• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Greenbowl2soul
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
    • Snacks
    • Side dishes
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Main course
    • Sweet Treats
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact Us
×

Dal palak (Lentil spinach curry)

Published: Apr 7, 2021 · Modified: Dec 10, 2023 by Vandana Chauhan. This post may contain affiliate links.

5151 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

Dal palak is a delicious, protein-rich lentil curry recipe from India. It is made by cooking lentils with spinach and flavoring them with aromatic Indian spices. This simple vegan Indian dish can be enjoyed with rice as well as roti.

Spinach dal with rice and salad in a white bowl.

Like most Indians, dal chawal i.e. lentils with rice is my comfort food. In India, lentils are cooked in so many different ways that it's very hard to get bored of them, even after eating them daily.

Today, I am sharing one of my favorite dal recipes- dal palak. It's very easy to make, tastes delicious, and is very nutritious too.

If you are looking for easy and simple homecooked-style Indian recipes then this spinach dal recipe is a must try.

Jump to:
  • What is dal palak?
  • What's needed to make dal palak?
  • Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
  • How to make (step-by-step photo instructions)?
  • Serving dal palak
  • Storing and reheating tips
  • Can you freeze this dish?
  • Make ahead
  • Recipe tips and tricks
  • Frequently asked questions
  • More easy lentil curry recipes
  • Recipe

What is dal palak?

Dal is the Hindi word for lentil and palak for spinach. So basically, dal palak is lentil spinach curry.

It's made by cooking lentils with spinach and flavoring them with Indian spices.

What's needed to make dal palak?

To make dal with palak, you will need the ingredients shown below:

Ingredients required to make dal with palak, labeled.

Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions

  1. Dal (lentils)- I have used split mung beans also called yellow lentils or dhuli moong dal in Hindi. But dal palak can be made with almost every dal. Some other lentils that can be used to make it are lal masoor (red lentils), arhar dal (pigeon peas), chana dal(split Bengal gram), sabut masoor (brown lentils), etc. The time of cooking lentils will depend on the type of lentils you are using.
  2. Spinach- Though fresh spinach gives the best result you can use frozen spinach too. Baby spinach can also be used. But, if using baby spinach, don't add it to the onion tomato sauce, instead, add it after mixing dal with the sauce, and don't cook after that. The baby spinach will get wilted immediately upon getting added to the hot dal. If you don't have spinach or you don't like it, use any other leafy greens of your choice like fenugreek leaves or mustard greens. Of course, it won't be called dal palak then because there won't be any palak (spinach) in it. You can call it dal saag (lentil with leafy greens).
  3. Onion- Preferably red onion.
  4. Tomato- Use a juicy red variety of tomatoes. You can also make moong dal palak without tomatoes.
  5. Hot green chili pepper- Jalapeno or Thai green chili can be used too. Skip if your heat tolerance is low.
  6. Ginger and garlic: I have used fresh ginger and garlic, you can also use store-bought ginger garlic paste.
  7. Spices: I have used cumin seeds, dried red chilies, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, and asafoetida. If you are on a gluten-free diet, make sure your asafoetida is gluten-free, or just skip it. Some other spices that can be used to flavor dal spinach are black mustard seeds, cumin powder, ground black pepper, garam masala, and kasoori methi.
  8. Cooking oil- For most of my North Indian cooking, I prefer using mustard oil. You can use any cooking oil of your choice. If using mustard oil, heat it till it reaches the smoking point then turn off the stove. Allow the oil to reach room temperature and then turn on the stove again to start the cooking process. Non-vegans may use ghee too.

How to make (step-by-step photo instructions)?

Collage of images of steps 1 to 4 of palak dal recipe.

Step 1: Wash dal and put it in a cooking pot.

Step 2: Add water salt, and turmeric powder. Mix everything.

Step 3: Cook covered on a medium flame for around 30 minutes or until the dal is cooked. Keep the cooked dal aside.

Step 4: Heat oil in a separate pot. Add dried red chilies, cumin seeds, and asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds.

Collage of images of steps 5 to 8 of palak dal recipe.

Step 5: Add chopped onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook until the onion starts turning brown.

Step 6: Add red chili powder and coriander powder. Saute for a few seconds.

Step 7: Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, and salt.

Step 8: Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.

Collage of images of steps 9 to 12 of palak dal recipe.

Step 9: Add chopped spinach. Cook until the leaves get wilted.

Step 10: Add cooked lentils.

Step 11: Cook for around 2 minutes and then turn off the heat.

Step 12: Add lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Your easy dal with palak is ready to be enjoyed.

Palak dal served in a bowl with rice and salad in the background.

Serving dal palak

Always serve dal palak hot. My favorite way of enjoying it is with freshly made rotis or plain steamed basmati rice. Regular white rice or brown rice can be served too with this dish.

You can also serve it with other Indian rice dishes like jeera rice, curried rice, or lemon rice.

To make a complete Indian meal, serve this spinach dal with either rice or roti. Include an Indian vegetable dish like aloo gobhi, aloo patta gobhi, aloo baingan, aloo shimla mirch, bhindi masala, or aloo beans.

