This daal palak is an authentic north Indian style palak curry recipe. Daal means lentil, and palak means spinach. Dal palak is an Indian vegetarian palak recipe where Dal or lentils are cooked with spinach.
A comforting dal recipe that will not only add proteins but fiber, iron, and minerals to your diet. A complete meal on its own!
You can either call it dal palak, dhal palak, or palak dal. They are all the same and can be used interchangeably. Some people cook it in a form of a dry sabzi that goes best with chapati. That version is called dal palak sabzi.
In addition to being super healthy and super easy on your digestive system, this palak recipe is earthy, creamy, spicy, and umami altogether. This recipe is exactly how my mom makes it. Though I have omitted some spices to make this recipe approachable, there is no compromise in the taste.
Let us get started with one of my favorite spinach dishes.
Table of contents
Dhal palak recipe on the stovetop.
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There are two ways to make this Dhal palak recipe on the stovetop. One is making it in a pressure cooker. It is the ideal way to cook lentils. But if you do not have a pressure cooker, use any pot to cook the lentils.
The Dal for this recipe will take about 20 minutes of simmering in a pot, till it becomes tender and creamy. Whereas in a pressure cooker, all you need is 1 whistle. Once you close the lid of the pressure cooker, let it cook at the medium-high flame for 1 whistle. Then reduce the heat to the lowest and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes before turning off the flame. We do not want to make it completely soupy, we do need the feel of grain, here and there. Though in the central and southern parts of India, it is cooked to a level where lentil grains just disappear. If that's your liking, cook a minute longer. It does cook very fast.
Make palak dal in an instant pot
I will be demonstrating this daal palak recipe using my instant pot. I will be using the sauté mode and the pressure cook mode. First, the tadka( tempering ) with onion, garlic, ginger, and tomato will be prepared. The lentils will be cooked in that so that they absorb all the flavors.
I will be finishing it with spicy tempering, which is optional.
Ingredients
Lentils
Lentils are the key ingredient in this recipe. Though there is no hard and fast rule regarding, the choice of lentils for this recipe.
You can use whichever lentils you prefer, but here are some guidelines to decide:
- The lentils should be skin-free. The lentils that have skin take longer to cook and the daal made with whole lentils is not as creamy as we need in this recipe. So choose the skin-free lentils of your choice.
- The lentils should be split: The split lentils cook much faster are great for a recipe like this which already involves an additional step of prepping and blanching spinach.
I am going to use the conventional lentils that are being used in a north Indian household. I have used a combination of :
*split chickpea lentil ( chana dal),
*split and skinned green gram( dhuli moong dal), and
*red split lentil( Malka Masoor dal)
Some people only use moong dal, so that will be more of a moong dal palak, or if you use only chana dal, it will be chana dal palak. But since we are using a combination of lentils, this recipe is called daal palak. Dhuli moong dal and Malka masoor dal cook very quickly and they take almost equal time to cook. They turn creamy and smooth on cooking. Whereas chana dal takes much more time. The key is to get the perfect texture of the dal mixture that should be creamy yet have a texture. The chana dal gives the much-needed body and texture to the dal.
It is important to soak the chana dal for at least 30 minutes prior so that it cooks through with the quick-cooking dals like dhuli urad and Malka masoor.
Other lentils that are used in this recipe in different parts of India are:
- Dhuli urad dal; and
- Tuvar or arhar dal ( pegion pea
Spinach
Okay, so we need spinach for this recipe, baby or mommy spinach doesn't matter! But we do not want to use the fibrous stems of the spinach. We have to separate the stems and only use the leaves, as the fibrous stems hamper the mouthfeel of this recipe. It is a smooth and creamy dhal palak recipe where there is no scope for fibrous shoots.
If you hate wasting veggies like me, use the spinach stems for making broths or stocks. I keep all the leftover stems and stubs of veggies and use them to make vegetable broth.
Take care not to overcook the spinach. We do not want to lose the nutrients of spinach.
Onion, ginger, and garlic
Onion and garlic form the base flavor of this recipe. Red onions work best in Indian recipes. In case of non-availability of red onions, use yellow onions or shallots. I am using yellow onions in this recipe. Chop the onions, mince garlic and grate the fresh ginger.
