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Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Palak Dal

[heart_this] · Mar 6, 2010 · 16 Comments

Palak Dal

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

Palak Dal

Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Servings: 4
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
  1. Cook the lentils in the water along with the spinach, jalapeno and turmeric until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
  2. When the lentils are nearing completion, Heat the oil in a separate pan.
  3. Add the cumin seeds and heat them until the sizzle and pop.
  4. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
  5. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
  6. Add the tomato, coriander powder and chili powder and cook for a few minutes.
  7. Add the lentils and spinach mixture along with the lemon juice and remove from heat.
Similar Recipes:
Palak Paneer
Curried Red Lentil Soup with Chickpeas and Quinoa
Italian Lentil and Chestnut Stew
Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach Rice)
Garam Masala Roasted Halibut in a Tomato Curry Sauce
Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala)

Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Main Course, Recipe, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kathryn durst says

    March 6, 2010 at 2:24 am

    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 🙂

    Reply
  2. KenyonJen says

    March 6, 2010 at 3:18 am

    Yay! I've been craving lentils nonstop lately and this recipe looks awesome…AND it's vegan, which makes me even happier. Thanks, Kevin! 😀

    Reply
  3. Soma says

    March 6, 2010 at 3:38 am

    our of the favorites in our home. I posted mine with mung dal a couple of days back. love your version.

    Reply
  4. Kalyn says

    March 6, 2010 at 3:41 am

    I love the sound of this one! Some of my favorite flavors.

    Reply
  5. Rachael says

    March 6, 2010 at 4:06 am

    I adore lentils/Indian food in general. This looks awesome!!!

    Reply
  6. Shirley says

    March 6, 2010 at 5:53 am

    Hi,
    Good one!
    Do check out my version of Palak Dal.
    http://enrichingyourkid.blogspot.com/2009/10/spinach-and-lentilpalak-dal.html

    Reply
  7. Sook says

    March 6, 2010 at 7:19 am

    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.

    Reply
  8. Beth says

    March 6, 2010 at 9:35 am

    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

    Reply
  9. Joanne says

    March 6, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    I love finding new ways to enjoy lentils! They are one of my favorite beans. This looks so wonderfully spiced.

    Reply
  10. Velva says

    March 6, 2010 at 2:40 pm

    I love the complex flavors of Indian food. Your Palak Dal looks wonderful.

    Reply
  11. meeso says

    March 6, 2010 at 3:33 pm

    Ahhhh, Indian food… Looks delicious, Kevin!

    Reply
  12. Lisa says

    March 6, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    A perfect combination! I bet it was good with a bit of feta.

    Reply
  13. Joie de vivre says

    March 6, 2010 at 11:54 pm

    Would go wonderfully with some naan!

    Reply
  14. Evie says

    March 8, 2010 at 5:09 pm

    This looks nice and healthy. I've been wanting to make an Indian dish so consider it bookmarked.

    Reply
  15. WizzyTheStick says

    March 8, 2010 at 9:44 pm

    I love Indian food and this looks like a winning combination of flavours.

    Reply
  16. Samta says

    March 10, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    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.

    Reply

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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