingredients in a bowl and mix it all well. You need to have a soft doughy like mix. Use a little of the spinach juice if it is too dry, or add a little more flour if it is too wet.
- Using wet hands, form the mixture into small balls about the size of a walnut.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry them gently until browned, turning as needed, about 3 -4 minutes each side.
- Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Sizzle the onion in a little oil in a saucepan, add the chilli if using, sizzle a little more. Add the passata and warm through.
The dumplings are delicious with rice, pasta, noodles, nan bread or potato. They can be stretched a bit by having more rice or whatever, and maybe some veg from the garden.
Ingredients
Dumplings
- 500 g spinach frozen, defrosted and squeezed out, or a 795g tin, drained, (keep the juice for soup) use half 77p
- 170 g gram flour if you want the gluten free version £1.40/kg, 24p or use ordinary flour
- 100 g onion finely chopped 85p/kg 8p
- 3 garlic cloves 10p
- 1 tsp ground cumin Rajah £2/400g 5g, 3p
- 1 tsp ground coriander Rajah £2/400g 5g, 3p
- pinch salt
Spicy tomato sauce
- 1 carton passatta 32p (passatta) or use a tin of tomatoes
- 100 g onion finely chopped 85p/kg 8p
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- chilli fine chopped, pinch chilli flakes etc, go easy if you don’t want it too hot
Instructions
- For the dumplings, put all the dumpling ingredients in a bowl and mix it all well.
- You need to have a soft doughy like mix. Use a little of the spinach juice if it is too dry, or add a little more flour if it is too wet.
- Using wet hands, form the mixture into small balls about the size of a walnut.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry them gently until browned, turning as needed, about 3 -4 minutes each side.
Tomato Sauce
- While the spinach balls are frying, make the tomato sauce.
- Sizzle the onion in a little oil in a saucepan, add the chilli if using, sizzle a little more.
- Add the passata and warm through.
To Serve
- Serve the spinach balls with the tomato sauce poured over, or in a jug if you want it to be separate
Glad to read this recipe as i discovered gram flour in the back of the cupboard!
Thanks very much! Very happy you like it
Lovin’ your blog. You’re an inspiration. Will be back very often to keep checking out your recipes!
I love how you cost everything out, it’s so useful. I cost mine out too, but it’s nice to have it all done for you. Plus some really original stuff.