Mixed Lentils and Spinach
You have mixed lentils paired with spinach to make an easy side dish to pour over rice, or serve with flatbreads.
The Recipe Intro↓ has , more information as well as the same Recipe Video. Don’t forget to check it out.
The video for this recipe is available only on my Malayalam Channel at present.
Ingredients:
| Peas dal/ Muttar dal (Split green peas dal, which are yellow in color when split) | 1/2 cup | |
| 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) | 2 Tbsp | |
| Barley (optional) | 1 Tbsp | |
| Red Onion, chopped | 1 large | |
| Garlic, crushed gently | 9 cloves | |
| Green chillies, chopped | 1 Tbsp | |
| Spinach/ Palak, chopped | 200 gms | |
| Turmeric powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Cumin seeds, divided | 1/2 tsp | |
| Mustard seeds | 1/8 tsp | |
| Dried chillies, broken | 2 | |
| Curry Leaves | 1 sprig | |
| Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves, crushed) | 1 tsp | |
| Ghee or Oil | 2 Tbsp | |
| Kashmiri chilli powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Salt | To taste |
Method:
- Add the dals, to a pressure cooker. (Some like to soak their dals, ahead of time, I don’t find the need to).
- Rinse well a couple of times, till the water runs clear.
- Pour 2 3/4 cups water.
- Add 5 cloves of the garlic, chopped green chilli as well as half of the cumin seeds now.
- Add salt to taste, being careful not to add too much (you can always add more later).
- Close the pressure cooker and cook for 8 steam whistles. Cool off with a sprinkling of water and open.
- Next, add turmeric powder and bring to boil once again.
- Add the chopped spinach and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- 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.
- Taste for salt and add more if/as needed. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a seperate kadai/ wok, heat oil or ghee for tempering. Add mustard seeds and wait for splutter before adding rest of ingredients.
- Then you can add, cumin seeds, dried chillies and curry leaves.
- Add the onion, and saute till softened, adding remaining crushed garlic as well. Saute both well till softened and light golden.
- 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.
- If you added oil instead of ghee in the beginning, here you can add a tsp of ghee for the flavor(optional).
- 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.
- Serve the Mixed Lentils and Spinach (Pancharatna Dal Palak) with rice or roti.
Mixed Lentils and Spinach
Notes:
- Use any spinach in place of Palak. Buayleng / Phuay leng is a good substitute or Malabar spinach, sharp round spinach etc. Each lends it’s 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.
EAT AND TELL!!! Let us know if you tried – Mixed Lentils and Spinach
Mail me your pics and testimonials 🙂 – recipesaresimple@gmail.com
