RAJASTHANI PALAK DAL Garlic-Spiced Spinach & Lentil Dal

Name: RAJASTHANI PALAK DAL Garlic-Spiced Spinach & Lentil Dal
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
Ingredients: 250 g (9 oz/scant 1⅓ cups) moong dal, (husked and halved yellow mung beans); 900 ml (30 fl oz/3¾ cups) water; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 3 tbsp ghee or sunflower oil; 2 tsp black mustard seeds; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 green bird’s-eye chilli, slit lengthways; 100 g (3½ oz) spinach, washed and chopped; salt, to taste; juice of 1 lemon

4 steps

A humble dal can make any day brighter! And I do mean that, given I have eaten a good few varieties of them. This creamy dal from the north-west of India is lightly spiced with cumin, turmeric and garlic, with the addition of fresh spinach.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:05:01 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories333.6 kcal (17%)

Total Fat11.3 g (16%)

Carbs43.3 g (17%)

Sugars4.7 g (5%)

Protein16.5 g (33%)

Sodium224.4 mg (11%)

Fiber11.3 g (40%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

250gmoong dal

husked and halved yellow mung beans

900mlwater

1 tspground turmeric

3 Tbspghee

or sunflower oil

2 tspblack mustard seeds

½ tspcumin seeds

5garlic cloves

roughly chopped

1green bird’s-eye chilli

100gspinach

Instructions

Step 1

Put the lentils, water and turmeric in a heavy-based saucepan, over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, half cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the dal starts to get mushy, stirring a few times while it’s cooking. Turn off the heat, mash lightly with a potato masher and set aside.

Step 2

Heat the ghee or oil In a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds until they begin to sputter. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for a few seconds, moving them around in the pan to make sure they don’t burn. Reduce the heat to low, then add the cooked lentils, a little at a time, and fry for a couple of minutes.

Step 3

Season to taste, add an additional 300 ml (10 fl oz/4 cups) of water. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 4 minutes. Add the spinach and continue to simmer for a further 4 minutes, with the lid on. Add the lemon juice and stir.

Step 4

Turn off the heat and serve warm on your thali. This can be eaten with phulkas or rice.