Palak Daal (Chickpeas with Spinach- SRC)

Palak Daal (Chickpeas or Lentils with Spinach)

It snowed this week…yep, our first snow of the year already arrived! Growing up in a warmer Texas climate, the quick change of seasons in Montana never fails to catch me off guard. As the temperature drops, I find myself in the mood for more comfort meals as I warm up to the idea that winter is starting to dig in its heels for the long haul. Lentils and chickpeas are comfort foods in my book…not only do they have a creamy texture, they’re hearty and filling and can accompany a warm pita or can be used in skillet meals, breakfast dishes, and even dessert. This dish of chickpeas and spinach served over cozy rice hit the spot!

Another idea I am still warming up to is this post, which is the second-to-last for the Secret Recipe Club monthly reveals. Sadly, we got the news this month that the club is coming to an end after 5 years… and I have so enjoyed my 4+ years in the club, I can’t believe it’s been that long! For this month, I was assigned The Big Sweet Tooth blog, and what fun I had searching through recipes and getting to know Rafeeda! Her blog has a huge variety of recipes, with an extensive collection of Indian dishes. Amongst the many that piqued my interest are her Ripe Plantain Lentil Sweet Curry (the combination of ingredients plus the sweet and savory aspect are intriguing), her South Indian Rice Cakes (these are naturally gluten-free and fermented!), and her Egg-free Mango Chocolate Marble Cake (this is a perfect fall-looking cake).

In the end, I chose Rafeeda’s Palak Daal (Spinach Lentil Gravy) recipe when I was craving greens and beans, AND I had many ingredients on hand. If you enjoy curries and pulses (chickpeas/lentils, etc), this is a definite keeper! I made a few adjustments based on the availability of ingredients: I used serrano peppers for the green chilis, swapped a minced garlic clove and 1/2 inch of fresh ginger instead of a ginger garlic paste, and used chickpeas (chana dal) instead of red lentils as Rafeeda suggested. I also drizzled some lemon juice over the dish for acidity before serving, since I love that extra little zin,g but feel free to omit if you prefer

Palak Daal

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Rest Time 5 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Cuisine: Indian

Courses: Main Course

Difficulty: Beginner

Description

Palak Daal is a comforting, protein-rich Indian-inspired dish made with chickpeas simmered in a flavorful spiced tomato base and wilted spinach—perfect served with rice or flatbread for a wholesome meal.

Ingredients

¾ cup masoor lentil (can use chickpeas, red lentils)*
¼ tsp turmeric powder
sea salt to taste (I used 2 tsp)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 serrano peppers, deseeded and minced (or 2 green chilies)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste (I used 1 garlic clove and 1/2 tsp freshly minced ginger)
1 onion, minced
1 bunch spinach, chopped thinly
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder (I found Kashmiri chili powder in the bulk section of our health food store)**
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
Sea salt to taste
a drizzle of fresh lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar (I used roughly 2 tbsp)

Instructions

1
1. Pressure cook the lentils/chickpeas in sufficient water with turmeric and salt. (I'm not that familiar with pressure cooking though I own one so I followed these instructions for cooking but used 3/4 cup chickpeas and the tumeric and salt in the recipe above).
2. In a saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Crackle the cumin and mustard seeds.
3. Add the serrano/green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute until you smell a nice aroma.
4. Add the onions and saute until wilted, then sprinkle with little salt.
5. Add in the spinach and masala powders (tumeric through garam masala) and saute till the spinach looks wilted.
6. Add the cooked chickpeas/lentils into the sauteed masala, cover and simmer for five minutes.
7. Add the fenugreek leaves and lemon/lime juice or apple cider vinegar and give a final mix. Taste and season with additional salt if desired.
8. Serve warm with rice or rotis.

Note

*You can use any daal of your choice instead of chana dal (chickpeas) – masoor dal (red lentils) and moong daal (split green gram)

** If you cannot find the Kashmiri chili powder, you can substitute a mixture of paprika and cayenne pepper – about 3 parts paprika to 1 part cayenne pepper.