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    Home » Recipes » Instant Pot Recipes

    Palak Dal Recipe (Instant Pot)

    Published: September 1, 2021 · Modified: September 1, 2021 by Uma Raghupathi · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Card

    It is back to basics today as I share a time-tested Indian recipe for Spinach Dal, a.k.a Palak dal in Indian cuisine.

    This is one good option for combining the goodness from lentils like Moong or Masoor dal and the vegetables of your choice.

    A white bowl spinach dal is on the table. this recipe

    Preparing with spinach is the most common way, but red chards, beet leaves, and methi leaves are also excellent options. 

    Palak dal recipe would be one of the easiest and most nutritious recipes you can find online, and I am sharing the procedure to prepare this with the Instant Pot to make it even easier!

    As simple as Spinach Dal is, it is one of my family’s favorite options as a pairing for Avocado Chapati or Naan.

    It is also a good option to go with sona masoori rice or quinoa and a side of air fryer mini peppers. 

    I had never cooked on the stovetop even before I purchased the wonder gadget, the Instant Pot. I had always used a pressure cooker.

    But even that seems like a lot of work when you consider that you could saute, fry and pressure-cook the ingredients with the same pot.

    Jump to:
    • What is palak dal?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Without garlic and onion
    • Variations
    • Spinach dal on the stovetop
    • Recipe FAQ's
    • Tips
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Comments

    What is palak dal?

    Palak dal recipe is nothing but lentils cooked with spinach & tempered with basic Indian spices.

    If a dish has been around for several decades like Dal has, you know it has to be good!

    With a full serving of proteins and fibers (from vegetables), this recipe comes close to a balanced meal by pairing it with rice or rotis.

    You will notice that you would not feel hungry for an extended period after a meal like this.

    Ingredients

    Spinach, onion, cumin seeds, and red lentils are on the table for dal recipe.
    • Spinach : I used bunch of fresh spinach (Palak) leaves. Baby spinach leaves is yet another great option. Regardless of what your leaf vegetable is, be sure to pick fresh ones that have no wilted leaves.
    • Spices: Whenever possible, use fresh ground spice powders like coriander seeds, cloves, and red chilli powder.
    • Masoor dal: Masoor dal or red lentil would be the highlight of this recipe. Besides giving the dish a red tint, red lentisl cook faster and give the protein equivalent for one entire day.

    For the detailed recipe, check out the recipe box below.

    Instructions

    Wash and chop the spinach leaves and place them aside.

    Rinse the lentils in clean water and place them aside.

    An instant pot is with oil, cumin seeds and green chilies on cooking mode

    Add 2 teaspoon oil to the inner pot in Instant Pot and tap on ‘saute’ mode.

    As the oil heats up, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and crushed cloves. Saute for about 20 seconds. Add grated garlic and fry them until they turn golden.

    Add grated ginger, chopped green chilies, and saute for another 20 sec.

    A pot is with onions and spices on heat

    Add chopped onions and fry them until they turn translucent.

    Add red chili powder and turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, and continue to saute for 30 seconds.

    An instant pot is with chopped spinach and lentils for dal

    Add half of the chopped spinach, salt, and rinsed masoor dal. Mix well.

    An instant pot is with uncooked spinach and lentils

    Add 3 cups of water and close the lid of the instant pot.

    An instant pot displaying cooking time for the dal recipe

    Turn the steam release handle to the sealing position, tap “manual,” and set the time for 6 minutes.

    When the time is up, open the lid using “natural release.”

    A pot is with palak dal on the counter top.
    Close up of cooked dal and chopped spinach

    Press saute again, add remaining chopped spinach leaves and stir well.

    A small pan is with tempering for palak dal

    Prepare tadka/ tempering (if you wish to add) - Place a small pan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. As the oil heats up, add a pinch of asafoetida, ¼ teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of crushed Kasuri methi. Saute for 30 seconds and add this to the palak dal recipe.

    An instant pot is filled with palak dal

    Garnish with chopped cilantro, and your Spinach Dal is ready for the table!

    Serve it hot paired with a cup of Instant pot jeera rice or phulka roti.

    Without garlic and onion

    There is a common misconception that if you are allergic to garlic and onion or observing fasting, Dal is not a good option.

    If you are avoiding onions or garlic for any reason, you can skip the onion and garlic part in the procedure.

    As long as you add the basic tadka or temper it with cumin and mustard seeds, the Dal palak can still be delicious...

    Variations

    For the Dal Palak recipe, you can use Moong Dal (Split Green Gram)  or Tuvar dal or Toor dal (split red gram), or Masoor dal ( split red lentil).

    I have used masoor dal in this recipe because it is lighter and easier to cook. But I have shared dal with spinach recipe where I used a combination of all three types.

    If you are using any lentils other than Masoor dal, be sure to increase the cooking time on the Instant Pot. 

    Spinach dal on the stovetop

    Even if you don't have an Instant pot or electric pressure cooker, you can prepare this spinach dal on a stovetop or in a pressure cooker too. Check out the recipe for Spinach Dal for more details.

    I had used a regular pressure cooker to cook the dal and stovetop for the rest of the cooking.

    If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can cook the lentils over the stovetop too. Just be sure that the lentils are soft to the core before adding them to the dish.