Also add a side dish like kachumber salad, onion salad, spicy Indian potato salad, or Indian chickpea salad. Non-vegans may also add raita like onion raita, potato raita, or pahadi kheere ka raita.

You can also enjoy a bowl dal palak as a comforting soup.

Storing and reheating tips

To store, allow palak moong dal to reach room temperature then transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for 2-3 days.

After storing for a few hours, the dal will thicken. So while reheating add some hot water to adjust the consistency and then reheat either on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Can you freeze this dish?

This lentil spinach curry freezes well. To freeze, after cooking, allow it to cool down completely then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat frozen palak dal, thaw it first and then reheat using the method shared in the section above.

For a fresh taste of frozen spinach lentils, I would suggest tempering the reheated dal again with some cumin seeds and garlic sauteed in hot oil.

Make ahead

Dal palak can be made ahead of time. You can cook the lentils and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can also clean, dry, and chop the spinach. Then wrap it in kitchen paper towels, put in an airtight container, or zip lock bag, and store in the fridge for 5 days. To store chopped spinach for a longer period, freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to a year.

Recipe tips and tricks

  • To reduce the cooking time, soak the lentils in water for a few hours.
  • Though traditionally water is used to cook lentils in India. If you want you can use vegetable stock too.
  • If using mustard oil, heat it till the smoking point then switch off the stove. Allow it to cool down to a more manageable temperature before adding spices.
  • Ground spices can get burned very easily so keep the next ingredient ready before adding them to the pot and saute for a few seconds only. You can also mix them with around a tablespoon of water before adding to the pot.
  • If you want to add red chili powder only for color, use Kashmiri red chili powder. However, if want to add both heat and color to your dish add deggi mirch.
  • If you are on a gluten-free diet, either skip asafoetida or make sure it's gluten-free. Though naturally, asafoetida is gluten-free, a lot of brands add flour to it while processing making it unfit for people on a gluten-free diet.
  • Don't use the thick, chewy stems of spinach, discard them.
  • Don't overcook the spinach. They should just get wilted.
  • Different people prefer different textures of dal. In my family, we don't like overcooked and completely dissolved lentils. We prefer dal with some texture. If you prefer a smoother texture, cook lentils for a longer period. Also, it's better to use a manual or electric pressure cooker (instant pot) if you want a smooth texture of lentils
  • To add extra heat or flavor to dal palak, drizzle some chili oil or oil of any Indian pickle on top. You can also add some garam masala to it when the dish is ready.
  • If you want to make South Indian-style dal palak, instead of adding cumin seeds, temper the oil with black mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Frequently asked questions

Do lentils need to be soaked before cooking?

Whether you need to soak lentils or not depends on different factors like which lentil you are cooking, the utensil you are using to cook it, and also how much time you have to get the dish ready.

Generally split and skinned lentils like yellow mung beans, red lentils, and pigeon peas are not required to be soaked. But, the thicker lentils like brown lentils, black lentils, chana dal, etc. are recommended to be soaked otherwise they take a lot of time to get cooked.

Also, some lentils like brown lentils and chana dal can be directly cooked without soaking if you are using a pressure cooker or instant pot but have to be soaked if cooking in a regular pot.

Soaking basically, reduces the cooking time.

Do you have to cook lentils before using them in a curry?

Generally, in India, lentils are first cooked and then tempered with spices and other ingredients to make a curry. However, you can also saute spices, onion, tomatoes, etc first, then add uncooked lentils and water, and finally, cook the lentils until they turn soft.

Personally, I feel the lentil curry made by using the first method i.e. by tempering cooked lentils with spices, tastes a lot better than the latter.

Can lentils be cooked without a pressure cooker?

Yes, lentils can also be cooked without a pressure cooker but will take a longer time to get cooked in a regular pot. To reduce that time soak lentils in water for a few hours.

You can also use an instant pot to cook lentils.

Some lentils like yellow mung beans or red lentils are better to be cooked in a regular pot. If cooked in a pressure cooker, they turn mushy.

How to make dal palak in an instant pot?

To make this dish an instant pot, don't cook the dal separately. First, use saute mode and follow the steps till you cook tomatoes. Don't add spinach after that. Instead, add rinsed lentils, water, salt, and turmeric powder. Pressure cook for 6 minutes on high pressure. Allow the pressure to get released naturally.

Once the pressure gets released, open the lid and select the saute mode again. Add spinach and cook for around 2 minutes or until the spinach leaves get wilted. Add lime juice and fresh cilantro.

More easy lentil curry recipes

If you like Indian food and looking for more ideas to add lentils to your diet in the Indian style, don't miss to check the following lentil curry recipes:

  1. Urad chana dal
  2. Sabut moong dal
  3. Chana dal
  4. Moong masoor dal
  5. Sabut masoor dal
  6. Dal makhani
Spinach lentil curry served with rice and salad in a bowl

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the recipe card below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest.

