Spinach In Spiced Lentils (Palak Tadka Daal)

Palak Tadka Daal - I relish the taste and sublime combination of any Vegetable with Lentils. I had earlier written about Lauki Daal, one of my desired combination of cooking lentils, mashed with the goodness of Bottle Gourd; also dished out a tangy version of Mango Daal, inspired by a meal partaken at a friends place years ago for a summer lunch.

I made this version of Palak Tadka Daal years ago during my trial-and-error cooking session for a group of friends who wanted to enjoy a home cooked meal. This recipe is a comfort meal for me. I have added a fine twist of Cinnamon-Clove powder to spice up the subtle flavour of Lentil-Palak.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes (including the pressure cook time)

Ingredients:

Toor Daal - 1/2 cup

Spinach (chopped) - 2 cup

For Tadka -

Garlic (minced) - 1-2 Jumbo pods

Onion (minced) - 1/2 cup

Tomatoes (minced) - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Cloves (2) + Cinnamon stick (1" piece) powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Red Chilli powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Red Chilli (Byadgi) - 1 (split into two)

Oil/ Ghee

Salt

Water

Method:

Wash the Toor Dal and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Allow to cool and keep aside. In a separate pan, heat few spoons of oil/ghee, add Cumin seeds and Red Chilli. Once they begin to crackle, add onions and tomatoes and saute well. Add the spice powders and mix gently. Add the spinach at this stage and saute till the leaves wilt. Bring the Daal to boil , adjust salt and the consistency with desired amount of water, pour this seasoning on the Daal. Mix well and cover with a lid. Serve hot as a complimentary dish to Rice with a spoon of ghee to open up the aroma.