Dal palak recipe or spinach dal with video & step by step photos. Healthy, delicious and one of the most made palak recipes in Indian homes. Dal palak is lentils cooked with spinach & tempered with basic Indian spices. It is made in almost all regions of India with slight variations. This simple protein rich dal palak is served with plain rice, chapati/ roti or different kinds of bhakri.
Dal palak tastes best when made with basic ingredients otherwise the buttery taste & flavor of palak is lost. However it depends on individual tastes & preferences.
Tempering it in desi ghee or butter enhances the flavor and aroma of the dish.
More Dal recipes
Moong dal recipe
Chana dal
Masoor dal
Dal makhani
Dal fry recipe
Khichdi
To make dal palak, I have used toor dal – split pigeon peas and moong dal – split, skinned mung beans. You can use any lentils that you prefer.
Preparing palak for any palak recipe: Fill a large pot with water. Pluck each palak leaf and check for infestations etc. Add them to the pot.
Allow them to rest for 3 to 5 mins. Repeat the rinse. I usually spray vinegar over palak & leave for a white.
Then add a handful of crystal salt to the pot of water. Drain them to a colander. Chop as desired.
For more palak recipes, do check
Palak paneer
Easy palak paratha
Hara bhara kabab
Palak rice
Simple dal palak recipe
Dal palak recipe | Spinach dal | How to make dal palak
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for dal palak
- ½ cup dal or lentils ( I use ¼ cup toor dal & ¼ cup moong dal)
- 1 ¼ cup water or as needed to cook dal
For tempering
- 1 tomato (medium, chopped (optional))
- 2 cups palak (or spinach chopped) (use as desired)
- 1 ½ to 2 tbsps ghee or butter
- ¾ tsp cumin or jeera
- 1 red chilli (large, broken)
- 1 tsp ginger ( or garlic or both chopped or grated)
- 1 to 2 green chilies chopped
- 1 pinch hing or asafoetida
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- Salt as needed
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice or amchur / dry mango powder as needed
How to make the recipe
Preparation for spinach dal
- Add dal to a bowl or pot and rinse it very well a few times until water runs clear.
- If using tomato you can chop it and add it.
- Pour 1¼ cups water and cook in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles on a medium heat.
- You can also cook the dal a pot until they soften.
- If using instant pot, place the bowl and pressure cook for 8 mins.
- When the pressure releases naturally, remove the dal and mash it to suit your liking.
How to make dal palak
- Heat a pot with ghee or butter. Add cumin and red chilies.
- When the cumin begins to splutter add ginger, garlic and green chilies.
- Saute well for a min. Add hing.
- Transfer chopped palak or spinach. Saute for 3 to 4 mins on a medium heat.
- Add cooked dal, salt and turmeric. Mix and check the consistency. If needed pour some water.
- Next mix well and cook on a medium heat until palak wilts completely.
- Switch off when spinach dal reaches the desired consistency.
- Add lemon juice and mix. Serve dal palak with rice or roti.
Video
Video of dal palak recipe
NUTRITION (estimation only)
If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with description available below after the recipe card.
Preparation for dal palak recipe
1. Wash dal few times until the water runs clear. You can soak it for about 15 mins to 1 hour. I use toor dal and moong dal in equal proportions. You can use any kind of dal you prefer.
The taste of dal palak enhances with the use of moong dal, even a little is enough. If using tomato you can chop it and add it to the pot or pan now.
2. Pour enough water and pressure cook on a medium heat for 2 whistles.
3. Dal must be soft cooked. I prefer to mash the dal. You can also skip mashing.
4. Heat ghee in a kadai/ pan. Add cumin and red chilies.
5. When they begin to crackle, add ginger garlic and green chilies. We are not using red chilli powder in this recipe so use enough green chilies for the heat. Saute just for a minute and add hing.
6. Add chopped spinach/ palak. You can use more or less to suit your taste.
7. Saute for 3 to 4 mins on a medium heat.
How to make dal palak
8. Add cooked dal, turmeric and salt. Mix well.
9. Pour water as needed.
10. Bring it to a consistency and cook until the spinach wilts completely. Palak doesn’t require long cooking, so a few minutes will be good enough. If you like to use amchur you can add it at this stage.
11. When it reaches the desired consistency, switch off the stove. Squeeze in lemon juice if you have not used amchur. If you have used oil for tempering, add a tbsp of ghee now.
Serve dal palak with rice or roti.
Jenny says
My first time making this dish and I enjoyed it very much. I used amchur but next time will try lemon juice since others have said so many good things about it. This is true comfort food, so easy to make, and is now one of my favorite dals. Thanks Swasthi!
swasthi says
Hi Jenny,
You are welcome! Glad you liked it. Yes you have to try this with lemon juice! Thank you!
