Dal palak with steamed rice
Toor dal cooked with a whole bunch of palak in a tadka of cumin, dried red chillies, garlic, onion and tomato, eaten with rice or roti. Moong dal works just as well and cooks faster. A Jain kitchen makes it without onion and garlic, with a little more hing and an extra tomato.
- 40 minTime
- 30 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 16 gprotein per portion
- 500kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 150 gToor dal
- ≈ 500 mlWater, for the dal
- 3 mlTurmeric
- 1 bunchSpinach (palak)
- 2 tbspGhee
- 1 tspCumin, seeds
- 1 mlHing (asafoetida)
- 5 clovesGarlic, chopped
- 2Dried red chillies
- 1Onion, finely chopped
- 1Green chilli, slit
- 2Tomatoes, chopped
- 3 mlRed chilli powder
- ≈ 200 mlWater, to thin the dal
- to tasteSalt
On the side
- 300 gRice, basmati or sona masoori
- ≈ 600 mlWater, for the rice
Method
- Wash the toor dal and the rice separately, two or three times each. Put the dal in one cooker container with the water for the dal and the turmeric, and the rice in another with the water for the rice. Stack them in the pressure cooker with a little water in the bottom.
- Pressure-cook on medium heat for 3 whistles, about 12 minutes, and let the pressure drop by itself.
- Wash the spinach well in several changes of water and chop it. Chop the onion, garlic and tomatoes and slit the green chilli.
- Heat the ghee in a kadai. Add the cumin seeds, hing, dried red chillies and garlic and fry until the garlic turns golden. Add the onion and green chilli and fry until soft and light golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and red chilli powder and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts, 2–3 minutes.
- Open the cooker, take out the dal and whisk it smooth.
- Pour the dal and the water to thin it into the spinach, add salt and simmer for 5–6 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Serve the dal palak hot with the rice.
