How to make Spinach Dal in 30 min

Spinach dal is one of my favorite recipes, served best with rice or chapathi. I like slightly less dense, and less strong version of it, which I shall present here.

Ingredients:

  1. Fresh spinach, chopped, rinsed with hot water. Frozen spinach could be used, but takes longer cooking time. 
  2. A small cup of prewashed red dal (though I prefer cooked toor dal over red dal, red dal makes it easier to cook)
  3. One small split chilli
  4. A pinch of turmeric powder
  5. Two pinches of dry mango powder or quarter teaspoon of tamarind paste mixed with some warm water
  6. Salt for taste
  7. For Indians who like tadka, (a teaspoon of mustard seeds, a teaspoon of jeera(cumin seeds), a teaspoon of urad dal, and/or a teaspoon of chanadal
  8. A table spoon of oil

Method
  • If frozen spinach is used, unfreeze it first.  Keep spinach on a slight boil separately for about 5min
  • Keep some boiled water ready 
  • Take a pan, and heat it up until sprayed water begins to hiss out as steam
  • Add some oil to it and heat it up slightly until you see a wavy pattern in it
  • Add teaspoon fulls of mustard seeds, jeera, and urad/chanadal in that order until mustard seeds begin to crackle, and urad dal turns brownish red
  • Add a pinch of turmeric
  • Add sliced chilli to it, and mix
  • Now add to this mixture spinach that was boiled slightly
  • Stir it until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed
  • Add red dal to the mixture, and generously add boiled water until all ingredients are thoroughly soaked in boiled water
  • Put a lid on it, and let it cook on medium flame for the next 15 to 20 min at least
  • Periodically check for consistency of the dal, and add more boiled water if needed
  • When the dal looks cooked, add the tamarind paste or dry mango powder to it
  • Add salt for taste
  • You could use some diced cilantro for garnishing
Savor this tasty spinach dal with hot boiled rice, or chapathi or even have it as a soap.


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