Dal Palak

How to Make Dal Palak

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1. Rinse the dal and simmer it with the water and turmeric for 25 minutes, until completely soft. Whisk it smooth.

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2. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a separate pan and fry the cumin seeds and asafoetida for 30 seconds.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

3. Add the onion and cook 6 minutes, until golden.

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4. Add the green chillies and tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, until pulpy.

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5. Stir this into the cooked dal with the salt and simmer 5 minutes.

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6. Fold in the spinach and cook 3 minutes only, until just wilted.

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7. Heat the remaining oil in a small pan and fry the sliced garlic and dried chillies for 45 seconds, until the garlic is pale gold.

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8. Stir in the chilli powder off the heat.

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9. Pour the tempering over the dal.

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10. Stir in the lemon juice, scatter the coriander over and serve.

    Mark done

Related guide: Ingredient substitutions.

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Small Things That Help

• Three minutes for the spinach.
• Whisk the cooked dal smooth before anything else goes in.
• Garlic to pale gold, not brown.

Ingredient Swaps

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the red chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Serving Suggestions

• Steamed rice
• Chapati
• Mango pickle

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Chapati (Roti), Gluten-Free Naan, Idiyappam.

Storing & Reheating Dal Palak

Keeps 3 days refrigerated. The spinach dulls; the flavour improves.

Dal Palak Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

Vegan when made with vegetable oil rather than ghee. Dairy-free when made with vegetable oil rather than ghee.

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