Spinach Dal
Spinach dal is a delicious, flavorful, and creamy dal. It is a very popular dal recipe and is also known as dal palak. It is a very simple and easy to make dish. There are various ways of cooking spinach dal in different states in India.
This spinach dal is very versatile and goes really well with plain rice and any Indian flat bread. It is a nutritious, healthy, and soul-satisfying meal. It is an everyday meal loaded with various nutrients, protein, and iron. Additionally, it is a gluten-free and vegan recipe.
This spinach dal or dal palak is made with a mix of yellow pigeon peas (Toor Dal) and red lentils (Masoor Dal). You can make it with just one of the dal as well. It is also made with fresh spinach, garlic, and a few spices.
Pressure cookers are a wonderful way to cook any dal fast and perfect. I am using my traditional Indian pressure cooker. You can cook this dal on a stovetop or also in any electric pressure cooker.
Spinach is also known as palak in Hindi. I have blanched the spinach in this recipe to draw out the vibrant flavor and to give a lovely green color to the dish!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Yellow pigeon peas
- Red lentils
- Spinach
- Green chilis
- Garlic
- Onion
- Tomato
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander powder
- Cumin powder
- Garam masala
- Turmeric powder
- Red chili powder
- Asafoetida
- Dry red chili (optional)
- Salt
- Oil
Spinach Dal Step By Step Recipe
Triple wash yellow pigeon peas and red lentils. Add 1.5 cups of water, turmeric powder, pinch of asafoetida, a few drops of oil, and 2 crushed garlics. Cook in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
Wash the spinach 3 times and cut it into long thin strips by placing a few leaves on top of each other.
Heat some water in a large pot on medium to high heat and let it boil. Switch off the heat. Add â…› tsp salt and chopped spinach and let it cook for 1 minute.
Transfer the spinach to a pot of cold water to stop the overcooking. Transfer the leaves to a colander and squeeze out the water. Set them aside.
Heat some oil in a pan on a medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Now add finely chopped green chilis, garlic cloves, onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add chopped tomato and 1 1/8 tsp salt. Cook for 7-10 minutes until it becomes mushy by covering it with a lid and stirring in between.
Meanwhile, mash cooked dal and add 1 ¼ cup water. Transfer the dal to the tomato onion mixture.
Add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and red chili powder. Mix everything well. Check the consistency of water. You may add some more if you wish.
Cook the dal for 3-4 minutes and add blanched spinach. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes and serve.
For Tadka
Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp asafoetida, ⅛ tsp red chili powder, and dry red chilis.
Variations
- You can use ghee instead of oil for making spinach dal in the procedure if you like.
- I would highly recommend to use fresh spinach and blanch it before adding it to the recipe. If you wish to add frozen spinach in the recipe then make sure to wash it thoroughly and squeeze out the water and add it after sautéing the onions. Cook for about 3 minutes covered with a lid.
- You can use any dal in the recipe – Moong dal/Masoor dal/Toor dal or mix any dal combination as well.
- Add sliced garlic or crushed garlic in the tadka if you like. You may skip adding tadka to the dal as well.
- For a gluten free option, skip adding asafoetida in the recipe.
How To Store Spinach Dal?
Spinach dal can be stored easily in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
You can easily freeze the spinach dal in a freezer safe container for 3 months. Defrost the dal in the refrigerator for a few hours/overnight and then heat it on a stovetop. You can defrost it in the microwave, stir it between the process.
How To Serve Spinach Dal?
Serve spinach dal with plain rice/jeera rice and some roasted papad.
You can serve the spinach dal with a roti/phulka. Spinach dal goes really well with jowar roti/any millet roti as well.
Serve it as a side dish along with any dry sabzi, pickle, and rice or any Indian flat bread to make a wholesome meal.
Dal Recipes
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Spinach Dal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Yellow pigeon peas/Toor dal
- 1/4 cup Red lentils/Masoor dal
- 2 cups Spinach
- 2 Green chilis
- 5 Garlic cloves 2 crushed, 3 chopped
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- 1 large Tomato chopped
- 2 tsp Cumin seeds/Jeera divided
- 1.5 tsp Coriander powder/Dhania Powder
- 1/4 tsp Cumin powder/Jeera powder
- 1/2 tsp Garam masala
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder/Haldi
- 1/2 tsp Red chili powder divided
- 1/3 tsp Asafoetida divided
- 1-2 Dry red chili optional
- 1 1/8 tsp Salt or as required
- 2.5 tbsp Oil divided
Instructions
- Triple wash yellow pigeon peas and red lentils. Add 1.5 cups of water, turmeric powder, pinch of asafoetida, a few drops of oil, and 2 crushed garlics. Cook in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
- Wash the spinach 3 times and cut it into long thin strips by placing a few leaves on top of each other.
- Heat some water in a large pot on medium to high heat and let it boil. Switch off the heat. Add â…› tsp salt and chopped spinach and let it cook for 1 minute.
- Transfer the spinach to a pot of cold water to stop the overcooking. Transfer the leaves to a colander and squeeze out the water. Set them aside.
- Heat some oil in a pan on a medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Now add finely chopped green chilis, garlic cloves, onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add chopped tomato and 1 1/8 tsp salt. Cook for 7-10 minutes until it becomes mushy by covering it with a lid and stirring in between.
- Meanwhile, mash cooked dal and add 1 ¼ cup water. Transfer the dal to the tomato onion mixture.
- Add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and red chili powder. Mix everything well. Check the consistency of water. You may add some more if you wish.
- Cook the dal for 3-4 minutes and add blanched spinach. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes and serve.
For Tadka
- Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp asafoetida, ⅛ tsp red chili powder, and dry red chilis.
Notes
- Use ghee instead of oil for making spinach dal in the procedure if you like.
- If you wish to add frozen spinach in the recipe then make sure to wash it thoroughly and squeeze out the water and add it after sautéing the onions. Cook for about 3 minutes covered with a lid.
- You can use any dal in the recipe – Moong dal/Masoor dal/Toor dal or mix any dal combination as well.
- Add sliced garlic or crushed garlic in the tadka if you like. You may skip adding tadka to the dal as well.
- For a gluten free option, skip adding asafoetida in the recipe.
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