Dal Palak (Spinach Lentil Soup)
Spinach dal or spinach lentil soup is a popular Indian lentil recipe. This is easy to make and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.
Servings: 4 People
Equipment
- Small pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup toor dal
- 2 cup water
- 2 cups spinach leaves 6 - 8 oz (finely chopped)
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 medium onion
- Salt as per taste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp oil or ghree (clarified butter)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 - 3 dry red chillies
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 4 - 5 garlic pods
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 5 - 6 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice ½ lemon
Instructions
Method I - Stovetop
- Wash the lentils (dal) properly and put in the pressure cooker.
- Add diced tomato and finely chopped spinach to it.
- Add turmeric powder & salt as per taste.
- Pressure-cook for 2 – 3 whistles.
- Then let it cool before opening the lid of the cooker
- Place a small pan on medium to low heat.
- Pour some ghee (clarified butter) or refined oil in it.
- Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds and let it crackle.
- Add a pinch of hing/ asafoetida.
- Put green chilli, dry red chilli, and chopped garlic.
- Once the garlic starts to change color add coriander powder, chilli powder.
- Turn off the heat immediately to avoid burning the spices.
- Then add the tempering (tadka) in cooked palak/ spinach dal.
- And close the lid so that the flavour will be added to the dal.
- Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatti or rice.
Method II
- Pressure cook the lentils (dal) for 3 whistles.
- Add tomatoes, salt, and turmeric powder in dal while cooking.
- You can use left over dal also in this method.
- Heat 4 - 5 tsp oil in a pan or kadai. Add 1 tsp ghee for better taste.
- Add 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic, 2 - 3 green chilies slits, chopped onion.
- Saute till garlic turns light brown.
- If you have missed adding tomatoes or want to add some more here you can add chopped tomatoes.
- Once tomatoes are soft and tender add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and 1 tsp hing. Mix all well.
- Add finely chopped spinach leaves.
- Add little salt for spinach only as you have already added salt to the dal.
- saute for 3 -4 minutes till spinach leaves are just wilted.
- Once the spinach is cooked, add the dal or lentils to the kadai.
- Mix well and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Season with coriander leaves and a dash of lemon juice.
Method III - Instant pot Spinach Lentil Soup
- Wash the lentil (or mix of lentils) thoroughly.
- Start the instant pot on saute mode.
- Add oil to the pot.
- Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let it splutter.
- Add chopped onion, green chilli, garlic, asafoetida to the pot.
- Saute for a minute till onions are translucent.
- Add chopped tomatoes and spinach leaves.
- Give them a nice stir.
- Then add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder.
- And stir them.
- Now add lentils and water to the pot.
- Close the lid and cancel saute mode.
- Now start the instant pot on pressure cook mode.
- Set it manually on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- After the beep, let it be on NPR for 5 minutes. Then release the rest.
- Add lemon juice and chopped fresh coriander leaves.