It is important to sauté and roast the onion to get that toasted garlicky flavor from the dal palak recipe.
Also, you can use the ginger garlic paste instead of the fresh ginger and garlic to save you some time and effort. But nothing beats the fresh ginger and garlic.
Ghee and oil
Well, you can use either ghee or any neutral-flavored cooking oil. Ghee does make this daal palak recipe extra special. Desi ghee is the essence of north Indian cooking. But it is optional.
Spices
I have not used any complex game spice mixes in this recipe. The attempt is to keep the recipe approachable. Cumin and turmeric are the key spices that I have used in this daal palak recipe.
If you are willing to make it a little more flavorful, consider adding heeng( asafetida) while tempering and a teaspoon of coriander powder, and a tablespoon of dry fenugreek leaves with the rest of the spices.
Tomato paste
I have used double coventrated tomato paste in this daal palak. But if you do not have that use a double quantity of tomato paste or substitute with the puree of two large fresh tomatoes.
How to cook palak dal in an instant pot: step by step instructions.
Step 1: Prepping and Blanching spinach
We start our spinach dish by prepping the spinach. The spinach should be washed thoroughly to remove all traces of dirt and sand. Then, remove the fibrous stem and retain only leaves (You can use the stems in stews or broth). Then the spinach leaves should be chopped. I like to make them into a bunch and chop them.
How to blanch spinach to retain the green color?
It is crucial to blanch spinach appropriately if you want to retain the green color of the spinach and prevent it from overcooking, which causes nutrient loss.
In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Then add a little bit of salt. Half a teaspoon should be sufficient in this case. Salt not only seasons the spinach but also prevents nutrient loss. So, do add some salt at this stage.
Once the water starts to boil, put the spinach into it. Let it cook for 30 seconds or until the spinach turns dark green. Have a bowl of ice-cold water close by. When the spinach is blanched, immediately remove the spinach from the boiling water using a slotted spoon and transfer it into the bowl of ice-cold water. adding the spinach directly to the ice-cold water ceases the cooking process and prevents the chlorophyll and other nutrients from denaturing. If you think that the ice-cold water with the spinach is no longer ice cold or has become warm. Just add more cold water or a few more ice cubes. Once the spinach has cooled down, strain the spinach through a strainer. And keep it aside.
Step 2: Sauté mode
Firstly, I am using Instant pot Duo Evo Plus 6 qt in this recipe. So there might be little up and down in your and mine timeline depending on the size of the instant pot.
Start the sauté mode in your instant pot. Set it at a high temperature for 5 minutes. You might be done much before 5 minutes depending on what you choose to use instead of tomato paste. Since the double concentrated tomato paste does not any water content, it cooks very fast. But if you are using fresh tomato puree, it will take much longer to cook. If that is the case with you set the timer at 5 minutes. Though the oil heats enough in the preheat mode, much before the timer ticks in. So do not wait for the timer to start.
Just add ghee or vegetable oil or a combination of both. Now add the cumin seeds to the ghee. As the ghee will be hot enough to sizzle the cumin seeds even in the preheating mode. As the cumin seeds start to sizzle add the ginger and garlic, followed by the onions. Stir and let them sauté till they start to get golden brown. My onions were golden brown by the time the Instant pot preheated and the timer started.
I quickly add in the spices; salt, turmeric, chili powder, and give it a quick stir. Quickly add ¼ cup of water to prevent the spices from burning. Now add the tomato paste and mix.
If you are using tomato puree, you do not need to add water. Just add the tomato puree after the spices. Cook the tomatoes till all the moisture is lost and it starts to leave the oil on the sides of the pot.
Now, go ahead and add the washed moong dal and masoor dal followed by the soaked chana dal. Mix all the lentils with the masala. Now add 3 cups of warm water and mix well.
Step 3:Pressure cook mode
Now that we have added water to the dal. It is time to cancel the sauté mode. Turn on the pressure cook mode on a custom setting. Set it for 3 minutes at a high-temperature setting.
