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    Home » Instant Pot Recipes

    June 18, 2019

    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.

    Instant Pot Spinach Dal -Lehsooni Dal Palak made in Instant Pot #glutenfreeindian

    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

    Lehsooni Dal Palak - Simple, rustic, Garlicky Moong Dal recipe made with shredded spinach.Vegan, highly nutritious Indian staple. #dal #indian #spinach #spinachdal #vegan #vegetarian #dalpalak #palakdal #healthyindian #glutenfreeindian

    Dal Palak Recipe

    Lehsooni Dal Palak - Simple, rustic, Garlicky Moong Dal recipe made with shredded spinach.Vegan, highly nutritious Indian staple.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    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
    • ½ Cup Onions
    • 1 Cup Tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon Oil
    • 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
    • 1 Green Chilli
    • 1 tsp asafetida
    • 1 teaspoon Chilli powder
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin
    • 1 tablespoon 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 teaspoon 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

    Sodium: 25mg | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Sugar: 2.4g | Fiber: 3.5g | Potassium: 263mg | Cholesterol: 8mg | Calories: 121kcal | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Fat: 7.1g | Protein: 4.2g | Carbohydrates: 11.4g | Iron: 2mg
    121
    If you liked the recipe, I would appreciate a comment.
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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

    Punjabi Langarwali Dal - Homestyle Dal made with split urad and channa dal using pressure cooker or Instant Pot.Vegetarian Quick lentil recipe. #dal #lentil #langarwalidal #dalrecipe #indiandal #punjabi #vegetarian #recipe #indian#instantpot #pressurecooker

    Restaurant Style Dal Makhani- Instant Pot & Pressure Cooker Method

    Restaurant Style Dal Makhani Recipe - with instant pot and pressure cooker methods.Authentic Punjabi dal makhani recipe is Gluten Free & Vegetarian. #dal #indianfood #vegetarian #lentils #punjabi #indianrecipe #dalmakhani

    Basic Indian Dal Khicadi- Instant pot & Pressure Cooker recipe

    Instant Pot Basic Indian Dal Khichdi - Quick and Easy One Pot one Shot Vegetarian Indian Khichdi with minimum ingredients along with pressure cooker recipe. #instantpot #recipe#indianrecipe #indianricerecipe #indiankhichadirecipe

    Dhaba Style Dal Tadka- Instant pot and Pressure cooker recipe

    Dhaba Style Dal Tadka | Restaurant Style Yellow Dal
    Dhaba Style Dal Tadka | Restaurant Style Yellow Dal
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