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Spinach dal or dal palak in a bowl with rice on the side

Easy Dal palak or Spinach dal - Stovetop method

Spinach dal or dal palak is an easy and healthy lentil recipe made with lentils, spinach and spices, served with rice, roti or naan. Very delicious!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Course Curry, Main Course
Cuisine Gluten-free, Indian, South Indian
Servings 8
Calories 209 kcal

Equipment

  • large cooking pot
  • cooking pan

Ingredients
  

To cook the lentils

  • 300 g red lentils soaked* for 15 minutes
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • water
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric

For the tempering

  • 2 tablespoon neutral oil or ghee
  • 2 teaspoon cumin seeds whole
  • 2 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
  • 4 to 5 dry red chilies broken into halves, optional
  • 1 teaspoon asafoetida or hing** optional
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1 large onion diced, optional
  • 1 teaspoon ginger minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 green chili chopped
  • 3 small tomatoes chopped, optional
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 500 g baby spinach fresh or frozen, chopped

Instructions
 

Cook the lentils or dal

  • Add lentils, salt and turmeric to a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook lentils for about 8 to 10 minutes, till they are soft and mushy.

Prepare the tempering

  • Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, crushed coriander seeds, dry red chilies, hing, fenugreek seeds and black cardamom. Sauté for a minute until fragrant.
  • Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes till they are caramelised.
  • Add the ginger, garlic and green chilies. Mix well and cook for a minute.
  • Add the tomatoes, turmeric, salt, red chili powder and garam masala. Mix well and cook covered till the tomatoes are mushy.
  • Transfer the tomato mixture to the pot with cooked lentils.
  • Add the chopped spinach and mix well. Add more water if you prefer a runny consistency.
  • Cook for 2 minutes till the spinach wilts. Enjoy with hot rice or roti.

Video

Notes

Nutrition values are a rough estimate for guidance.
*Soaking lentils is optional but it could improve digestibility and speed up the cooking time.
**Asafoetida, also known as 'hing' in Hindi is an optional ingredient. It adds a distinct savoury taste and transforms the dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 13gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 516mgPotassium: 900mgFiber: 15gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 6366IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 6mg
Keyword dal palak, dal palak recipe, dal spinach recipe, dal with spinach, keerai kottu, moong dal spinach, palak dal, palak moong dal, palakura pappu, spinach and dal, spinach dal, spinach with dal
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