Spinach Dal Fry (healthy-ish, vegan, gluten-free)

Instant Pot Spinach Dal Fry is prepared with spinach and lentils. This comforting and healthy dish is also known as Palak Dal.

Whenever I return from vacation, I crave dal, and not just any dal, dal with tadka (tempering of spices). Dal is simply one of the healthiest, nutritious, and most comforting meals you can have during these cold winter months.

What is Spinach Dal Fry?

Dal is a lentil and a staple in every Indian household. You won’t find a single Indian person who hasn’t had dal because it’s just a part of us. There are many different varieties of dal and my most favorite type of lentil is toor dal which is also known as tuvar dal, arhar dal, and yellow split pigeon peas.

Spinach Dal Fry is essentially sauteed onions, tomatoes, and spinach cooked down and then added to cooked lentils. It’s absolutely delicious and goes perfect with white basmati rice. 

My version of Spinach Toor Dal Fry is made with toor dal, however you can also make this dish with yellow moong dal.

Can I make this recipe vegan, gluten-free?

This Dal Palak recipe is already vegan.

For gluten-free, simply use gluten-free asafoetida (hing).

What goes well with Spinach Dal Fry?

Dal is a staple in Indian culture and it’s not uncommon that many Indians to eat dal every single day.

Lentils pair well with other Indian subzis (vegetables) along with roti (whole-wheat bread). 

Here are other options:

• white basmati Instant Pot Jeera Rice – my favorite
• plain paratha (Indian flatbread)
• garlic naan
• brown rice – for a healthier option
• quinoa – for an even healthier option. Sometimes I have quinoa with dal and it’s so satisfying and nutritious.

Tips on making Palak Dal:

This dish is a 2-step process, but trust me the results are well worth it. You will need to first cook the dal in the Instant Pot or if you prefer a Pressure Cooker. Then prepare the masala mixture on the stovetop and add the cooked dal to the masala. That’s it!

• Soak the lentils for 30 minutes in water.
• Cook the lentils in the Instant Pot.
• On the stovetop, make your masala mixture using ginger, garlic, green chilies, onions, tomatoes, and of course, spinach. 
• Add the lentils to the spinach mixture. Adjust water as needed.
• Finish it off with tadka – don’t omit this step because it makes all the difference.

Ingredients you’ll need for Spinach Dal Fry:

Toor Dal: You will need yellow pigeon split peas or toor dal for this recipe. You may also use moong dal instead of toor dal.

Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilies, Onions, Tomatoes: The most basic ingredients for any Indian dish.

Spinach: You’ll need freshly chopped baby spinach.

Spices: Turmeric Powder, Cumin Powder, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Powder, Red Chili Powder, Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, Amchur Powder, Asafoetida (hing), and Salt.

Spinach Dal Fry is:

Comforting
Nostalgic
Quick & Easy
Nutritious
Healthy-ish
Vegan
Gluten-free

How to make Spinach Dal Fry recipe step by step?

Prep

1. Soak the lentils in enough water so they’re submerged. Drain and rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. Add the soaked lentils along with 3 cups of water. 
2. Close Instant Pot and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes.
3. In the meantime, chop the ginger, garlic, onions, and tomatoes. Slice the green chilies (or you can chop too).
4. Set aside the dry spices – asafoetida (hing), cloves, and cumin seeds.

Cook

1. Heat up a dutch castiron on medium heat, once hot, add oil followed by the dry spices – hing, cloves, and cumin seeds. Saute for 45 seconds.
2. Add the onions, season with a little salt to taste, and cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly brown and caramelized. This brings out the flavor of the dal so make sure you cook the onions properly.
3. Add the tomatoes. 
4. Immediately add the following spices – a little salt to season the tomatoes, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and cumin powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

5. Now add a 1/4 cup of water so the spices don’t burn and cook down the tomatoes for another 3-4 minutes.
6. In the meantime, chop 5 ounces of baby spinach. I simply bought a 5-ounce bag from Whole Foods.
7. Check on the dal cooking in the Instant Pot. Stir it.
8. Back to the tomatoes – they’ve formed a paste-like consistency.

9. Now add all the chopped spinach. This will take a minute or two to cook down.
10. This is what you should have.
11. Add all the cooked dal to the spinach mixture.
12. Stir.

Prepare Tadka

1. In a small tadka pot, heat up oil, and then add Kashmiri red chili powder – this adds color and smokiness, but no spice. Alternatively, you may also use paprika.
2. Add tadka to the spinach dal.
3. Add garam masala and amchur (mango) powder. 
4. Garnish with fresh cilantro, onions, and achaar. Enjoy!

Pin & Enjoy!

More Dal Recipes!

• Dal Makhani
• Papad wali Dal
• Instant Pot Toor Dal
• Green Moong Dal Khichdi

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Spinach Dal Fry

Instant Pot Spinach Dal Fry is prepared with spinach and lentils. This comforting and healthy dish is also known as Palak Dal.

5 from 6 votes

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Diet Vegan, Gluten-free, Healthy-ish

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 220kcal

Author: Nisha

Equipment

Instant Pot

Le Creuset 3.5 qt

Ingredients

for instant pot lentils

• 1 1/2 cups toor dal / split pigeon peas
• 3 cups water you can add more later
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

for stovetop cooking process

• 1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/8 tsp asafoetida, hing use gluten-free hing
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 inch piece ginger chopped
• 6 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 green chilies slit
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 roma tomatoes chopped
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 5 ounces baby spinach chopped
• add dal
• add 1/2 cup water up to 1 cup if need be
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp amchur powder mango powder
• add tadka

for tadka / tempering

• 1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

Instructions

Prep

• Soak the lentils in enough water so they're submerged. Drain and rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. Add the soaked lentils along with 3 cups of water.
• Close Instant Pot and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes.
• In the meantime, chop the ginger, garlic, onions, and tomatoes. Slice the green chilies (or you can chop too).
• Set aside the dry spices - asafoetida (hing), cloves, and cumin seeds.

Cook

• Heat up a dutch castiron on medium heat, once hot, add oil followed by the dry spices - hing, cloves, and cumin seeds. Saute for 45 seconds.
• Add the onions, season with a little salt to taste, and cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly brown and caramelized. This brings out the flavor of the dal so make sure you cook the onions properly.
• Add the tomatoes.
• Immediately add the following spices - a little salt to season the tomatoes, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and cumin powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add a 1/4 cup of water so the spices don't burn and cook down the tomatoes for another 3-4 minutes.
• In the meantime, chop 5 ounces of baby spinach. I simply bought a 5-ounce bag from Whole Foods.
• Check on the dal cooking in the Instant Pot. Stir it.
• Back to the tomatoes - they've formed a paste-like consistency.
• Now add all the chopped spinach. This will take a minute or two to cook down.
• This is what you should have.
• Add all the cooked dal to the spinach mixture.
• Stir.

Prepare Tadka

• In a small tadka pot, heat up oil, and then add Kashmiri red chili powder - this adds color and smokiness, but no spice. Alternatively, you may also use paprika.
• Add tadka to the spinach dal.
• Add garam masala and amchur (mango) powder.
• Top over rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro, onions, and achaar. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2545IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 3mg

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