Mixed Lentils and Spinach

Pancharatna Dal Palak or Mixed Dal and Spinach, is a rustic lentil preparation with spinach. It’s an easy side dish to pour over rice or serve with flatbreads.

Mixed Lentils and Spinach

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♦Prep time:5min ♦Cook time:5min ♦Yield:5-6Servings.
(If using mixed dal, use 3/4 cup mixed dal and 1/2 cup peas dal)

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EAT AND TELL!!! Let us know if you tried –   Mixed Lentils and Spinach

Mixed Lentils and Spinach

Author: Shana Shameer

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 5 mins Total Time 10 mins

Description

A delicious and hearty dish, Pancharatna Dal Palak is an Indian lentil preparation that is a nourishing combination of mixed lentils and spinach. The mixed dals are available at some speciality stores, or you can mix your own proprtions of various dals.

Ingredients:

Servings

• ¹⁄₂ cup Peas dal/ Muttar dal (Split green peas dal, which are yellow in color when split)
• 2 Tbsp Mung Dal (split with husk)
• 2 Tbsp Masoor Dal
• 2 Tbsp Chana Dal
• 2 Tbsp Toor Dal
• 2 Tbsp Urad Dal (split with black husk)
• 1 Tbsp Barley (optional)
• 1 large red Onion, chopped
• 9 cloves Garlic, crushed gently
• 1 Tbsp Green chillies, chopped
• 200 gms Spinach/ Palak, chopped
• ¹⁄₂ tsp Turmeric Powder
• ¹⁄₂ tsp Cumin, divided
• ¹⁄₈ tsp Mustard seeds
• 2 Dried red chilli, broken
• 1 sprig Curry Leaf
• 1 tsp Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves, crushed)
• 2 Tbsp Ghee or Oil
• ¹⁄₂ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• Salt to taste

Instructions

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1. Add the dals, to a pressure cooker. (Some like to soak their dals, ahead of time, I don't find the need to).
2. Rinse well a couple of times, till the water runs clear.
3. Pour 2  3/4 cups water.
4. Add 5 cloves of the garlic, chopped green chilli as well as half of the cumin seeds now.
5. Add salt to taste, being careful not to add too much (you can always add more later).
6. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 8 steam whistles. Cool off with a sprinkling of water and open.
7. Next, add turmeric powder and bring to boil once again.
8. Add the chopped spinach and simmer for 5 more minutes.
9. If you need to add water do so.  Add just enough water for the spinach, and make sure  you don't add too much. It should be a rather thick dal spinach.
10. Taste for salt and add more if/as needed. Remove from heat and set aside.
11. In a seperate kadai/ wok, heat oil or ghee for tempering. Add mustard seeds and wait for splutter before adding rest of ingredients.
12. Then you can add, cumin seeds, dried chillies and curry leaves.
13. Add the onion, and saute till softened, adding remaining crushed garlic as well. Saute both well till softened and light golden.
14. Add the kasuri methi and stir till nice and aromatic. Add the Kashmiri chilli powder and cook til it turns deep red and smells cooked.
15. If you added oil instead of ghee in the beginning, here you can add a tsp of ghee for the flavor(optional).
16. Pour the cooked dal and spinach into the wok and stir well vigoursously. You can reduce the heat now, as there will likely be some stong splatter.
17. Serve the Mixed Lentils and Spinach (Pancharatna Dal Palak) with rice or roti.

Note

• Use any spinach in place of Palak. Buayleng / Phuay leng is a good substitute for Malabar spinach, sharp round spinach, etc. Each lends its own flavor. Stay away from strong-flavoured spinach that will overpower the mixed dals. You can also reduce the amount of spinach added if you like.
• Key Ingredients: Mixed Dals/Lentils, Spinach, Oil/Ghee, Onion, Garlic, Green Chilli, Cumin, Chilli powder, Curry leaves.

Keywords: pancharatna dal palak, mixed dal and spinach, dal spinaci,