In this comforting dal palak, Indian aromatics, whole spices, and spinach get toasted, then plated over an easy, protein-packed lentil dal. It’s gourmet, restaurant-quality Indian food that’s surprisingly easy to whip up!
– Red lentils – Salt – Spinach – Water – Lemon juice – Coconut oil – Onion – Ginger – Cilantro – Garlic – Serrano pepper – Lemon – Asafoetida – Cumin seeds – Mustard seeds – Turmeric – Curry leaves – Dried Chile pepper
Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs mostly clear. Add lentils to a medium saucepan and cover with the water.
Add the turmeric and partially cover; simmer until soft and tender. Whisk the lentils vigorously until pureed. Stir in salt and lemon juice to season.
Heat a large sauté pan with the oil. Toast the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Add in the onions; reduce the heat to medium. Cook until golden brown.
Add in the garlic, ginger, and fresh green chile peppers. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the dried red chile peppers, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Stir for 30 seconds.
Finally, add in the baby spinach, season with a bit of salt, and cook until just wilted. Pour the spinach tadka on top of the dal, garnish with cilantro.