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Palak dal or spinach dal in gray bowl with jeera rice and papad on brown table
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5 from 3 votes

Palak Dal (Spinach Dal)

Spinach dal is an easy one pot meal and perfect comfort food. Dal means lentils so this is a hearty lentil soup packed with iron rich spinach. This has an Instant Pot, stovetop and pressure cooker methods.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: indian dal, indian dal with spinach, instant pot dal, palak dal, spinach dal
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 269kcal
Author: Shilpa Joshi

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or
  • Pressure cooker or
  • Plain old pot!

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 2 cups toor dal split pigeon peas, tuvar dal, can substitute masoor dal
  • 2.5 cup chopped spinach
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 cups crushed tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 inch ginger minced
  • 2 green chillies chopped (keep pieces bigger if you want to take out before serving)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 tsp red chili powder lal mirch
  • 2 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida)
  • 1 tbsp dhana jeeru powder (coriander seed powder and cumin seed powder) Sold as a mix. If you don't have mix can use: 3/4 tbsp coriander seed powder, 1/4 tbsp cumin seed powder
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 4-5 stems chopped cilantro optional, garnish

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

  • Wash lentils and prep/chop veggies (spinach, onion, garlic, ginger and green chilies).
    Washed toor dal/split pigeon peas
  • Add oil to pot. Put Instant Pot in SAUTE mode. Once oil is hot, add in cumin seeds. Once begin to sizzle, add hing (asafoetida) then onions. Cook for 1 minute, stirring onions.
    Tadka for dal, oil with cumin seeds and onions
  • Next, add in green chilies, ginger and garlic. Add in that order as garlic burns quickest. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.
    Tadka for spinach dal. Oil with cumin seeds, hing, onions, green chilies, ginger and garlic
  • Add in crushed tomatoes and spices (red chili powder, salt, turmeric, cumin/coriander powder, garam masala and sugar). Mix.
    Crushed tomatoes and spices
  • Add in dal (washed lentils)
    Lentils in crushed tomatoes and spices
  • Add water. Dal should have about 2 inches of water above it. Cancel SAUTE mode. Turn on PRESSURE COOK mode and cook for 5 minutes and do quick release.
    Water in dal
  • Add chopped spinach and stir thoroughly
    Chopped spinach in cooked dal
  • Dal palak (spinach dal is ready to eat!)
    Dal palak (spinach dal) served with rice, salad and papad

Stovetop (using pot)

  • Heat oil in pan. Add in cumin seeds. Once they sizzle add in asofoetida then onions. Cook 1 minute, stirring. Add in green chilies, ginger and garlic in that order. Cook 1 minute stirring again.
  • Add in crushed tomatoes and spices. Mix.
  • Add in washed lentils and water. Bring to boil. After it reaches boiling point, cook on medium- high for 20 minutes until lentils are cooked.
  • Put on low. Add in chopped spinach and mix. Cover and turn off heat. Spinach dal is ready.

Pressure Cooker (stovetop)

  • Follow same instructions except use pressure cooker.
  • After adding in dal and water close pressure cooker.
  • Cook until 2 whistles. Then let cooker cool down and pressure is released. Spinach dal is ready.

Notes

Note: Total cook times reflected in recipe card are for Instant Pot recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1077mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 307IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3mg