Kafuli

VegetarianMain Course

Last updated August 6, 2026

A bowl of thick, dark-green Kafuli gravy made from pureed spinach and fenugreek leaves, served with rice

A thick gravy made from green leafy vegetables, particularly spinach, cooked in an iron kadhai

What goes in

Ingredients

Spinach

Fenugreek leaves

Rice flour

Garlic

Green chili

Local spices

Preparation Time

45 minutes

Serving Style

Served hot with rice or mandua roti

Step by step

How to Prepare

1. Wash and roughly chop spinach and fenugreek leaves, then boil until soft. 2. Grind the boiled greens to a coarse puree. 3. Heat mustard oil in an iron kadhai, temper with garlic, green chili, and cumin. 4. Add the greens puree and a rice-flour slurry, then simmer, stirring often, until the gravy thickens. 5. Finish with local spices and serve hot with rice or mandua (finger millet) roti.

Good to know

Beyond the Plate

Regional Variations

Garhwali households often make a similar dish called Palak Ka Saag with a thinner consistency and less rice flour, while the Kumaoni Kafuli is cooked thicker and is traditionally never made without at least two kinds of greens.

Serving Etiquette

Kafuli is traditionally cooked in a seasoned iron kadhai, both for flavor and because the dish is valued as a source of dietary iron in the hill diet — many households still avoid non-iron cookware for it.

Where to Try

Home-style Kumaoni thalis in Almora, Nainital, and Pithoragarh routinely include Kafuli; it is less commonly found on standard restaurant menus outside the hill districts.