Lasooni palak dal with step by step photos. This is a vegan & gluten-free lentil preparation with spinach, garlic and spices. Here lasooni means garlicky, palak is spinach and dal is lentils – meaning Garlic spinach dal.
Lentils are a staple in Indian homes and there are many variations in making them. Adding greens is one way you can make them more nutrient rich. The most common & popular preparation of lentils in the Indian cuisine is Dal tadka and Dal fry.
In this recipe, I have added spinach (palak) in good amounts. The dal is also tempered with lots of garlic (lasoon or lahsun). So you get a tasty garlicky flavored spinach dal.
You can serve lasooni palak dal with roti, naan or dinner rolls or steamed rice or jeera rice. I have used moong dal (mung bean lentils) in the recipe. You can even use arhar dal (pigeon pea lentils) or masoor dal (red lentils) or a combination of 2 or 3 lentils.
So let us move on to the preparation of this healthy recipe.
How to make garlic spinach dal
1. Rinse ¾ cup moong dal (yellow lentils) in water for a couple of times. Then add the lentils in a pressure cooker.
2. Next add 2.5 cups water and pressure cook the lentils till they have softened completely or for 6 to 7 whistles.
3. Mash the dal with a spoon and keep aside.
4. When the lentils are cooking, crush 7 to 9 medium garlic cloves lightly with their peels on.
5. Rinse 1.5 cups spinach leaves (palak) very well in water.
6. Stack some spinach leaves then chop them finely. Stacking leaves helps in chopping spinach leaves finely and takes lesser time to chop.
7. Same way chop all the spinach leaves. Place the chopped spinach leaves aside.
8. Finely chop 1 medium-sized onion, 1 medium-sized tomato and keep aside. Also chop or slice 1 green chilli. Measure all the ingredients and keep ready.
Tempering dal
9. Heat 1.5 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Allow them to splutter.
10. Then add the crushed garlic cloves.
11. Saute till they become light brown. You can even saute the garlic for some seconds without making it light brown.
12. Then add the chopped onions. Saute the onions till they turn translucent.
13. Next add the chopped tomatoes. Stir very well. Saute till the tomatoes become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides of the mixture.
14. Now add the spice powders – ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ¼ or ½ teaspoon red chili powder.
15. Mix very well.
16. Add the chopped green chilies.
17. Next add chopped spinach. Mix well.
18. Saute on a low to medium flame for some minutes till the spinach wilts.
19. Now add the mashed dal. Stir well.
20. For a thicker consistency of the dal, you can stop here. For a medium or thin consistency, you can add ⅓ to ½ cup water. Add water depending on the consistency you require.
21. Stir very well. Bring the dal to a simmer.
22. Lastly add salt as per taste.
23. Once the dal is cooked to the desired consistency, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder.
24. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice to the dal but its optional.
25. Mix well.
26. Serve lasooni palak dal hot with some chapatis, phulkas or steamed rice.
More Lentil recipes
Lasooni Palak Dal
Ingredients
for pressure cooking dal
- ¾ cup mung lentils (yellow moong dal)
- 2.5 cups water for pressure cooking
for tempering
- 1.5 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 7 to 9 medium garlic cloves , lightly crushed with their peels on
- 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium size tomato, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 green chili , chopped or sliced
- 1.5 cups spinach , finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
other ingredients
- ⅓ to ½ cup water to be added later or add as required
- salt as required
- a few drops of lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
preparation
- Rinse ¾ cup moong dal in water for a couple of times.
- Then add the lentils in a pressure cooker along with 2.5 cups water.
- Pressure cook the lentils till they have softened completely or for 6 to 7 whistles.
- Mash the dal with a spoon and keep aside.
- When the lentils are cooking, crush the garlic cloves lightly with their peels on.
- Finely chop the onion, tomato and keep aside. Also chop or slice the green chili.
- Rinse the spinach leaves very well in water. Then chop them finely.
tempering
- Heat 1.5 tablespoon oil in a pan.
- Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.
- Then add the crushed garlic cloves and saute till they become a light brown. You can even saute the garlic for some seconds without making it light brown.
- Then add the chopped onions.
- Saute the onions till they turn translucent.
- Next add the chopped tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides of the mixture.
- Now add the spice powders - ½ teaspoon turmeric powder & ¼ or ½ teaspoon red chili powder. Mix very well.
- Add the chopped spinach and green chilies.
- Mix well and saute on a low to medium flame for some minutes till the spinach wilts.
- Now add the mashed dal. Stir well.
- For a thicker consistency of the dal, you can stop here. For a medium or thin consistency, you can add ⅓ to ½ cup water. Add water depending on the consistency you require.
- Stir well and bring the dal to a simmer.
- Lastly add salt as per taste.
- Once the dal is cooked to the desired consistency, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice to the dal.
- Mix well and serve hot with some chapatis, phulkas or steamed rice.
