DHAAL PALAK (LENTILS WITH SPINACH)

DHAAL PALAK

This combination of Dhaal and Palak is truly worth trying out. It is just melt in the mouth with buttered (or even un-buttered) roti. There isn't much work to it except perhaps for the cleaning and chopping of the Spinach. But you can always clean, wash and chop beforehand. There are slightly different variations to preparing this dish. Some use Channa Dhaal (Split Gram) and some use Moong (Green Lentils) or even Masoor Dhall (Pink Lentils). I am using Moong but without husk which is yellow in colour.  Picture below.

Moong Dhaal (Skinned or de-husked)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Dhaal - Washed and Soaked in 2 Cups of water for 30 Minutes
• 3 Cups Chopped Spinach (A little more or less would be just fine too)
• 1 Medium Sized Onion - Sliced or Chopped
• 8-10 Cloves Garlic (Minced or Finely Chopped
• A Little Fresh Ginger - Finely Chopped or Cut into Juliennes (About 1 Tablespoonful)
• 2 Medium or 3 Small Tomatoes - Peeled, Chopped or Diced
• 1 Heaped Tablespoon Green Chilli Paste (Can add more if you want. I added 2)
• 1 Teaspoon Kalonji (Nigella Seeds)
• 1 Heaped Teaspoon Zeera (Cumin)
• 1 Heaped Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala. (Click on the word for recipe)
• Salt to Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Oil + 1 Tablespoon Ghee (Clarified Butter). You may use 3 Tablespoons Oil or 3 Tablespoons Ghee if you wish. 

PREPARED GINGER, GARLIC, ONIONS AND TOMATOES

DIRECTIONS

Place your saucepan on heat and add the oil/Ghee. Let it heat for a minute and then tip in the cumin and nigella. Add the onions immediately. Fry until lightly coloured. Add the ginger and garlic. 

Stir fry for a minute and then add the tomatoes, green chilli paste, turmeric powder and about a cup of water. Cover and reduce heat to medium. After a 3 minutes, uncover, raise heat and stir fry until tomatoes are mushy and oil/Ghee separates. Add soaked lentils along with the water it is soaked in and add 2 more cups of water. As soon it starts boiling, reduce heat to medium and cover pan.

After a 3 minutes, uncover, raise heat and stir fry until tomatoes are mushy and oil/Ghee separates. Add soaked lentils along with the water it is soaked in and add 2 more cups of water. As soon it starts boiling, reduce heat to medium and cover pan. Never mind the red things you see there. I added some button chillies to add more flavour.

Stir the lentils from time to time. Cook until they are tender and a little mushy but not too mushy. The right consistency is as shown in the pic. 

Add the spinach. Stir to mix and on high heat let it cook until the liquid has reduced and the spinach is limp. Add salt. Lastly add the garam masala. Before I added the garam masala I added 3 tablespoons of coconut cream to give this dish a richer taste. You may want to try adding some too. But even if you don't add it still tastes good. Take off the heat and dhaal palak is ready to be served.