Description
A comforting, restaurant-quality Spinach Dal featuring creamy red lentils topped with a garlic and spice-infused spinach tempering.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (960 mL) water
- 1.5 cups (300g) red lentils (masoor dal)
- 0.75 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
- 1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1.5 teaspoons black mustard seeds
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced into matchsticks
- 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
- 3 dried red chile peppers
- 20 fresh curry leaves
- 0.125 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- 5 oz (140g) baby spinach
- 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the red lentils thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve. Combine lentils and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, skim off foam, add turmeric, and simmer partially covered for 20-25 minutes until soft.
- Whisk the cooked lentils vigorously to create a creamy texture. Stir in the salt and lemon juice, then keep warm on low heat.
- In a separate large pan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds, cooking until seeds pop.
- Add onion and a pinch of salt to the pan, reducing heat to medium. Sauté until onions are golden brown.
- Stir in garlic, ginger, and green chile, cooking for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add dried red chiles, curry leaves, and asafoetida, cooking for 30 seconds.
- Add fresh spinach in batches with a pinch of salt, tossing with tongs until just wilted. Remove from heat immediately.
- Pour the spinach mixture over the warm lentils and stir gently. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
If you don’t have coconut oil, ghee or vegetable oil works well. For a gluten-free version, omit the asafoetida.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Resting Time:
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 460mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 14g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Spinach Dal Recipe, Dal Palak, vegan lentil curry, Indian spinach lentils, easy weeknight dinner