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    Home » Recipes » Indian

    Arhar Dal Palak | Spinach Dal

    Published: Jan 16, 2019 · Modified: Sep 22, 2023 by Geetanjali · This post may contain affiliate links · 15 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Arhar Dal Palak aka dal palak is a simple and nutritious dal made with arhar dal or split pigeon peas lentils & spinach. This recipe will give you a tasty, light everyday dal that is easy to make, vegan, and can be prepared within 30 minutes of time. Pair this with some steamed rice or roti and enjoy a hearty, comforting meal.

    Arhar Dal Palak Recipe | Simple Spinach Dal is a wholesome and nutritious dal made with arhar dal/tovar dal/split pigeon peas lentils and spinach.

    Skinned and split pigeon peas is also called Toor dal, Tuvar dal, Thuvaram Paruppu, Kandhi Pappu in India. It is one of the most common dal prepared in Indian homes. A major source of vegetarian protein. It is also high in fiber. Hence good for digestion.

    The combination of toor dal and spinach is a healthy up-gradation to the plain dal.

    Making this dal palak recipe is so easy, you only need to do is pressure cook the dal and palak together and give it a tadka/tempering. You can even boil in a covered pot or cook in an Instant Pot. Before cooking always soak the dal for 30 minutes in enough water to make it easier to cook.

    The spinach dal has to be slightly thick. Hence it is important to make sure you don't add too much water while cooking. No ghee/clarified butter has been added here. I love to keep this light. Feel free to use ghee or butter if you like. The addition of dry red chili is optional. Adjust heat as per your taste buds.

    This palak dal will complement most of the Indian meal and will go perfectly with rice, roti, paratha, or naan.

    More dal recipes:

    • Arhar Dal
    • Ghugni Recipe

    Recipe

    Arhar Dal Palak Recipe

    Arhar Dal Palak | Spinach Dal

    Dal palak: A 30-minute, simple, nutritious dal made with arhar dal/Tovar dal/split pigeon peas lentils and spinach! It is also vegan and tastes so good!
    No ratings yet
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    Course: Lunch, Sides
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: Arhar dal palak, Dal palak, Spinach dal
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 -6 people
    Calories:
    Author: Geetanjali

    Ingredients

    For cooking the dal

    • 1 cup arhar dal/toor dal/split pigeon peas
    • 250 grams palak/spinach
    • 2.5 cups water
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt or as required
    • ½ teaspoon oil

    For tadka/tempering

    • 3 tablespoon oil
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 1 medium-sized onion finely chopped
    • 6-7 garlic cloves finely chopped
    • 1 green chili chopped
    • 1 medium-sized tomato finely chopped
    • 1 dry red chili optional
    • ¼ teaspoon salt or as required
    • ¼ teaspoon asafoetida/hing
    • ½ teaspoon red chili powder

    Instructions

    Preparing the dal

    • Wash arhar dal properly and soak it in water for half an hour.
    • Clean and wash the spinach leaves very well in running water. Drain all excess water. Then trim the palak leaves, chop them roughly, and set aside.
    • Drain water from the dal and transfer to a pressure cooker. Add chopped spinach, salt, turmeric powder, oil, and water. Now cook for 3 whistles over a medium flame.
    • Once done turn off the flame and let the cooker releases its pressure. 

    Tempering the Dal palak

    • Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. 
    • Once cumin seeds start spluttering add chopped garlic and saute for few seconds. 
    • Add chopped onion and chopped green chili.
    • Stir continuously until the onions turn slightly golden. 
    • Add chopped tomatoes, salt, asafoetida, and dry red chili. Saute for some seconds. Then cover and cook for a minute until tomatoes soften.
    • Once done fry for a minute more. Then add red chili powder. Stir to mix and immediately add pressure cooked dal and palak. 
    • Stir to mix and adjust seasoning. 
    • Turn off the flame. Dal palak is ready to serve. Serve hot with piping hot rice, roti, or paratha.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0g | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg

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    Arhar Dal Palak Recipe | Simple Spinach Dal is a wholesome and nutritious dal made with arhar dal/tovar dal/split pigeon peas lentils and spinach.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Danielle Wolter

      January 17, 2019 at 5:53 pm

      The flavors in this sound incredible. Def something I would like to try making in the future!

      Reply
    2. Danielle@wenthere8this.com

      January 17, 2019 at 5:55 pm

      The flavors in this look absolutely incredible. Def something I want to try!

      Reply
    3. Gloria Duggan

      January 17, 2019 at 7:53 pm

      I am all about trying the flavours of the world. This sounds wonderful. I can imagine the aroma as this cooks. What a great dinner any night of the week.

      Reply
    4. Amanda

      January 18, 2019 at 6:26 am

      I love anything with a good chili flavor, so this sounds perfect for me. Definitely giving this a try soon!

      Reply
    5. Tara

      January 18, 2019 at 11:24 am

      What a flavorful and beautiful looking dish. I can't wait to try this on a cold winter's day like today!

      Reply
    6. Stine Mari

      January 18, 2019 at 6:34 pm

      The flavors here sounds fantastic together. I would love to give this spinach dal a try!

      Reply
    7. kacielmorgan

      January 18, 2019 at 10:15 pm

      This reminds me of something I tried in India a couple of years ago. What an authentic dish! I'd love to taste it.

      Reply
    8. jeannette9712gmailcom

      January 19, 2019 at 12:38 am

      I am pretty sure the flavors pop in this soup. Anything with split pigeon peas has the best flavor. I am Puerto Rican and we use them for rice and the flavor is like none other.

      Reply
    9. Candiss | Lost Not Found

      January 19, 2019 at 5:35 am

      This dal sound so easy and delicious. I love al the spices together and this would be perfect for a cold winter night

      Reply
    10. Jorina Fontelera

      January 19, 2019 at 10:14 am

      I love Indian food, especially dal and palak dishes. This is fantastic.

      Reply
    11. Kelly Anthony

      January 19, 2019 at 8:46 pm

      I've never had dal but I'm always up for trying new things. Thanks for sharing this flavorful recipe!

      Reply
    12. Jacqueline Debono

      January 19, 2019 at 9:54 pm

      This dal recipe is great. It sounds simple to make and very flavourful. Def one to try!

      Reply
    13. cheesecurdinparadise

      January 20, 2019 at 2:23 am

      I would love this over a little rice with some naan. What a delicious and flavorful recipe! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Geetanjali

        January 26, 2019 at 3:29 am

        The pleasure is all mine😊 Thanks for connecting!

        Reply
    14. Ritesh Sharma

      August 03, 2019 at 10:38 am

      You make my day, the way you explain, it will be so easy to make it.
      Thanks for sharing

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Geetanjali! I am the cook, photographer, and author behind Spoons Of Flavor. I focus on simple, affordable, and easy-to-follow recipes for everyday life.

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