Selina says
I made this today in my instant pot and it turned out delicious! The lemon adds a nice flavor I was not expecting! Super easy and tasty! Thank you!
swasthi says
Hi Selina,
You are welcome! Glad you liked it. Thank you!
Avishek Dan says
Very satisfying taste. 🙂
swasthi says
Thank you!
Archana says
Authentic Taste.. Thank you..
swasthi says
You are welcome Archana!
T L says
My grandson had seconds of dal palak at a restaurant, so we wanted to make it at home. Not sure he tasted it, but we enjoyed it very much. Next time I will double the recipe!
Thanks!
swasthi says
Hi T L
You are welcome. Glad you liked it!
Thank You!
Geeta says
Hey the dal palak recipe is super duper thank you so much
swasthi says
Welcome Geeta!
Glad you liked it
Sanjana says
My girls avoid palak but in this form was very tasty and most important quite simple to make. the lemon really added to the taste. Thanks!
swasthi says
Welcome Sanjana,
Glad your girls liked the dal palak. Yes lemon enhances the taste. Thanks for trying.
🙂
Aradhana misra says
Its the best palak dal recipe I ever found. Makes a delicious meal for the whole family.
swasthi says
Hi Aradhana
Thanks for the comment. Very glad you liked it.
🙂
Eric Berg says
Great recipe! Spinaches are rich in iron and magnesium while tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin K. This dish can substitute any snack without spiking insulin levels or increasing blood sugars.
Saranya says
Hi,
First of all I would like to Thankyou for sharing the wonderful delicious recipe’s. As a newly married I use to get scared of cooking but after trying with Your recipe’s, I lost fear about cooking and I have tried many of your recipe’s and it turns out yummy 😋 .
In this palak dal, You mean to add tomato along with dal in the pressure cooker???
swasthi says
Hi Saranya
You are welcome. Very happy to know the recipes have been helpful. Thanks for the comment. Yes you can add tomato along with dal and pressure cook.
Saranya says
Hi,
Thankyou for the quick response. Can you tell me how to cook it in a pressure cooker? I mean along with daal can we add all ingredients including palak to the cooker???
swasthi says
Hi,
Yes you can add palak, tomato, dal, tamarind, green chilies to the cooker and pressure cook. Then just temper the dal using ghee, curry leaves, mustard, red chilli, cumin and hing.
monika says
Hi ! I m Monika from Ahmedabad .
i didnt knew that lemon or amchur powder enhance the taste .through ur receipe i came to know .thank u .i follow ur receipes .its simple easy and great .keep posting .best wishes and once again thank u for all ur receipes because i just loved it .
swasthi says
Hi Monika,
You are welcome. Glad you liked the recipes. Thank you so much for the wishes!
🙂
Poorvi Desai says
Dear Swasthi,
Tried your Daal palak recipe for lunch today. It was absolutely delicious…. Thank you for sharing such lovely recipes. God bless you!!!!!!!!!
My father has gone on a diet as he is suffering from what we call as “pitt” in local language. He is not eating anything that has masala or oil. Could you please suggest some recipes that I can make for him??
Thanks in advance.
swasthi says
welcome poorvi
Thanks a lot for the wishes.
As such any recipe can be made without garam masala. Just skip them from the recipe. Cook the dish in low flame so that they taste good. Regarding oil,if permitted then you can use desi cow’s ghee. Or just steam the veggies and season them lightly. Hope this helps
Ritika Gagandeep sankhla says
I made it today with little twist in Ur recipe….It was yummy…My hubby likes it alot…Thanks for sharing such nice and healthy recipes….
neha says
Thank you Swasthi for this yummy,, healthy recipe. We all enjoyed it. I added tomatoes as well.
swasthi says
Welcome Neha
Glad to know you liked it. Yes you can also use tomatoes.
Thanks for the comment
Stefania says
HI!
My family and I enjoyed the palak daal! Thank you for the great idea!
swasthi says
Welcome Stefania
Happy to know you all enjoyed it
🙂
Rose says
Hi, you missed adding the part about adding the palak in the how to make the recipe section.
Only when I scrolled down and saw the images i found out when to add the palak
swasthi says
Hi Rose
Thanks a lot, will update it.
Shilpa says
Hi swasthi can you please tell which 1 would taste good- just the garlic or just the ginger or both??? I wanted to prepare this dal. And want to know which 1 to add.
swasthi says
Hi Shilpa
It’s a matter of personal choice. According to me finely chopped garlic goes well.
Ben says
Hi Swasthi,
Thanks for sharing your recipe – I hope to try it.
How much garlic and / or ginger would you suggest?
Thanks.