Dal palak is a simple, healthy and delicious curry made with a combination of dals and spinach (palak).
The recipe that I have shared today is tempered twice with garlic which adds a nice smokey flavour to this dish.
This comforting lentil dish pairs best with jeera rice & flatbreads like paratha, naan & roti.
This is a healthy, vegan, protein-rich, diabetic-friendly, fibre-rich, and beginner-friendly recipe that is often made for a quick weekday lunch or dinner.
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About Dal Palak (Spinach Dal)
The combination of spinach(palak) and dal (lentil) creates a magic!
This simple, easy & delicious dal palak is made using pigeon lentils, yellow lentils, chopped spinach and some basic spices and herbs.
In India, dal is a staple food that is made every day for meals. This curry is rich in dietary fibre and protein, making it the best source of protein for a plant-based diet.
Dal or dhal is an essential part of the Indian main course. Made with lentils either whole or split, dal is considered a comfort food that is served along with steamed rice, roti, chapati, or naan.
Dal palak is often served in restaurants, and roadside dhabas and is made in almost every household with slight variation. Each home has its unique way of making this dal palak curry.
In India, this recipe varies from state to state. In the northern parts, it is made in onion tomato-based gravy and in the south, you will find it made in coconut-based gravy.
At home, we often make this dal palak (spinach dal) for our weeknight dinner along with jeera rice & tawa paratha. This is a flavourful, light, filling and totally satisfying curry.
The yellow moong dal that is used gives this curry a wonderfully creamy texture without even the addition of cream or coconut milk.
I personally love this curry with jeera rice along with pappadum and homemade raw mango pickle.
Spinach dal (dal palak) can be easily made in an Instant Pot or on a stovetop.
Including legumes in everyday meals is a great way of including proteins when on a plant-based diet to get your daily intake of necessary nutrients.
Recipe Video
ingredients
Dal โ To make this dal palak, I have used a combination of pigeon (arhar dal) & moong dal (yellow lentils). We will pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles.
Palak / Spinach Leaves โ I have used 1 cup of finely chopped spinach (palak).
Onion โ Tomatoes โ These add a depth of flavour & texture to this dal. This dal can also be made without adding onions & tomatoes.
Spices & Herbs โ We are going to use basic pantry staples here like garam masala powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and Kashmiri red chilli powder.
We will also need lots of finely chopped garlic. Garlic pairs superb with palak (spinach). We will also add finely chopped ginger & green chillies along with a couple of dry red chillies.
Tempering โ To give this dal palak that awesome smokey flavour, we are going to temper the dal using cumin seeds, lots of garlic, dry red chilli and Kashmiri red chilli powder. My personal recommendation โ do not skip this tempering it adds superb flavour to this dal.
Oil โ I have cooked this palak dal in sunflower oil.
Variations
You can add other green leafy vegetables instead of spinach/palak here. Veggies like methi (fenugreek leaves), and amaranth leaves pair well with dal.
Instead of combining pigeon (Arhar dal) & moong dal (yellow mung lentils), you can opt to use either one. Also, red lentils (lal masoor dal) give a nice taste to this recipe.
To make it satvik & Jain style, skip adding garlic & onions. Also to make it gluten-free, skip adding hing (asafoetida).
Serving Suggestions
With Rice โ This spinach dal pairs best with jeera rice & plain steamed rice.
With Flatbread โ Pairs very well roti, naan, phulka & tandoori paratha.
Storage Options
This dal stays good for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.
Related Recipes
More Dal (Lentil) Recipes
Lal Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Curry), Akkha Masoor Dal (Brown Lentil Curry), Lobia Masala (Black Eyed Beans Curry), Green Moong Dal (Green Gram Lentil Curry), Maharashtrian Amti (Sweet & Tangy Dal)
How to make Dal Palak (Spinach Lentil Curry)
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Recipe Card
Dal Palak Recipe | Spinach Dal | Spinach Lentil Curry
Ingredientsย ย
- 1 cup Spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup Turdal / Arhar Dal / Pigeon Peas
- 1/2 cup Yellow Moong Dal (Yellow Lentils)
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 1 Tomato, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger, finely chopped
- 2 Green Chillies, finely chopped
- 2 Dry Red Chillies
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/4th teaspoon Hing (asafoetida)
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon Oil
For Garlic Tadka
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
- 2 Dry Red Chillies
- 1 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
Instructionsย
- In a bowl add a cup of turdal (piegeon peas) & half a cup of yellow moong dal (yellow lentils).
- Wash the dals a couple of times till the water runs relatively clear.
- Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook the dals for 5-6 whistles.
- The cooked dal is ready. Using a masher, mash the dal to a fine consistency.
- Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add dry red chillies.
- Add finely chopped ginger-garlic-green chillies & hing (asafoetida). Saute till ginger & garlic changes colour to light brown.
- Keep the flame very low. This golden brown garlic gives a nice flavour to this dal palak.
- Add finely chopped onions and cook till translucent.
- Add finely chopped tomatoes. Cook this onion-tomato mixture till the tomatoes soften.
- Add coriander powder, gram masala powder, red chilli powder, and turmeric powder.
- Add 1/4the cup of water to prevent spices from burning.
- Let this masala cook till you see oil floating on top, stir frequently in between.
- Add chopped spinach (palak). Mix well with the onion tomato masala.
- Add salt to taste.
- Let the palak (spinach) cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the cooked dal.
- Mix dal with palak and add 2 cups of water. Adjust the consistency of the dal as per your choice.
- Let the dal simmer for 3-4 minutes. Keep on stirring occasionally to avoid dal sticking to the bottom of the pan.
For Tadka
- In a tadka pan, heat oil add a teaspoon of cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add 2 dry red chillies and a tablespoon of finely chopped garlic.
- Let the garlic cook till it changes colour to a light brown.
- Add a tablespoon of Kashmiri red chilli powder and mix well.
- Our tadka for dal is ready. You can keep half of the tadka aside to garnish while serving (optional).
- Pour this flavourful garlicky tadka on the dal and let the dal simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Once the dal comes to a boil. Switch off the flame and transfer the dal to a serving bowl.
- Delicious dal palak (spinach dal) is ready to serve. You can opt to add the tadka on the dal before serving (optional).
- Serve this dal palak with jeera rice or paratha.
