Dal Palak
- Active Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 40 min
- Servings: 4
This vibrant Dal Palak is a flavorful blend of green lentils, warming spices, and creamy spinach purée. Naturally vegan and rich in plant-based protein, it’s a cozy, nourishing dish perfect with rice or warm naan. A simple, whole food plant-based dinner that doesn’t skip on depth or comfort.
Ingredients
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Dal Palak
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1” piece ginger root, minced
- 6 cups fresh spinach
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 cup dry green lentils
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground fenugreek
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida (optional)
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For Serving
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Brown basmati rice, for serving
- Whole wheat naan, for serving
Preparation
Caramelize Onions
In a medium pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the onion and allow it to gently caramelize for about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. If the pan gets too dry, you can add a little splash of water to help the caramelization process. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking for another minute or two. Add the spinach a handful at a time until fully wilted. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.
Simmer Lentils
While the onions are caramelizing, add remaining tablespoon of oil to a medium saucepan over low heat. Add garam masala, coriander, turmeric, cumin, chili powder. Allow the spices to cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently. Stir in the lentils and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 25 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed and lentils are tender. There should still be a few tablespoons of broth left in the pan at this point.
Blend Spinach Sauce
While the lentils are cooking, add the cooled spinach mixture to a blender along with a splash of water and puree until a chunky paste forms.
Assemble
When the lentils are tender and cooked though, remove from heat and stir in the spinach puree. Add the lemon juice, salt, fenugreek, and asafoetida, if using. Depending on how salty your vegetable broth is, you may need to add a little more salt here. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with brown basmati rice and whole wheat naan.
Tips
If you don’t have kashmiri chili powder, you can substitute with paprika.
