lentils: Dal Palak (Spinach With Lentils)

By blum099

From my kitchen notes
Basic Information
Prep Time: Under 15 min
Cook Time: Under 15 min
Serves: 2 people
Yield: It serves 2-4 people depending on the number of courses.

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 4 cups, tightly packed (1 bunch/300 grams/11oz) Spinach, see Tips
• 1 cup Pigeon Peas (Tuvar/Toor dal)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1-2 tsp Sambar Powder,or as per taste- optional
• Large pinch of Asafoetida Powder
• Salt to taste
• Freshly squeezed Lemon juice to taste - optional
• For Tempering
• 2 tsp Urad dal, split and skinned (black gram lentil)
• 1-2 dried Red Chilli
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Preparation

Step 1

Tips
1. Spinach : The fresh spinach have stems that are tender and perfectly edible. The older spinach tends to have tougher and woody stems. If the one you have fall into the latter category, de-stem your spinach. Not worth it. The one I buy from my Farmer's market is all tender and hence I have opted to use in this recipe. I weighed my spinach bunch along with the stems (and the little roots - see 2nd picture from top)
Method
1While you can cook your lentils on stove top, I do mine with the aid of pressure cooker. Add 2-1/2 cups water to the pigeon peas along with turmeric and cook for 8-10 minutes (3 whistles).

2While that's cooking, chop off the ends/roots from the spinach (and/or any old yellowing leaves!).

3Fill your basin with water and drop the leaves until submerged and you notice all the sand/mud/dirt deposited at the bottom. While its not necessary to clean this way, I opt for this method 'cos I find that it gets the spinach completely debris free.

4Now chop the leaves into smaller pieces.

5Heat a large skillet and add 1 tsp of oil ( I use Extra Virgin coconut oil) and saute the spinach.

6until slightly wilted.

7Remove the cooked pigeon peas from the pressure cooker.

8Mash it lightly with the a spatula/spoon.

9Add it to the spinach.

10Mix until combined.

11You can choose to leave it like this or blend it into a slightly smoother with the help of a hand blender.

12I started doing this after my little one was born since its easier for feeding. I don't make it completely smooth but into a coarse puree with bits of spinach instead of long ones. Add little bit of salt (Spinach has salt in it already and hence wee little salt is usually sufficient) and Sambar powder if using. Mix to combine.

13In another skillet, add another tsp oil (I use the same as mentioned above) and add the tempering ingredients. Saute until the black gram gets reddish brown.

14Add it to the spinach mixture.

15
Combine. Taste and add any seasoning if required. Reduce heat to simmer. Make sure not to cook any spinach based food for longer hours since the spinach loses its beautiful bright green color and starts looking murky brown.Also you can add more water to the consistency you like. We prefer it little thick.

16Add the lemon juice. While my mother never added any, I realize that citric acid helps our body to absorb iron from lentils (& spinach) and hence opt to add in some lemon juice to all my lentil preparations.

Serve hot/warm with flatbreads and/or steamed rice.