As the alarm goes off, cancel the setting and turn off the Instant Pot. Do not let it stay on the keep warm mode. This may cause dal to become mushy due to overcooking.
Let the pressure release naturally.
Step 4:Combining spinach
When the pressure has released, open the lid of the instant pot and add the blanched spinach leaves. Mix well to incorporate spinach leaves evenly in the dal. Take care to be gentle, we do not want to mash the dal.
Step 5: Final tempering/ Chhonk/ tadka
This is an optional step as the dal palak has all the flavorings already as the dal is cooked in the spices infused water, but adding a chhonk further elevates this humble dal palak recipe.
Hot oil extracts maximum flavor from the dry spices. No amount of simmering can extract that amount of flavor. But the drawback is that they can also burn very quickly. So move fast when making a chhonk.
For making chhonk, take a Tadka frying pan or a small frying pan. Add a tablespoon of ghee to it. As the ghee heats, be quick and add the cumin seeds followed by 2 red chilis and ½ teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder. Kashmiri chili powder is a very mild Indian chili powder, which is mostly added for its flavor and color rather than hotness. If you do not have Kashmiri chili powder, divide the total amount of red chili powder into two parts. Add half in the initial masala and rest in the tempering.
Give a quick stir to the chhonk and quickly add it to the daal palak. Close the lid and let the daal palak absorb the flavors of the chhonk or the tempering.
And there you have it. A comforting humble yet delicious and flavorful Dal palak filled with nutrients and fiber.
Making daal palak in a pressure cooker
For making the dal palak in a pressure cooker, use the pressure cooker as a sauté pan and first prepare the masala as we did in case of an instant pot.
In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. When the ghee is hot add a teaspoon of cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds sizzle add, ginger-garlic, and onion. Saute them at medium-low speed until they become golden brown. Add the spices followed by water and tomato paste. When the tomato paste is starting to leave oil, add the lentils and mix well. Add 3 cups plus ¼ cup of water and close the lid. Increase the heat to high and let it cook till 1 whistle. After the first whistle, reduce the flame to the lowest and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes before turning off the flame. If you get another whistle between that, just turn off the flame. Wait for the natural pressure release.
Add the spinach and mix. And then add the chhonk.
If making dal palak without a pressure cooker or instant pot, use the recipe as such in whatever pot you are using.
First, prepare the masala and then add the lentils and let the lentils simmer, and cook in all the flavors and spices.
It takes much more water than the pressure cooker or the instant pot. Start with 3 and a half cups of water. add more towards the end, if the dal becomes thick. Making these lentils by simmering in a pan can take about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the lentils while they are cooking. Follow the recipe as such. Only the timeline will vary.
Variations: North Indian vs South Indian versions of daal palak
As far as the conventional variations of dal palak are concerned, I have only come across two main variations. One is the South Indian version and the second one being the north Indian version. The recipe that I shared with you is a north Indian version.
In the south Indian dal palak, mainly Tuvar dal i.e. skinned and split pigeon pea are used. Tuvar dal is used very commonly in the southern parts of India. Whereas, it is pretty rare when north Indians use tuvar dal for making dal palak. Also, the south Indian version is much thinner and more liquidy. The main difference is that in south India, tamarind paste is added to enhance the flavor profile of dal palak. Whereas in north India, lemon juice is added. Or, dal palak is served with the wedges of lime, or sometimes lemon is squeezed right before serving(but it is not a universal practice).
Serving suggestions
Dal palak can be served for lunch or dinner as the main course. There is some dry sabzi to go on the side and it is ideally served with steamed rice, jeera rice, roti or chapati, paratha, or naan. Dal palak makes a hearty and comforting meal.
Or another way is to serve it as a soup. Just squeeze some lime and serve with a slice of lightly toasted sourdough.
You can knead the leftover dal palak in whole wheat flour. You can use it to make dal palak parathas for breakfast. ( more on it in the next section)
Storage and how to use left-over dal
Dal palak is best served hot with roti or rice. The leftover dal palak can be stored in an air-tight container and refrigerated for 2-3 days.