Recipe

Palak dal served in a bowl with rice and salad

Dal Palak (lentil spinach curry)

Dal palak is a delicious, protein-rich lentil curry recipe from India. It is made by cooking lentils with spinach and flavoring them with aromatic Indian spices. This simple vegan Indian dish can be enjoyed with rice as well as roti.
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 236kcal
Author: Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

  • Cooking pot
  • Chopping board
  • Knife

Ingredients

  • 1 cup split and skinned mung beans yellow moong dal
  • 2 cups spinach roughly chopped
  • 1 medium red onion finely chopped
  • 1 medium tomato finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 green chili pepper finely chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 3 dried whole red chili optional
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ tablespoon any cooking oil of your choice
  • 4.5 cups water adjust to get the desired consistency

Instructions

  • Rinse mung beans and put in a pot with water, salt, and turmeric. Cover the pot and cook on a medium flame for around 30 minutes or until the beans get cooked.
  • While the beans are getting cooked heat oil in another pot. Add dried red chilies, cumin seeds, and asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds or until the spices turn fragrant.
  • Add chopped onion, ginger, and, garlic. Cook until the onions start turning brown.
  • Add coriander powder and red chili powder. Saute for a few seconds on a low flame.
  • Next, add tomato and green chili. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
  • Add chopped spinach and mix. Cook until the spinach gets wilted.
  • Add cooked mung beans and cook for around 2 minutes. Switch off the stove.
  • Finally, add lime juice and cilantro. Mix.
  • Serve hot with rice or any Indian bread like roti, paratha, or naan.

Video

Notes

  • To reduce the cooking time, soak the lentils in water for a few hours.
  • Though traditionally water is used to cook lentils in India. If you want you can use vegetable stock too.
  • If using mustard oil, heat it till the smoking point then switch off the stove. Allow it to cool down to a more manageable temperature before adding spices.
  • Ground spices can get burned very easily so keep the next ingredient ready before adding them to the pot and saute for a few seconds only. You can also mix them with around a tablespoon of water before adding to the pot.
  • If you want to add red chili powder only for color, use Kashmiri red chili powder. However, if want to add both heat and color to your dish add deggi mirch.
  • If you are on a gluten-free diet, either skip asafoetida or make sure it's gluten-free. Though naturally, asafoetida is gluten-free, a lot of brands add flour to it while processing making it unfit for people on a gluten-free diet.
  • Don't use the thick, chewy stems of spinach, discard them.
  • Don't overcook the spinach. They should just get wilted.
  • Different people prefer different textures of dal. In my family, we don't like overcooked and completely dissolved lentils. We prefer dal with some texture. If you prefer a smoother texture, cook lentils for a longer period. Also, it's better to use a manual or electric pressure cooker (instant pot) if you want a smooth texture of lentils
  • To add extra heat or flavor to dal palak, drizzle some chili oil or oil of any Indian pickle on top.
  • More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2230IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Tag me on instagram #greenbowl2soul

More Main course

  • Tomato and ricotta pasta garnished with chopped parsley.
    Tomato and ricotta pasta
  • A bowl of creamy curry pasta garnished with chopped cilantro.
    Creamy Indian curry pasta
  • Pinto bean curry garnished with chopped cilantro.
    Pinto bean curry
  • A bowl of mushroom zucchini pasta.
    Zucchini mushroom pasta

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mayuri Patel

    July 21, 2021 at 10:01 pm

    5 stars
    There is something so comforting about dal and palak combination. Love it with my rice. Easy, nutritious comfort food.

    Reply
    • Vandana Chauhan

      July 31, 2021 at 6:54 pm

      Thanks Mayuri 🙂

      Reply
5 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Vandana Chauhan profile picture

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog. My name is Vandana Chauhan and I am on a mission to explore vegan/ vegetarian recipes from around the world. I am delighted to welcome you to join me on this exciting journey.

More about me →

Popular recipes

  • Mixed bean salad balela served in a white bowl.
    Mixed bean salad balela (Middle Eastern style)
  • Chili oil getting drizzled over a bowl of chili garlic noodles with a spoon
    Garlic chili oil noodles
  • four savoury muffins kept on a whote plate with some corn kernels in the background
    Vegan savoury muffins with tomato, corn, and caramelized onion
  • Vegetable chow mein in a black wok.
    Vegetable chow mein
  • A slice of peach cobbler served on a white plate
    Easy peach cobbler with canned peaches
  • Indian vegetable curry in a bowl with rice, lime, and fresh herbs in the background
    Indian vegetable curry

Seasonal favorites

  • Rainbow orzo salad sprinkled with crushed black pepper.
    Rainbow orzo salad
  • Middle Eastern tomato parsley salad in a grey bowl.
    Middle Eastern tomato parsley salad
  • Pea and peanut salad sprinkled with crushed black pepper.
    Creamy and crunchy pea and peanut salad
  • A bowl of Armenian potato salad with onion and fresh herbs.
    Armenian potato salad with onions
  • A glass of orange lemonade with ice cubes.
    Orange lemonade
  • Mediterranean beetroot and feta cheese salad garnished with dill served in a white bowl.
    Beetroot and feta salad

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • About

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 Greenbowl2soul

5151 shares
Scroll Up

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.