Dal Palak

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Yellow Moong Dal/Yellow lentils
• 1.25 cup Water
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric powder)
• 2 cups Chopped Spinach
• 1 small (1/2 cup) onion chopped
• 1 small (1/2 cup) Tomato, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1/2 teaspoon Rai (Mustard seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon Crushed red chili flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon Hing (asofetadia)
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (sukha dhaniya)
• 1.5 tablespoon Ghee
• 3/4-1 cup Warm Water
• 2 teaspoon Ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1/2 teaspoon Deggi Mirch or Red chili Powder

Instructions

1. 1

   Measure Dal/lentils.

2. 2

   Wash thoroughly under tap water by gently rubbing the grains in between your fingers. This will remove the dirt and grit out of the lentils..

3. 3

   Transfer dal to a pressure cooker, add water, salt and turmeric. Pressure cook for 2 whistles. Cooked lentils will look like this- soft and not mushy. (Soft when pressed in between the fingers).

4. 4

   Pour in 3/4 -1 cup of warm water and gently mix the lentils. Adjust the consistency of the lentils to your liking. Set it aside.

5. 5

   Wash and trim spinach leaves.

6. 6

   Roughly chop the leaves. Set it aside.

7. 7

   Assemble: ingredients for tempering.

8. 8

   Ginger - garlic paste.

9. 9

   Spices.

10. 10

    Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds, hing and cumin seeds. As they start to crackle, add ginger garlic paste. Cook for a minute.

11. 11

    Add chopped onions and cook until onions are translucent.

12. 12

    Add chopped tomatoes and....

13. 13

    Spices.

14. 14

    Mix it well. Cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy.

15. 15

    Add spinach leaves.

16. 16

    Mix spinach leaves with this onion-tomato mixture.

17. 17

    Pour in cooked lentils that was prepared earlier in the recipe.

18. 18

    Mix until well blended.

19. 19

    Adjust salt and other seasonings.

20. 20

    Bring it to a boil.

21. 21

    Add the final tempering and serve hot. Pair Dal palak with rice or hot chapati for a complete meal.