Dal Palak Tadka Recipe

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This healthy and nutritious Yellow Dal Palak Tadka is such a healthy, tasty and nutritious vegan recipe loaded with protein and chockful of nutrients like – Vitamin A, zinc and fiber. Enjoy with some steamed rice or naan bread or just as a bowl of soup.

So, what is Dal Tadka?

Dal Tadka, is this comforting and extremely satisfying Indian dish made with split yellow pigeon peas (toor dal) aka yellow dal and tempered (tadka) with tomatoes, cumin and bit of garam powder masala. Dal Tadka is best enjoyed with a steaming bow of rice or with some ghee slathered naan.

I love dal. My mom always used to say that – she can never feed enough dal to me and my dad. 😛 Being a lover of simple homecooked food, give me some rice and dal any day and I would need nothing fancy. I guess the desi girl in me will always be like that. Plus, what’s not to love about a hot and fresh bowl of dal, right?

I make Dal Tadka almost every week. Its a staple item in my kitchen. I make Dal Tadka with all kind of lentils out there, starting from Moong Dal to Toor dal. In this Dal Tadka with Palak recipe, I added lots of chopped spinach to make it a healthier version of the traditional Dal Tadka recipe.

In this recipe of Dal Palak or Moong dal with spinach, I have used Toor dal/yellow dal/split yellow pigeon peas. You can easily get Toor Dal/split yellow pigeon peas in your local Indian stores. Actually, almost all the leading grocery stores also carry toor dal in their shelves. I also used two big tomatoes to make this recipe yummy and a bit tangy. You can reduce the amount of tomatoes if you like. Personally, I like using tomatoes in my Dals to get that tangy taste. In summer, I always make Lentil Soup (Dal) with Green Mango

This Dal Palak Tadka recipe has no onion, garlic either.

One of the main questions

How to cook dal?

Dal is such a versatile legume. Its a whole food. Once you learn how to make dal, you can temper (season the dal with spices of of your choices) it the way you want. The best part is, it can be an one pot wholesome dish. Cooking Dal can be a little intimidating for many who are not familiar with lentils that much. But trust me, its not hard at all. You can make the dal in pressure cooker, Insta Pot or on a stove top. Here are the three methods –

How to cook Dal in Pressure Cooker

Step 1 – Rinse the dal really well and soak the uncooked dal for 30 minutes (pre-soaking lessens the cooking time)

Step 2 – Drain the dal.

Step 2 – Put the drained dal to a pressure cooker. Add 1 tsp turmeric, about 1 teaspoon salt, 3 cups of water (I use 1:3 ratio) and pressure cook the dal for 2 whistles on high heat. Then lower the heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes.

Step 3 – Switch off the heat and set the cooker aside. Once the cooker depressurizes, open the lid and mash the dal with the back of a spoon for a smooth consistency. You may leave it as it is if you prefer it that way.

Step 4 – Heat oil in a pan (you can use ghee in place of oil)

Step 5 – Add the cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds start to brown a bit (it will take a minute), add the green chilies, hing, chopped tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5/6 minutes till the tomatoes are completely cooked.

Step 6 – Add the tomato tempering or seasoning into the cooked dal in pressure cooker. Add the chopped spinach into the dal too. Give it a good mix.

Step 7 – Before serving squeeze some lemon juice and enjoy with steamed rice or naan.

How to cook dal in Insta Pot

Step 1 – Heat oil in the instant pot. Then add cumin seeds, hing or asafoetida, turmeric and salt. Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies (if you are using) and cook for 2-3 minutes till the tomatoes are all mushy and come together.

Step 2 – Add dal and water (1:4 ratio – I go by 1 cup dal to 4 cups of water, since I like my dal a little soupy. But if you prefer a thicker consistency then add 3 cups of water to 1 cup of dal).  No need to soak the dal for this recipe.

Step 3 – Put the vent on and cook on manual mode for 35 minutes.

Step 4 – Once the cooking time is up and the vent is released, open the cover of insta pot and add chopped spinach. Close the cover and let the spinach get cooked in the heat automatically. No need to turn the insta pot on.

