Instant Pot Spinach Dal|Dal Palak

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Instant Pot Spinach Dal – Simple, rustic, full of flavour and nutrients, Garlicky Moong Dal made with fresh spinach.Vegan, highly nutritious Indian staple Instant Pot & Pressure cooker recipe.

Sometimes, simple recipes need to be written and learnt too , just so you realise what you were doing wrong with them to start with.

This dal, though simple, can end up tasting horribly metallic if one simple step is performed earlier than really needed.No marks for guessing , I am talking about the spinach.

Overcooking spinach makes the dal taste very irony(if that’s even a word) ! One of the reasons I didn’t like dal palak much before(at least the one that I made) was the metallic after taste.

But amends have been made, steps have been noted and the mistakes have been remedied.And I am ready to share them with you guys!

How to make Instant Pot Spinach Dal

Step 1: In the SAUTE mode, Add Oil.Add Onions,green Chilli,ginger and garlic and cook till the onions become golden- about 5-8 minutes.

Step 2: Add the tomatoes and continue to cook till the tomatoes become mushy and shapeless- around 3 more minutes.

Step 3: Add the dal,turmeric and salt in the inner pot of the instant pot.

Step 4: To this, add 4 Cups of water.Close the lid,Deglaze and scrape the bottom and choose the “PRESSURE COOK” option for 20 minutes on “HIGH PRESSURE” in the “SEALED” position.Open when the pressure releases naturally.

Step 5:Switch to SAUTE mode. Add the 3 cups of shredded spinach,mix and bring to boil.

Here is the traditional pressure cooker version.

Step 1: Boil the dal along with salt and turmeric to creamy consistency.

Step 2:Make the Masala with onion, tomatoes,ginger and garlic.

Step 3:Mix the masala in the dal.Add the spinach and bring to boil.

Step 4: Optional: Top with tempered ghee and spices.

The recipe below will give both traditional pressure cooker and my favourite Instant pot dal recipe.If you would like to understand how to use instant pot in Indian kitchen then head to this post.

Dietary Details of Dal Palak

This gorgeous lehsooni Dal Palak is

• Vegetarian & Vegan if you replace the ghee with oil.
• Gluten Free
• Great source of Vegan Protein.

Variations of Garlic Dal Palak

You can use other kinds of lentils to make similar dal.Use toor or split pigeon pea or Masoor dal instead of Moong dal.

You can also use other types of greens instead like methi, chard or Bathua.

The only time I made dal palak was when I was feeling like a big glutton and needed to be punished with some foul tasting palak.Thats obviously changed now! This dal has become more of a staple and less of a chore to eat.and all because I added the spinach in the end and not along with the dal at the boiling stage.

Here are some Instant Pot Dal recipes for you

Instant Pot Langarwali Dal
Instant Pot Dal Khichdi
Instant Pot Channa
Instant Pot Dal Makhani
Instant Pot Toor Dal
Instant Pot Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

Dal Palak Recipe

Lehsooni Dal Palak – Simple, rustic, Garlicky Moong Dal recipe made with shredded spinach.Vegan, highly nutritious Indian staple.

4 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: lehsuni Dal Palak

Servings: 4

Calories: 121kcal

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Split Moong Dal
• 3 Cup Spinach
• 1/2 Cup Onions
• 1 Cup Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 Green Chilli
• 1 tsp asafetida
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tbsp Ghee or oil for a vegan substitute

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

• In the SAUTE mode, Add Oil.Add Onions,green Chilli,ginger and garlic and cook till the onions become golden- about 5-8 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and continue to cook till the tomatoes become mushy and shapeless- around 3 more minutes.
• Add the dal,turmeric and salt in the inner pot of the instant pot.
• To this, add 4 Cups of water.Close the lid,Deglaze and scrape the bottom and choose the "PRESSURE COOK" option for 20 minutes on "HIGH PRESSURE" in the "SEALED" position.Open when the pressure releases naturally.
• Switch to SAUTE mode. Add the 3 cups of shredded spinach,mix and bring to boil.

Pressure Cooker Method

• Add the dal,turmeric and salt to the pressure cooker.
• To this, add 4 Cups of water.Close the lid and pressure cook on medium flame for 20 minutes.Open when the pressure releases naturally.
• Add the 3 cups of shredded spinach,mix and bring to boil.

Masala

• While the dal is boiling, Heat the oil in a pan/Kadhai or a wok.Add Onions,green Chilli,ginger and garlic and cook till the onions become golden.
• Add the tomatoes and continue to cook till the tomatoes become mushy and shapeless.Add 1 tsp water if the masala is burning.

Ghee Tempering(Optional/Check notes)

• Add Ghee to a small pan.HEat to smoking point.Turn off.
• Working quikly, add the cumin,asafetida & red Chilli powder.
• Pour over the dal and give it a mix.

Notes

Ghee Tempering- This additional step can be avoided by tempering the oil/ghee at the masala step with same ingredients. This way you would, heat the ghee/oil- add the spices then add the onions, garlic,ginger and tomato.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.4g | Protein: 4.2g | Fat: 7.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 2.4g | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Iron: 2mg

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4 from 3 votes

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Here are some more Indian Dal recipes.Do check them out for the instant pot and pressure cooker versions.

Punjabi Langarwali dal – Instant pot & Pressure cooker recipe

Restaurant Style Dal Makhani- Instant Pot & Pressure Cooker Method

Basic Indian Dal Khicadi- Instant pot & Pressure Cooker recipe

Dhaba Style Dal Tadka- Instant pot and Pressure cooker recipe