AuthorSrinivas Acharya
DifficultyBeginner

Palak or spinach dal, popularly known as Pappu in south India, is a very classic side dish served with hot rice. The dish has a very unique taste from tangy to spicy to salty. The dal is prepared in many techniques, some add onions and garlic to the dal as well. Today we will prepare the dal without adding onion and garlic.
A very healthy and wholesome meal side dish.

Yields5 Servings
Prep Time20 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time50 mins
Preparation
Seasoning
Preparation
1

Soak 1 cup of Toor dal for 10 mins.

2

Wash palak leaves, keep only the leaves, remove the stem from the leaves. If stem is tender, then you can use it...

3

Chop the leaves and keep them aside.

4

Cook the toor dal in a pressure cooker, add a little turmeric before placing it in a pressure cooker. You can add 2 cups of water for cooking.

5

Let the lentils be cooked until 4-5 whistles.

6

Chop 2 medium-sized tomatoes, green chillies, lemon, coriander leaves, ginger, and curry leaves.

Seasoning
7

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan.

8

Add 2 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp of jeera, 1 tbsp of urad dal, 1 tbsp of channa dal and 3-4 red chillies.

9

Once the mustard starts to crackle, add 3 sliced green chillies, ginger and curry leaves, fry for 5 mins.

10

Add 2 chopped tomatoes and fry for 5 mins on medium flame, let the tomato become mushy.

11

Add 1 tsp turmeric and salt as per taste. Mix well.

12

Add the chopped palak and let it cook for 10 mins, add water if it's too dry as the palak will release water.

13

You can cover the lid of the vessel and let it cook.

14

Add the cooked dal to the palak, if the pressure cooked dal has too much water, keep it aside, we will need it later.

15

Cook in medium flame for 10-15 mins, mix well.

16

Add 1/4 cup grated coconut and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Mix well. If dal is too thick, add the cooked dal water.
Then add 1 tbsp ghee.

17

Garnish with coriander leaves.

18

Tasty Palak dal is ready to serve with hot rice or chapati.

Ingredients

Preparation
Seasoning

Directions

Preparation
1

Soak 1 cup of Toor dal for 10 mins.

2

Wash palak leaves, keep only the leaves, remove the stem from the leaves. If stem is tender, then you can use it...

3

Chop the leaves and keep them aside.

4

Cook the toor dal in a pressure cooker, add a little turmeric before placing it in a pressure cooker. You can add 2 cups of water for cooking.

5

Let the lentils be cooked until 4-5 whistles.

6

Chop 2 medium-sized tomatoes, green chillies, lemon, coriander leaves, ginger, and curry leaves.

Seasoning
7

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan.

8

Add 2 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp of jeera, 1 tbsp of urad dal, 1 tbsp of channa dal and 3-4 red chillies.

9

Once the mustard starts to crackle, add 3 sliced green chillies, ginger and curry leaves, fry for 5 mins.

10

Add 2 chopped tomatoes and fry for 5 mins on medium flame, let the tomato become mushy.

11

Add 1 tsp turmeric and salt as per taste. Mix well.

12

Add the chopped palak and let it cook for 10 mins, add water if it's too dry as the palak will release water.

13

You can cover the lid of the vessel and let it cook.

14

Add the cooked dal to the palak, if the pressure cooked dal has too much water, keep it aside, we will need it later.

15

Cook in medium flame for 10-15 mins, mix well.

16

Add 1/4 cup grated coconut and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Mix well. If dal is too thick, add the cooked dal water.
Then add 1 tbsp ghee.

17

Garnish with coriander leaves.

18

Tasty Palak dal is ready to serve with hot rice or chapati.

Notes

Palak dal | Palak tove | Pappu | Spinach dal