Step 5 – Before serving the dal, add some lemon juice and enjoy.

How to Cook Dal on Stove Top

Yes, you can make toor or masoor or moong dal without a pressure cooker or an insta pot. You can simply cook it in a cooking vessel for around half an hour, and it should be good to be used for further tempering or seasoning.

Step 1 – Rinse and soak the uncooked dal (toor/masoor/moong) lentils for 2 to 3 hours.

Step 2 – Add the soaked lentils and 4 cups of water to a heavy bottom pot. Bring to a boil, decrease heat to a simmer and cook until the dal are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Step 3 – Turn off the gas and keep the cooked dal aside.

Step 4 – In another pan, heat oil (you can use ghee in place of oil)

Step 5 – Add the cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds start to brown a bit (it will take a minute), add the green chilies, hing, chopped tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5/6 minutes till the tomatoes are completely cooked.

Step 6 – Add the tomato tempering or seasoning into the cooked dal in pressure cooker. Add the chopped spinach into the dal too. Give it a good mix.

Step 7 – Before serving squeeze some lemon juice and enjoy with steamed rice or naan.

Ingredients used in Dal Palak Tadka

• Lentils: I’ve used toor/tuvar/arhar dal. Masoor or Moong dal work great in this recipe too. I buy dal from Costco these days. Not only Costco but also many grocery stores carry Toor, Masoor and moong dals.
• Spinach/palak greens: I’ve used baby spinach in this recipe, you could use regular spinach as well.
• Spices: Turmeric, Garam Masala Powder, Hing and Cumin seeds. These are staple Indian spices.
• Fresh tomatoes: I have used two medium sized tomatoes. You can use more or less as per your taste.
• Oil:  I’ve kept it vegan by using oil. But feel free to use ghee instead. Or, you can add a bit of ghee and some lemon juice before serving.

Steps to make Dal Tadka

Step 1: Rinse and Boil the Toor/Yellow Dal

Rinse 1 cup of toor dal well under running water until the water runs clear. Add about 3 to 4 cups of water and pressure cook the dal for 30 minutes. (See notes above for stove to or insta pot preparations)

Step 2: Make the tempering for Yellow Dal

In a non stick pan, heat some oil/ghee. Add cumin, hing and chopped tomatoes. Cook on medium to low heat till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add chili powder, turmeric and salt.

Add the chopped spinach into the tomato mixture and cook for 4/5 minutes.

Step 3: Temper the Yellow Dal with Spinach Tadka

Add the spinach tadka into the boiled dal. Cook on low heat for couple of minutes. Finish off with chopped cilantro and a tea spoon of garam masala.

Variations

Other Vegetables: Dal is such a versatile dish. You can add anything and everything to it and make it tasty and wholesome. I have tried using pumpkin, bottle gourd, potatoes and other vegetables with dal.

Other Greens: You dont have to limit yourself to just palak or spinach. Go for seasonal veggies like kale or other greens.

Other types of Dal/legume/pulses: Again, in this recipe I have used the toor dal (split yellow pigeon peas), but this recipe goes really well with moong dal (split green gram) or masoor dal (indian red lentils).

Ghee: Ghee takes the taste to a whole different level. 🙂

How to Store and Serve Dal Palak Tadka

Refrigerator – Dal palak tadka can stay in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days. If you make a big pot,reheat only the portion you want to eat.

Freezer – If you want to freeze it, portion into airtight containers and pop in the freezer. When ready to eat, just thaw first for 30 minutes. Then, heat on stove top or microwave until its piping hot, and enjoy! It saves for up to 6 months!

Enjoy this yellow dal tadka with either rice, roti, naan or even as a bowl of soup.

Tips and Tricks

1. To make this dal palak tadka recipe spicy, add some chili powder.
2. Store any leftover dal in any airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply microwave for 1-2 minutes or heat in a sauce pan
3. this is a vegan recipe. But if you aren’t vegan, I recommend using some ghee – this will define the taste more.
4. You don’t need to soak the lentils beforehand if you’re going to use insta pot or pressure cooker.
5. Use a bit of crushed ginger while cooking the dal base. Ginger makes the dal taste better.

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