Dal Palak Recipe (Spinach Dal)
Dal Palak is a healthy, comforting Indian lentil curry. Made with fresh spinach and protein-rich dal, it’s quick, flavorful, and wholesome.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 2 Measuring spoons
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Ladle
Ingredients
- 1 cup Toor dal pigeon peas
- 2 cups Fresh spinach palak, chopped
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- 1 medium Tomato chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic chopped or crushed
- 2 Green chili chopped
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 Dried red chili
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Red chili powder
- ½ tsp Coriander powder
- Salt
- 2 tbsp Ghee or oil
- A small handful Fresh coriander leaves chopped
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup of toor dal (or moong dal) and pressure cook it with water, turmeric, and salt until soft and mushy. This protein-rich lentil forms the base of your healthy spinach dal.
- While the dal cooks, wash and finely chop 2 cups of fresh palak (spinach) leaves, keeping the greens ready for a nutritious and vibrant Indian lentil curry.
- Heat 2 tablespoons ghee or oil in a pan, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dried red chili, and chopped garlic cloves, and sauté until fragrant to make a flavorful tadka for dal.
- Add 1 finely chopped onion and green chilies, sauté until golden, then stir in 1 chopped tomato along with red chili powder and coriander powder, cooking until soft. This step enhances the taste of your palak dal curry.
- Add the chopped spinach and cook for 3–4 minutes until wilted. Mix in the cooked dal, adjust consistency with water, and simmer for 5 minutes so the flavors blend beautifully in this homemade spinach dal.
- Taste and adjust salt, then garnish with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve hot with steamed rice, jeera rice, or soft rotis for a wholesome Indian vegetarian meal.
Notes
- Soaking the dal for 15–20 minutes in fresh water makes it cook faster.
- You can add a pinch of garam masala at the end for extra flavor.
- For a South Indian twist, add a few curry leaves during tempering.
- Adjust green chili and red chili powder according to your spice preference.