Lehsuni Palak Dal Tadka / Garlic Flavored Spinach Cooked With Lentils

Lehsuni Palak Dal Tadka / Garlic Flavored Spinach Cooked With Lentils is a very quick and easy dal with goodness of spinach. The tempering (tadka) made of garlic , chili powder and oil, poured just before serving enhances its colour, taste and aroma. Serve the dal with roti /paratha/ naan/ rice. The dal is vegan and gluten free.

My mother (Rekha Ramollia) makes the best lehsuni palak dal tadka. I am a huge fan of it. The dal taste best on its own but the tadka uplifts the taste and increases your appetite. My mom keeps pressure cooks the dal with spices and spinach and keeps it ready. You can just enjoy dal this way with a dollop of ghee on it. But my mom preferred serving the dal with tadka and we all loved it this way. So just before serving , she will make the tadka and pour it sizzling hot on the dal and serve us. She says the tadka is the most part of a perfect dal. Here are the few tips which I have learnt from her for making a good tadka.

• Cook oil on medium heat. Do not burn the oil by heating it on high heat. Add the chopped garlic and let it slowly become brown. This way the taste of garlic will be nicely infused in the oil.
• Once the garlic has started to get golden brown, then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add dry red chili. The oil will be heated sufficiently by this time and the seeds will crackle nicely. But if you add the seeds earlier, they will not crackle well and by this time they will also get burnt.
• Once the seeds crackle and the garlic is browned, switch off the heat and the add red chili powder, mix and immediately pour the tadka on the dal. This will ensure that the chili powder is not burnt and retains its red colour. It is good to use kashmiri red chili powder for tadka. Be quick in adding chili powder and pouring the tadka on the dal.
• The test of a good tadka is that when you pour on the dal or any curry, it should give a strong sizzling sound.

I follow this instructions of her and have never failed . Everyone in my family especially my mother in law (Geeta Shah) loves the tadka I make.

This tadka can be made and poured not only on dal but can be poured on plain khichdi, any veg cooked with besan like pithla, jhunka , saag, or any green cooked with chick pea flour . It will just take the dish to the next level and i bet everyone will love it.

So friends i am sure you are going to try out this recipe for your loved ones . Please do share your feedback with me..

Khao dilse, khilao dilse aur banao dilse…

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Lehsuni Palak Dal Tadka / Garlic Flavored Spinach Cooked With Lentils

Lehsuni Palak Dal Tadka / Garlic Flavored Spinach Cooked With Lentils is a very quick and easy dal with goodness of spinach. The tempering (tadka) made of garlic , chili powder and oil, poured just before serving enhances its colour, taste and aroma. Serve dal with roti /paratha/ naan/ rice.

Course brunch, dal, dinner, festivalfood, gluten free, glutenfree, lunch, maindish, pulses, vegan

Cuisine Indian

Keyword arhardal, babyspinach, brunch, chanadal, dal, festivalfood, garlic, glutenfree, greenveggie, lentils, maindish, pressurecooker, pulses, roz ka khana, soakedchanadal, spinach, tadka, tadkadal, toordal, vegan, weeknightdinner, winterfood

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

soaking time 1 hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 168kcal

Equipment

• bowl
• pressure cooker
• spoon
• spatula
• small pan
• laddle
• knife
• serving bowl /pan
• pot

Ingredients

For dal

• 1/2 cup toor dal arhaar dal / split pigeon peas
• 1/4 cup chana dal split bengal gram
• 3 cup water to cook and then add extra to adjust the cosistency of the dal
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds rai
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds jeera
• 1/4 tsp hing asafoetida
• 1 tomato chopped
• 2 cup spinach washed and finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder haldi
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp coriander cumin powder dhania jeera powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt as per taste

For tempering

• 1 tbsp oil
• 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds rai
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds jeera
• 2 dry red chili
• 1 tsp red chili powder

Instructions

For dal

• Take toor dal (split pigeon peas) and chana dal (split bengal gram ) in a bowl. Mix.
  
• Wash 2-3 times with water and then soak with water for one hour.
  
• After 1 hour, the dal have become big and soaked well.
  
• Drain dal and add to pressure cooker pan. Reserve water. Add around 2 cups of water (use the reserve water) and some salt. Close the pressure cooker with lid and put whistle and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles on high heat and 2 whistles on low heat.
  
• Let the pressure cook cool by itself. Remove the whistle and open the lid.
  
• Mash the cooked dal with the laddle.
  
• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds , cumin seeds and asafoetida.
  
• Add ginger garlic paste.
  
• Saute on medium heat for a minute.
  
• Add chopped tomatoes.
  
• Cook on medium heat till the tomatoes soften.
  
• Add chopped spinach.
  
• Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat or till spinach wilts and soften. Add spices – turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander cumin powder and salt. Saute till everything is mixed well.
  
• Add the cooked and mashed dal.
  
• Add a cup or more water to adjust the consistency of dal.
  
• Add sugar and mix well.
  
• Bring the dal to a bowl.
  
• Switch off the heat and add lemon juice. Mix well. The dal is ready.
  
• Remove the dal in a serving bowl.
  

For Tempering

• Put oil to heat on medium heat. Add chopped garlic.
  
• When the garlic begins to get golden colour, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chili.
  
• When the seeds crackle and garlic browns, add asafoetida switch off the heat. Add red chili powder. Mix well.
  
• Pour the hot tempering on dal.
  
• Spread tempering gently on the dal.
  
• Serve the dal hot with roti , paratha or rice.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2147IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg