Whole Masoor dal Palak is probably one of my favorite dals of all!!
My mom & aaji (granny) made this dal on regular basis while growing up. They always paired it with spinach and so that’s how I associate it as “Masoor Palak” which is brown lentils curry with spinach. You can always replace spinach with kale or skip if you like and its still delicious!! Masoor is a protein rich lentil and spinach (palak) on the other hand is well known for its antioxidants properties, as rich source of Iron and other vitamins. So together masoor dal palak forms a very nutritious & healthy meal.
What is Masoor Dal
Masoor dal is brown-skinned lentil that are orange on the inside. They are known as sabut masoor dal or akkha masoor in hindi or brown lentils in english. Their split variety is called red lentils or simply masoor dal and is very popular all over the world. What I like about this dal is, its delicious & at the same time fully packed with nutrition. Masoor dal is high & inexpensive source of proteins from lentil family and hence a popular choice for plant based diet. It is also naturally vegan and gluten-free. When cooked these lentils get creamy and thick making them perfect as curry, stew or soup.
How to make masoor dal palak:
Like most lentils, masoor dal recipe can be made on stove top in thick bottomed cooking pot/dutch oven or traditional pressure cooker or in the new age electric pressure cookers like InstantPot or Multipot. I always made this dal in pressure cooker and now prefer making it in InstantPot. Masoor dal is cooked in base made of ginger garlic, onion tomato masala with Indian spices. No soaking is needed as these lentils cook fairly easy and fast. It thickens as it cooks/sits so adjust consistency with water as needed. Finish off with some spinach, cilantro leaves and good squirts of lemon and enjoy this warm as a bowl of soup or serve with rice/roti for that comforting meal!!
Instant Pot Method:
Rinse the masoor dal 4-5 times and keep aside. Soaking the dal is not needed. Start Instant Pot on sauce (normal) mode. Once hot, add oil/ghee followed by cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing). Once the seeds splutter add the onions, stir and cover and cook until onions are translucent (approximately a 1-2 mins). Then add the ginger garlic and mix until raw garlic smell goes away. Stir in the tomatoes, cover and cook for 5 mins or until the tomatoes are soft. Stir in the spices and mix until combined. Drain the lentils and add to the pot with 3 cups of water. Mix well, ensure there is nothing sticking to the bottom. Press cancel and close the Instant pot lid with vent to sealing and cook on manual high for 15mins followed by QR. You can also cook pot in pot rice at the same time while dal is cooking (see recipe card for details). Open the lid, start the Instant pot on saute mode, add the chopped spinach. Get it to a simmer or until spinach has wilted down. Finish off with cilantro and lemon juice. Serve it hot over bowl of rice with some salad for that comfort meal.
Stove top Method:
Rinse the masoor dal couple of time in water & then cook (either in pressure cooker or open vessel) in 3 cups of water & some salt till done & soft. About 3-4 whistles or for 10-15mins. Keep aside. While the dal is cooking, in another pan, make the tadka of onion tomato ginger garlic masala (similar to Instant Pot Method). Add the tadka to the cooked dal along with spinach and simmer until spinach has wilted down. Add water (if required) to adjust the curry consistency. Finish off with cilantro and lemon juice. Whole Masoor Dal Palak (Lentils curry with Spinach) is ready to be served.
Serving suggestion
Masoor dal pairs excellent with with zeera rice (cumin flavored basmati rice) along with side of pickle and salad or pickled onions. To make it a little elaborate you can also add a side dish or vegetable stir fry along with this dal like Aloo Gobi, or crispy bhindi . You can also replace rice with quinoa or simply eat it just plain as a masoor dal soup topped with some salad for that crunch. This dal has a tendency to thicken as it sits so it pairs really well with Indian flat breads like roti/chapati/naan/paratha too.
More Beans and Lentil Recipes
Hope you enjoy this Whole Masoor Dal Palak as much as we do!! If you give this recipe a try, we did love to hear from you ❤️ Please let us know your rating ⭐️and feedback in the comments below. Thank you!
Recipe Card
