Palak Dal (Spinach Toor Dal)

About this recipe

Palak dal is the kind of dish that Indian families have made for generations, long before spinach became fashionable as a 'superfood'. Toor dal pressure-cooked until soft and slightly broken combines with blanched, chopped spinach to create a gravy that's green, earthy, and creamy—no cream needed, because the spinach and dal provide body naturally. The whole dal stays in suspension rather than becoming sludgy, each spoonful delivering pieces of creamy lentil against the bright green of cooked spinach. Tomatoes add acidity and slight sweetness, while ginger and onion provide aromatics that warm the entire dish. The colour and nutrition are entirely from the vegetables: fresh spinach blanched and blitzed to a coarse puree, tomatoes cooked down into the dal, and ginger's warmth threading through everything. This is high in iron and fibre, the kind of dish Nani would make to restore strength after illness. At 320 calories and 18g protein per serving, it's nourishing without being heavy. The spices—turmeric, cumin, dried chillies—are traditional and warming, never overpowering. The most important step is not overcooking your spinach; it should be blanched for just 90 seconds, then blitzed to a coarse puree, still with some texture. Spinach that's cooked for too long becomes mushy and loses its bright colour and fresh flavour. The dal and spinach should be combined after both are cooked separately; this prevents the spinach from losing its colour to the heat and allows you to control the texture of each component. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice added just before serving brightens the earthiness of the dal and spinach, balancing the richness of the oil. Serve with rice or hot roti, with a dollop of ghee melting into the dal. The spinach's slight bitterness is balanced by the lentil's earthiness and the rice's starchy sweetness, creating a complete and satisfying meal. Leftovers keep for three days in the fridge and freeze well for up to two months. This is the kind of everyday dal that appears at family tables across India, made differently in every house but essentially the same: simple, nourishing, and deeply satisfying.