Curries | Indian | Main Course | Recipes

Dal Palak (Lentils with Spinach )

drprerna26June 19, 2020

Dal Palak is a healthy, delicious and high protein recipe in which dal /lentils are cooked with spinach and tempered with basic Indian spices ! It is the type of dish which keeps your tummy and soul satisfied as it combines the goodness of spinach and lentils. Mostly cooked with Pigeon peas/Tuvar/arhar dal , any type of lentil is used as per your preference. I have used the combination of yellow moong dal and red lentils (split masoor dal) because of the health benefits they offer.

Red lentils are not only a great source of low-fat, plant-based protein, but contain a wealth of B vitamins, many essential minerals and fiber.

• 1 cup of masoor dal gives 31% of the daily recommendation of protein for an adult man.
• It is very good for pregnant women as its high in folic acid.
• It is also high in iron and when combined with spinach, 1 serving can make up to 10% of your daily iron requirement.
• The glycemic index of red lentils are very low , hence it is very good for diabetics.

”If you try this recipe I would love to hear from you! I would appreciate if you could leave a review or a comment below !! Please feel free to share your feedback and suggestions as well! Thank you so much.”

Cuisine: Indian   Course: Side dish/ Main   Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• Red lentils: 1/2 cup, washed
• Yellow moong dal:  1/2 cup, washed
• Spinach: 2 cups, tightly packed, chopped finely
• Tomatoes: 2 ,chopped roughly
• Onion: 2 medium sized, chopped finely
• Green chillies: 1-2
• garlic cloves: 2-3, minced
• Ginger: 1 inch piece, chopped
• Ghee: 2 tbsp
• Salt: as per taste
• Hing/ Asfoetida : a pinch
• Cumin seeds/jeera: 3/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder/haldi: 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli powder: 1/4 tsp ( or more if you want more spicy)
• Garam masala: 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder: 1.5 tsp
• Lemon juice: as per taste
• Fresh Coriander:  Chopped

For 2nd tempering: (Optional but recommended)

• Ghee: 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies: 2
• Hing: a pinch
• Garlic cloves: 2, chopped (optional )

Method:

• First, wash and soak both lentils for 15-20 minutes. Drain excess water and pressure cook dal with 2 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt, for 2 whistles, on medium heat. Once all the pressure releases naturally, open the lid and keep it aside.
• In the mean time, grind tomatoes, ginger and chillies together to a fine paste in a grinder.
• In a pan or kadhai, heat 2 tbsp of ghee. Once hot, add 3/4 tsp of cumin seeds and a pinch of hing.
• When the cumin seeds sizzle, add chopped garlic and fry on medium heat until it is very lightly golden.
• Next, add chopped onion and mix it nicely. Saute for few minutes until they start to turn golden on edges.
• Now , add tomato ,chilli and ginger paste. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder . When ghee oozes from the corners, add chopped spinach. Stir nicely and cook until the spinach softens, about 2 minutes.
• Add cooked dal to it and mix. Check salt and adjust. Add garam masala and give everything a good mix. Add 1 cup of water or according to desired consistency and let the dal come to a boil.
• Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle some lemon juice . Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

For 2nd tempering:

• Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a small pan, add cumin seeds when the ghee is hot.
• When the cumin seeds crackles, add dry red chilli and a pinch of hing. Switch off the gas, add red chilli powder and mix.
• Pour this ghee on dal and cover the dal for 2-3 minutes to let the dal absorb the lovely flavours!
• If you love the dhaba style garlicky flavor in dal, you can also add 1 clove of chopped garlic in tempering. Just add chopped garlic after cumin seeds and fry till they are lightly golden.
• Enjoy!!