This spinach dal or 'palak dal' is a simple and easy recipe. I like spinach and I think this is a yummy way to eat the greens and get the nutrients such as iron. You can use the spinach leaves along with the tender stems for this.

You may use pressure cooker for cooking spinach dal recipe as that really saves time. You can also cook it on the stove top in a pot/pan if you wish.

For this spinach and lentil recipe, you can use split mung bean (mung dal or green gram dal) , red lentil( masoor dal or split yellow lentil (toor dal/tuvar dal/arahar dal). You can use any one dal mentioned or a mixture of all the three dals.

If you are using a mixture of the three dals, remember that mung dal and masoor dal cook faster than toor dal. So washing and soaking toor dal for 15-20 minutes before cooking is better. All the three dals will get cooked at the same time.

I am using a mixture of the three dals mentioned above.

This spinach recipe goes well with plain steamed rice or any flat breads such as chapatti, paratha, nan etc,

How to cook spinach dal - Palak dal?

Ingredients to cook dal for 4 servings:

• Mung dal -2 tbsp
• Masoor dal - 2 tbsp
• Toor dal - 2 tbsp
• Spinach leaves - 2 cups, chopped.
• Water - 2 cups or more
• Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera powder(Cumin seed powder) - 1/2 tsp
• Dhania powder (coriander seed powder) - 1 tsp
• Garlic flakes - 4-5 chopped
• turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
• tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp
• Sugar or gud (jaggery) - 1/4 tsp or to taste
• Salt - 1/2 tsp or according to taste

Ingredients for tempering

• Oil or ghee - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Hing) Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
• Green chili - 1 , slit in two
• Curry leaves (optional) - 4-5

Method to cook spinach dal - palak dal

1. Wash all the dals and add to the pressure cooker along with 2 cups water and chopped spinach.
2. Add the ingredients from dals to turmeric powder to the pressure cooker.
3. Close the pressure cooker and let it cook till 1 whistle.
4. Switch off and let cool.
5. When the cooker has cooled, stir the dal mixture, check for consistency. Add more water if needed.
6. Add salt, tamarind pulp, sugar or jaggery and let cook for 2-3 minutes.

To make tempering

1. In a small pan, heat oil/ghee.
2. Add mustard seeds. Let splutter.
3. Add cumin seeds and all the other ingredients one after another.
4. Take off the fire.

Add it to the mixture in pressure cooker. Mix well. serve hot with plain rice or with any flat breads such as chapatti, nan, paratha etc.

Tips:

1. If cooking dals on the stove top without using pressure cooker, soaking dals for 15-20 minutes before cooking saves cooking time.
2. Add 2 cups water to the pan along with dals. cook till just done. add chopped spinach. cook for another 5 minutes. then add all the spices, salt, tempering etc.
3. Fresh lemon juice may be added instead of tamarind juice. Lime juice should be added after the heat is off and dal is ready

Enjoy

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