The flavors are more pronounced the next day. I especially love to eat it the next day. When you are want to eat it, just give fresh tempering or simply microwave for quick meal prep.
The leftover dal palak makes excellent dal palak parathas. Let it come to room temperature and use a whisk to smooth it, before adding to the flour. Add more salt to the flour before kneading the dough. Then go ahead and knead a smooth dough. You can make a plain square or circular parathas with it. It makes a great breakfast. They are so flavorful and delicious.
Quick tips
- If you are not using a pressure cooker, but a standard pot with a lid, cooking dal for this recipe will take about 20 minutes of simmering in a pot, till it becomes tender and creamy.
- Kashmiri chili powder is a very mild Indian chili powder, which is mostly added for its flavor and color rather than hotness. If you do not have Kashmiri chili powder, divide the total amount of chili powder into two parts. Add half in the initial masala and rest in the tempering.
- While preparing masala, when you add powdered spices, have water ready by your side as the dry spices can burn very quickly. Give it a quick stir and add water.
- The same is true for chhonk. Hot oil extracts maximum flavor from the dry spices. No amount of simmering can extract that amount of flavor. But the drawback is that they can also burn very quickly. So, move fast when making a chhonk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, dal palak is a pretty healthy recipe. It has spinach, which is a good source of vitamin A, folic acid, iron, and calcium. On the other hand, lentils are a great source of protein and are low in fat. If you are vegan or vegetarian, lentils are the key protein sources for you.
If you are more health-conscious, avoid using ghee as a cooking medium. Ghee has saturated fats that can raise cholesterol levels. Use a healthy oil instead and eat guilt-free. You will surely relish the healthy and delicious dal palak.
The best is to use a combination of two or more lentils or dal. Chana dal is something that takes a little longer to cook, so the idea is to soak it for 30 minutes so that it cooks evenly with the rest of the lentils. Either of the following lentils or their combination can be used to make dal palak.
*split chickpea lentil ( chana dal),
*split and skinned green gram( dhuli moong dal), and
*red split lentil( Malka Masoor dal)
*Dhuli urad dal; and
*Tuvar( Toor dal) or arhar dal ( pegion pea)
To make satvik dal palak just omits the onion and garlic from the masala. Just use some grated ginger. Use a pinch of heeng ( asafoetida) powder while tempering or in the masala to get an umami flavor.
This recipe is inherently gluten-free. Lentils belong to the legume family and are gluten-free. They are rich in proteins and low in fats. Dal palak is a great comforting dish for those looking for a healthy gluten-free recipe.
To make this recipe vegan, just omit ghee. Ghee is a dairy product. To make vegan dal palak, just use neutral-flavored vegetable oil as a cooking medium. The rest of the recipe does not use any animal products.
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Happy cooking!
Recipe card for the Daal Palak
Daal Palak recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Chana dal split chickpea lentil soaked for 30 minutes
- ¼ cup Dhuli moong dal (split and skinned green gram
- ¼ cup Masoor dal split red lentil
- 3 cups chopped spinach
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 ½ tablespoon double concentrated tomato paste or 2 fresh tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon cumin( divided)
- 3 tablespoon Ghee or vegetable oil( divided)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili optional
- 2 dry whole chili optional
Instructions
Prepping and blanching spinach:
- Wash the spinach thoroughly to remove all the dirt and dust particles. Then remove the stem and retain only leaves. Make a bunch of the leaves and chop them.
- Blanching the spinach: In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Then add a little bit of salt. Once the water starts to boil, put the spinach into it. Let it cook for 30 seconds or until the spinach turns dark green. Have a bowl of ice-cold water close by. When the spinach is blanched, immediately remove the spinach from the boiling water using a slotted spoon and transfer it into the bowl of ice-cold water. Adding the spinach directly to the ice-cold water ceases the cooking process and prevents the chlorophyll and other nutrients from denaturing. If you think that the ice-cold water with the spinach has become warm. Just add more cold water or a few more ice cubes. Once the spinach has cooled down, strain the spinach through a strainer. And keep it aside.