    Recipe FAQ's

    Can I use kale or any other greens in the dal palak recipe?

    Yes! In this recipe, you could use other greens such as Kale, Chard leaves, or even Methi leaves instead of spinach. Be sure to adjust your cooking time if the Kale leaves are too thick.

    Can I add all spinach leaves at the end?

    Not quite. Add half of the spinach leaves to the lentils as they cook under pressure for best tasting dal. Add the remaining spinach leaves at the end and saute for a minute or so.

    Can I freeze the palak dal?

    Yes. Palak Dal can be stowed away in the refrigerator for 5 days. If you need it for longer, you can freeze it for upto 3 months. Just be sure to thaw and reheat it before serving it.

    Tips

    • Rinse the masoor dal before cooking to get rid of any dust.
    • Use baby spinach instead of chopped spinach, as an alternate.
    • Saute onions and spices before adding spinach and lentils
    • Add tempering or tadka at the end for an authentic Indian flavor.
    • Adding Sauteed or fried garlic gives extra flavor to the dal.
    • You can double the size of dal and store it in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    A white of bowl is with dal palak on the table

    Check out my other recipes.

    • Spinach Dal - Palak Dal Recipe
    • Aloo Palak (Instant Pot Potato Spinach Curry)
    • Palak Tofu Recipe(Instant Pot and Stovetop)
    • Instant Pot Dal Fry
    • Chana Dal Recipe
    • A bowl of chana palak curry is on the surface.
      Chana Palak (Spinach Chickpea Curry)
    • A bowl of instant pot sarson ka saag curry is on the table.
      Easy Sarson Ka Saag In Instant Pot
    • A bowl of sweet potato curry is on the black plate with spoons and naan.
      Instant Pot Sweet Potato Curry
    • A bowl of vegetable kurma is on the plate.
      Instant Pot Vegetable Korma

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    📖 Recipe

    A bowl of palak dal is on the white table

    Palak Dal Recipe (Instant Pot)

    Uma Raghupathi
    Dal Palak is one of the easiest and one of the nutritious recipes you can find online and I am sharing the procedure to prepare this with the Instant Pot to make it even easier!
    4.34 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email
    Prep Time:10 minutes mins
    Cook Time:10 minutes mins
    Total Time:20 minutes mins
    Course :Side Dish
    Cuisine :Indian
    Diet :Vegan, Vegetarian
    Allergen :Dairy free, Gluten free
    Difficulty :Easy
    Servings 5 people
    Calories 118 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot

    Process Shot

    Check above for step-by-step pictures (most of my recipes include pictures)

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 teaspoon oil
    • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 2 clove spice
    • 1 onion
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 2 green chilies
    • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
    • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
    • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
    • 1 bunch palak leaves or 4 cups chopped
    • 1 cup masoor dal
    • 3 cups of water
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Wash and chop the spinach leaves and place them aside.
    • Rinse the lentils in clean water and place it aside.
    • Add 2 teaspoon oil to inner pot in Instant Pot and tap on ‘saute’ mode.
    • As the oil heats up, add cumin seeds, and cloves. Saute for about 20 seconds.
      ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 clove spice
    • Add sliced or grated garlic and fry them until they turn golden.
      3 garlic cloves
    • Add ginger, green chilies and saute for another 20 sec.
      2 green chilies, 1 teaspoon grated ginger
    • Add chopped onions and fry them until they turn translucent.
      1 onion
    • Add chili powder and turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder and continue to saute for 30 seconds.
      ½ teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder
    • Add half of the chopped spinach, salt, and rinsed masoor dal. Mix well.
      1 bunch palak leaves or 4 cups chopped, 1 cup masoor dal
    • Add 3 cups of water and close the lid of the instant pot.
    • Turn the steam release handle to sealing position and tap “manual” and set the time for 6 minutes.
    • When the time is up, open the lid using “natural release”.
    • Press saute again add remaining chopped spinach leaves and stir well.
    • Prepare tadka/ tempering (if you wish to add) - Place a small pan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. As the oil heats up, add a pinch of asafoetida, ¼ teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of crushed Kasuri methi. Saute for 30 seconds and add this to the palak dal.
      (This step is optional only if you are desired)
    • Garnish with chopped cilantro and your Palak dal is ready for the table!
    • Serve it hot paired with a cup of steamed rice or chapati!

    Notes

    • Rinse the masoor dal before cooking to get rid of any dust.
    • Use baby spinach instead of chopped spinach, as an alternate.
    • Saute onions and spices before adding spinach and lentils
    • Add tempering or tadka at the end for an authentic Indian flavor.
    • Adding Sauteed or fried garlic gives extra flavor to the dal.
    • You can double the size of dal and store it in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @simplesumptuouscooking or tag #simplesumptuouscooking!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Phay

      January 28, 2020 at 4:44 am

      Hi Uma! Thanks for the great recipe I cant wait to try it! Question, in Step #12 , you say to open the lid with natural release. Typically a natural release is leaving the lid closed until the pin drops on it's own. I just to make sure that is what you mean. Thanks again!!

      Reply
      • Uma Raghupathi

        January 28, 2020 at 4:46 am

        Hi Phay
        Yes I meant open the lid using NR. After pin dropped down on its own, open the lid. Sorry for the confusion. Hope you will enjoy this dal. 🙏🏻

        Reply

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