The Easiest Way To Make Spinach Daal In The Pressure Cooker
Image Credit: Spinach Daal is simple and delicious | Instagram - @cookery_master

Daal and Palak are the traditional sources of plant-based proteins, particularly for vegetarians and vegans. However, it is just a celebration of tastes when both are combined in a dish! This spinach daal recipe using a pressure cooker is easy to make, straightforward, delicious, and healthy. It is prepared with yellow Tuvar daal or pigeon peas and seasonal fresh spinach.

What Is Spinach Daal?

You need to cook lentils with fresh green spinach to make spinach dal. Almost every state in India prepares this daal, and surprisingly, most regions have their own unique recipe. These different recipes basically require different daal and different spices, and some recipes need spinach puree instead of sliced spinach. This recipe is popularly known as dal palak in North India.

How To Prepare Spinach Daal In A Pressure Cooker?

 ASIN ID - B00SX03I80   

Chop up all the vegetables you have and pressure cook them with the lentils, and your dal palak will be ready in no time! Don’t forget to add the spices. Using a pressure cooker lets you make the dal palak quickly and provides the utmost convenience. And you don’t need to worry about the taste; it’s utterly delicious in addition to being super healthy. This dal is a tasty side meal for chapatis and also pairs well with rice.

So let us move on to the simple and fast spinach dal preparation.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup yellow dal 
  • Chopped spinach leaves 
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 finely chopped garlic
  • Finely chopped ginger
  • 1/2 tablespoon of mustard seeds 
  • 1/2 tablespoon of cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder
  • 1 tablespoon of oil/ ghee
  • 1 tablespoon asafoetida
  • Salt to taste
  • Lemon juice

Picture credit - Instagram - @basudhadas

  • To prepare the perfect pressure cooker spinach daal, follow these instructions.
  • Wash the yellow dal in water, then soak it for 10 minutes.
  • Cut off the stems and wash the spinach or palak in water. 
  • Slice the spinach into medium-sized chunks.
  • Take a spoonful of ghee and heat it in a pressure cooker.
  • Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, and asafoetida as the ghee melts.
  • Next, add ginger, garlic, onion and green chiles to the pressure cooker.
  • For about 20 to 30 seconds, sauté the ginger and garlic until the raw flavour is completely gone.
  • Next, add the diced tomatoes. 
  • The tomatoes should be well-mixed and cooked until they are tender.
  • Add red chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, and turmeric to the pressure cooker.
  • Next, add salt to season the dish.
  • Take half of a lemon and add its juice to the cooker.
  • Afterwards, add the chopped palak or spinach stems.
  • Add the cleaned yellow Tuvar dal to the mixture of ingredients.
  • Fill the pressure cooker with water and close the cover. 
  • For at least 10 minutes, pressure boil the dal palak, and your Spinach Daal is ready.
  • Before opening the cover, allow the pressure cooker to cool down.
  • Serve it hot with steamed rice, jeera rice or roti.

Tips For Making Spinach Daal

Here are some tips to make healthy and tasty Spinach Daal in a pressure cooker 

  • Ghee can be substituted for the oil in this recipe to make the dish a healthier option.
  • Up the green and red chilli quantity if you want a spicy dal. Reduce the amount of these spices for a milder variation. 
  • A little lemon juice added to the dal lends it a nice flavour.
  • Adding less or more water after the deal has been prepared will allow you to control its thickness.
  • To make this dish gluten-free, use gluten-free asafoetida or avoid it entirely.
  • If you want a greenish colour, you can use spinach puree to prepare the dish.
  • You can also use Daals like masoor, moong, chana, etc., as per your taste and preference.

This typical Indian dish using spinach and daal cooks rapidly in a pressure cooker and is filled with the flavours and nutrients of the two main ingredients. For those days when you prefer vegetable dishes or any day when you look for a filling and cosy bowl of vegetarian goodness, the spinach-infused pressure cooker dal is a great option to cook. So, why wait? Try it today and enjoy it with your loved ones.