Making masala and cooking the dal:
- If using an instant pot: Start the sauté mode in your instant pot. Set it at a high temperature for 5 minutes. Add ghee or vegetable oil or a combination of both. Now add the cumin seeds to the ghee. Ghee will get hot enough to sizzle the cumin seeds even in the preheating mode. As the cumin seeds start to sizzle add the ginger and garlic, followed by the onions. Stir and let them sauté till they start to get golden brown. The onions will become golden brown by the time the Instant pot is preheated.
- Quickly add in the spices; salt, turmeric, chili powder and give it a quick stir. Add ¼ cup of water to prevent the spices from burning. Now add the tomato paste and mix.
- If you are using tomato puree, you do not need to add water. Just add the tomato puree after the spices.
- Cook the tomatoes till all the moisture is lost and it starts to leave the oil on the sides of the pot.
- Now, go ahead and add the washed moong dal and masoor dal followed by the soaked chana dal. Mix all the lentils with the masala. Add 3 cups of warm water and mix well. Close the lid. Cancel the sauté mode. Turn on pressure cook mode on the custom setting. Set it for 3 minutes at a high-temperature setting. Let the pressure release naturally.
- If using a pressure cooker: In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. When the ghee is hot add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds sizzle, add ginger-garlic and onion. Sauté them at medium-low speed until they become golden brown. Add the spices followed by water and tomato paste. When the tomato paste starts to leave oil, add the lentils and mix well. Add 3 cups plus ¼ cup of water and close the lid. Increase the heat to high and let it cook till 1 whistle. After the first whistle, reduce the flame to the lowest and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes before turning off the flame. If you get another whistle between that, just turn off the flame. Let the pressure release naturally.
Combining spinach:
- When the pressure has released, open the lid of the instant pot and add the blanched spinach leaves. Mix well to incorporate spinach leaves evenly in the dal. Take care to be gentle, we do not want to mash the dal.
Making chhonk for the dal palak:
- For making chhonk, take a Tadka frying pan or a small frying pan. Add a tablespoon of ghee to it. As the ghee heats, be quick and add the cumin seeds followed by 2 red chilis and ½ teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder. Give it a quick stir and add it to the cooked dal palak. Mix well and cover. Let dal palak absorb all the flavors of the chhonk. Serve hot with roti or rice.
Notes
Quick notes
- If you are not using a pressure cooker, but a standard pot with a lid, cooking dal for this recipe will take about 20 minutes of simmering in a pot, till it becomes tender and creamy.
- Kashmiri chili powder is a very mild Indian chili powder, which is mostly added for its flavor and color rather than hotness. If you do not have Kashmiri chili powder, divide the total amount of chili powder into two parts. Add half in the initial masala and rest in the tempering.
- While preparing masala, when you add powdered spices, have water ready by your side as the dry spices can burn very quickly. Give it a quick stir and add water.
- The same is true for chhonk. Hot oil extracts maximum flavor from the dry spices. No amount of simmering can extract that amount of flavor. But the drawback is that they can also burn very quickly. So, move fast when making a chhonk.
- Dal palak is best served hot with roti or rice. The leftover dal palak can be stored in an air-tight container and refrigerated for 2-3 days.
- The flavors are more pronounced the next day. I especially love to eat it the next day. When you are want to eat it, just give fresh tempering or simply microwave for quick meal prep.
Addie
I loved learning more about this dish!
Anaiah
Yuuumm! This daal palak was amazing! I love learning how to make Indian food. This recipe was super quick to make and so delicious. We served ours over basmati rice for dinner.
Beth
What a unique and delicious recipe! I can’t wait to make this again. Such a tasty and very yummy dish! Definitely a hit here.
Luca - Ruoka on valmis
Finding new ways to cook lentils is always a pleasant surprise and this recipe really looks delicious and very well explained!
Jac
This was so tasty for dinner this evening. Love lentils and spinach together especially when cumin seeds are added.
Andrea
After all these years I just learned what Daal and Palak mean. I love lentils and spinach together. I can't wait to make this recipe.
Kushigalu
dal palak is one of my favorite Indian dishes. This recipe is so delicious and flavorful, I will try it your way soon, Thanks for sharing.