Description
Dal Palak is a comforting and protein-packed Indian lentil dish featuring red lentils cooked with aromatic spices and enriched with a flavorful spinach tadka. This vegan and gluten-free recipe combines soft, pureed dal with sautéed spinach, mustard seeds, cumin, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves for a gourmet meal that’s simple and quick to prepare.
Ingredients
Dal
- 1 ½ cups (300g) red lentils, split red lentils or split yellow lentils
- 4 cups (960 mL) water
- ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 ½ heaping teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1 handful (12g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
- Cooked rice, to serve (serves 4)
Spinach Tadka
- 3 to 4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 fat or 6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped or thinly sliced
- 1 ½-inch (4 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
- 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 to 5 dried red chile peppers, torn in half
- 20 fresh curry leaves (optional but highly recommended)
- A couple pinches of asafoetida (hing) (optional; omit if gluten-free)
- 5 ounces (140g) baby spinach
Instructions
- Prepare the Dal: Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs mostly clear to remove excess starch and impurities.
- Cook Lentils: Add rinsed lentils to a medium saucepan and cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and skim off foam with a spoon as it appears. Reduce heat to a simmer, stir in turmeric, cover partially, and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until lentils are soft, tender, and mostly broken down.
- Puree Lentils: Whisk vigorously for about 1 minute to somewhat puree the lentils. If not soft enough, continue cooking and whisk occasionally until dal is fully mashed and thickened.
- Season Dal: Stir in 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice as desired. Keep dal warm on low heat while preparing tadka.
- Heat Oil for Tadka: Heat 3 tablespoons coconut oil in a medium to large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering.
- Temper Spices: Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Shake pan or stir frequently until mustard seeds start to pop, which happens quickly.
- Sauté Onions: Add diced onion and a pinch of salt, reduce heat to medium, and cook stirring occasionally until onions are golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add Aromatics and Chiles: Stir in garlic, ginger, and optional serrano or jalapeño pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add dried red chilies, curry leaves, and asafoetida if using, cooking for 30 seconds while stirring.
- Cook Spinach: If oil is dry, add 1 tablespoon more coconut oil. Add half of the baby spinach and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, toss with tongs stirring frequently until wilted. Add remaining spinach and stir-fry until fully wilted.
- Combine Spinach Tadka and Dal: Remove spinach tadka from heat and pour it over the warm dal. Stir well to combine.
- Final Seasoning and Garnish: Taste dal, adding more lemon juice or salt if needed. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems.
- Serve: Serve the dal hot with cooked rice for a complete and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Use unrefined coconut oil for the best flavor and health benefits in the tadka.
- Serrano or jalapeño pepper is optional and can be omitted for less heat.
- Adjust the number of dried red chiles according to your spice preference.
- Curry leaves add authentic flavor but can be skipped if unavailable.
- Asafoetida (hing) is optional and should be omitted if you require the recipe to be strictly gluten-free.
- Ensure to rinse lentils well to minimize foam formation while boiling.
