I have been enjoying the spinach and feta flavour combination a lot lately and I thought that it was about time that I branched out and tried something a bit different. Palak dal is an Indian dish consisting of spinach and lentils and it has been on my to try list for a while now. This dish is pretty much just the spinach and lentils along with some warm Indian spices and some chili heat. The lentils could be served as a side or as salad or with the addition of some rice or bread it can easily be a main. Most of the recipes that I found called for urad dal or chana dal but I did not end up having the time to pick them up so I just used the lentils that I had on hand, the green du puy lentils. This dish is pretty simple to make though it does require a bit of time to cook the lentils. The palak dal turned out wonderfully and I quite enjoyed the warm spicy flavour of the creamy lentils and spinach. This is definitely another great way to enjoy some spinach! I even tried adding some feta to the leftovers and that worked really well as well!
Palak Dal
ingredients
- 1 cup lentils
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 bunch spinach (chopped)
- 1 jalapeno (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
- 1 jalapeno (chopped)
- 1 tomato (diced)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
directions
- Cook the lentils in the water along with the spinach, jalapeno and turmeric until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
- When the lentils are nearing completion, Heat the oil in a separate pan.
- Add the cumin seeds and heat them until the sizzle and pop.
- Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the tomato, coriander powder and chili powder and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the lentils and spinach mixture along with the lemon juice and remove from heat.
kathryn durst says
wow! this looks great! it's nice when you can make something delicious if you don't have that many ingredients – so long as you have a fully stocked spice cupboard. i will definitely be making this! thanks 🙂
KenyonJen says
Yay! I've been craving lentils nonstop lately and this recipe looks awesome…AND it's vegan, which makes me even happier. Thanks, Kevin! 😀
Soma says
our of the favorites in our home. I posted mine with mung dal a couple of days back. love your version.
Kalyn says
I love the sound of this one! Some of my favorite flavors.
Rachael says
I adore lentils/Indian food in general. This looks awesome!!!
Shirley says
Hi,
Good one!
Do check out my version of Palak Dal.
http://enrichingyourkid.blogspot.com/2009/10/spinach-and-lentilpalak-dal.html
Sook says
Oh I just got some lentils today! I've never tried lentils before but I've been seeing lots of great looking lentil recipes like this everywhere so I'm excited! I'll have to try this! Thanks for sharing.
Beth says
I wish my husband like lentils – I'm sure he hasn't really ever tasted them, he just claims not to like them. Great dish Kevin – love all indian food
Joanne says
I love finding new ways to enjoy lentils! They are one of my favorite beans. This looks so wonderfully spiced.
Velva says
I love the complex flavors of Indian food. Your Palak Dal looks wonderful.
meeso says
Ahhhh, Indian food… Looks delicious, Kevin!
Lisa says
A perfect combination! I bet it was good with a bit of feta.
Joie de vivre says
Would go wonderfully with some naan!
Evie says
This looks nice and healthy. I've been wanting to make an Indian dish so consider it bookmarked.
WizzyTheStick says
I love Indian food and this looks like a winning combination of flavours.
Samta says
it looks yum.
We make this at home a lot – but, we make it with yellow lentils – called 'Tur Dal' – this is one of the few ways I can have my family eat spinach.
Will try it with the lentils you used.