This simple and easy Dal Palak / Spinach Lentil Curry is healthy, wholesome Indian dish packed with plant protein and fiber. Pair it with steamed rice for a delicious, nutritious and comforting meal! This dal is super easy to make and completely doable on a weekday without much pre-planning. Only a few basic ingredients and spices that are already in your pantry bring you a comforting healthy meal that comes together under 30 minutes without much of efforts. The recipe below is gluten free and vegan.

Dal, a basic staple across all Indian subcontinent, is a generic term used to describe all dry legumes/lentils, beans and even peas. A extremely good source of plant based protein and complex carbohydrates, it is my go to choice for making healthy one pot complete meals.

Spinach , widely regarded as Super food, is very nutritional dense addition to any meal. It is high in vitamins including folate, niacin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, pigments, Minerals including iron, potassium, manganese, zinc, magnesium and even some plant calcium. Spinach is also rich in pigments like beta-carotene, lutein, xanthene, and chlorophyll. Just like other green leafy vegetables, spinach has very low-fat content. It also helps boosts metabolism.

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With increasing screen time for all of us including our precious kids, maintaining and improving eyesight is a major concern. Spinach with it’s well regarded benefits helps with that naturally. So adding a spinach in most meals possible was a no brainer for this health conscious mom. I prefer to cook it along with most beans and lentils or even grains like rice and quinoa to get all the extra benefits while making a naturally healthy meal.

Can I Use Dal Palak / Spinach Dal As A Meal Prep?

You absolutely can !! You can easily double or triple the recipe. Cooking time will remain the same. It freezes well and makes excellent choice for wholesome and delicious lunch. I often pack it with Basmati rice, some cool cucumber slices and Flax seed chutney. Nutritious and comforting lunch at a fraction of cost. All without much of hands on cooking ! A win win for sure.

How To Make Dal Palak / Spinach Lentil Curry?

To make this Dal Palak / Spinach Lentil Curry, you can use InstantPot or Stovetop cooking method. If using Instantpot, you can do tampering of the oil, sauté the washed dal and cook it with spices . Traditionally, dal is cooked separately and then spices and oil tampering is added later. However, doing it one go saves times, and makes it a one pot wonder meal. Less dishes to clean and less time monitoring the cooking too.

What are Ingredients of InstantPot Dal Palak ?

As the name suggests, the dal and the spinach are the star ingredients of this recipe. I use 1/2 cup each of Moong dal and Toor dal ( called Arhar Dal in Hindi) . You rinse and wash these lentils and drain the water. No pre-soaking is required. I also use a cup of chopped spinach. You can use fresh or frozen. I often have Trader Joe’s Organic Frozen Spinach bags stocked up in my freezer. I use them for almost all my recipes that require spinach. WE add garlic cloves for additional flavors and cilantro for garnish.

What Spices are used in making Dal Palak / Spinach Lentil Curry?

I like to keep this dal simple . So very few spices are used . We tamper the oil with mustard and cumin seeds and add curry leaves for extra flavors. The red chili powder and turmeric powder and garam masala round up the spices. This Dal Palak recipe is vegan, glutenfree and nut and soy free. Curry leaves add a distinctive earthy flavor to the daal. It is widely available in most Indian grocery stores . However, if you can’t find it easily, you can easily skip it and won’t sacrifice much of the taste. You can always add a bay leaf for additional flavors.

How to Make Dal Palak and Rice together in InstantPot?

While you are preparing the daal, In the same pot, you can make up to 2 cups of rice using PIP -Pot In Pot method. Make the mixture of the dal as described above in the main insert. Put a tall trivet in the middle of the mixture. Use a stackable container. Add rinsed rice grains, add 1:2 ratio of water for rice to cook. Since the dal and rice cooks at the same time . So you have one complete , healthy, nutritious meal in one pot.

Spinach Lentil Curry with onions, lime wedges and rice

Do you like Indian Food? We have compiled some delicious and easy to prepare Indian InstantPot Recipes on our website. Do check it out. Some more easy Indian meal ideas you might want to try

If you make this Vegan Dal Palak Recipe , do let us know how you like it by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. We would love to hear your feedback !! Use the PIN button to pin the recipe.

Dal Palak / Spinach Lentil Curry -InstantPot

Name: Dal Palak / Spinach Lentil Curry -InstantPot
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1/2 cup each Moong dal and Toor dal, rinsed and drained; 2.5 cups water for cooking; 1 cup chopped spinach; 3 cloves garlic minced; 1 tablespoon oil; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 4-5 curry leaves; 1 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; 1/2 teaspoon Salt- adjust per taste

Dal Palak or Spinach Lentil Curry Is delicious and comforting Indian staple recipe. This nutritional main dish is packed with plant protine and fiber. Wholesome, healthy dish is vegan and glutenfree. It easily can be made in the Electrical Pressure Cooker.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup each Moong dal and Toor dal, rinsed and drained
2.5 cups water for cooking
1 cup chopped spinach
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4-5 curry leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon Salt- adjust per taste

Instructions

InstantPot Directions:

Turn InstantPot on SAUTE. Add oil, once heated, add cumin and mustard seeds. Once they feel hot, add curry leaves and minced garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Add spinach , turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add both the lentils (dals) and 2.5 cups of water. Mix well. Close the lid. Cancel Sauté. Change it to Manual 6 minutes High Pressure.

Once InstantPot does cooking, let pressure release naturally. NPR

Adjust consistency of lentils by adding more water if needed . Adjust seasoning and salt if needed. Garnish it with chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot.

In the same pot, you can make up to 2 cups of rice using PIP -Pot In Pot method. Since the daal and rice cooks at the time . So you have one wholesome, healthy, nutritious meal in one pot.

Stove Top Instructions

On a medium heat, add oil in a Soup pot or Dutch oven. Once oil feels hot, add cumin and mustard seeds. Once they splutter in a minute or so, add minced garlic and curry leaves. The oil will sizzle some.

Add all other ingredients except spinach and cilantro and mix well. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Check frequently to make sure there is enough water for it to cook. The dal should be smooth and tender. Add spinach and cilantro and let it cook further for 5 minutes. Mix well with ladle and serve hot.

Notes

For WFPB Oil Free Cooking - Simply skip the oil tampering part. You can use 2 tablesppons of warm water and follow rest of the instructions.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 138Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 480mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 7gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g

Nutritional values are provided as a courtesy and the values are approximate. The values will change depending on the exact ingredients, measurements and brands used. As always, for specific health issues and dietary requirements please consult medical professional.

Dal Palak – Spinach Lentil Curry – InstantPot, Vegan