Easy Spinach Dal (Dal Palak)

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Easy Spinach Dal (Dal Palak)

This is my easy Spinach Dal, also known as Dal Palak. We're using chickpeas as the legume and it's honestly SO good.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: people

Calories: 425kcal

Author: Emily Roz

Ingredients

For the spinach dal

2 shallots finely sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 inch ginger finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds if you're seeds are more than 1 year old, add another teaspoon.
1 teaspoon mustard seeds if you're seeds are more than 1 year old, add another teaspoon.
1 teaspoon ground turmeric if you're spices are more than 1 year old, add another teaspoon.
800 g chickpeas cooked or from the can
300 ml veggie stock
200 g spinach wilted
200 g cottage cheese

For the spiced oil

2 garlic cloves sliced
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 red chilli sliced

For garnish

yogurt
fresh coriander

Instructions

Place a skillet or pan on medium/low heat and drizzle with vegetable oil. Add in the shallots, ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and turmeric. Fry for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the shallots have softened.
Add in the chickpeas followed by the vegetable stock. Bring up to the boil and then reduce to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, combine the wilted and drained spinach (I place the fresh spinach in a colander and pour boiling water over it, this wilts it) in a blender with cottage cheese. Add a splash of the stock from the chickpea pan and blend until super green and smooth.
Pour the cottage cheese and spinach mixture into the chickpea dal and stir until well combined. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes until thickened. Taste and season accordingly.
Place a nonstick pan on medium heat and add in 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee. Add in the spiced oil ingredients including the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, sliced garlic, and sliced red chillies. Stir and fry for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat as soon as you start to see the garlic slices turning a light brown.
Once your chickpea spinach dal has thickened to your desired consistency, drizzle with the spiced chilli oil, top with coriander, and yogurt. Enjoy with naan bread or rice! Make sure to let me know if you give it a go, I love hearing from you!

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe so scroll up this page to find them!

Storage: leave the spinach dal to cool and then place in airtight containers and into the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezing: you can totally freeze this dish but the spinach may change flavour slightly and colour. Store in airtight containers (make sure to label with contents and date), and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Leave in the fridge overnight to thaw before reheating.

Reheating: You can either leave the lid ajar and reheat in the microwave until piping hot. Or you can transfer to a saucepan and place on medium/low heat. Stir frequently for 10 minutes or until piping hot.

Nutrition