Recipe for Dal Palak also contains Spinach (Palak) as earlier mentioned, which is rich in vitamins, iron, calcium, and other minerals. Therefore, it is a nutritious dish and people for this reason also like it very much (in addition to the taste that it gives). Here at first, we will discuss, the North Indian variety of Dal Palak Recipe and later on would describe Recipe of Dal Palak used in other parts of the country too.
The Dal Palak Recipes described below can be easily prepared at home and are not much different from Dal Palak Recipe Restaurant Style, prepared by most chefs of India. The final dish of Dal Palak is usually taken with Chapati, Rice, Paratha, or Nan, etc. Although the dish is taken all over India, the Recipe of Dal Palak is most popular in the Northern part of the country, hence the Dal Palak Recipe used in Northern India is the main focus of our discussion.
Recipe for Dal Palak Preparation Used in Northern India
Ingredients Used in Recipe of Dal Palak – North Indian Style
1) Moong Dal (Yellow Petite Lentils) – ½ cup
2) Palak (Spinach) – 250 to 300 grams
3) Tomato – 1 in number (of big size)
4) Onion – 1 of medium size
5) Garlic – 8 to 10 cloves of large size
6) Whole Red Chilli – 2 in number
7) Cumin Seeds – 1/4th teaspoon
8) Asafoetida – A large pinch
9) Salt – 1/4th teaspoon
10) Turmeric Powder – A large pinch.
11) Ghee (of good quality)/White Oil – 2 tablespoons (If good quality ghee is not available, then butter can be used as a substitute.
12) Green Chilli – 1 in number
13) Garam Masala Powder – ½ teaspoon
14) Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek) powder (Optional) – 1/4th teaspoon
15) Lemon Juice – 1 Lemon used (or according to taste)
16) Water – 2 cups
Ingredients Used in Recipe of Dal Palak – North Indian Style.
How to Make Dal Palak – North Indian Style
Initial Common Steps in How to Make Dal Palak (Common for All Parts of India)
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Take clean Moong Dal (dry) – ½ cup in a pressure cooker. Put it on a medium flame burner and stir it, till a characteristic nice aroma of Moong Dal starts to come out.
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Next, add the previously mentioned amount of water (2 cups) to the pressure cooker. Put Turmeric powder and Salt (in previously mentioned amount) into the contents. Close the lid of the cooker and allow the contents to boil.
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Wait till 5 to 6 whistles are emitted from the pressure cooker. Then switch off the burner and allow the contents to cool at room temperature.
Specific Steps for Dal Palak Recipe – North Indian Style
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In the meantime, cut the Spinach very finely. Then cut Tomato, Garlic cloves, Green Chilli into fine pieces; and keep them aside separately.
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Now put a Karahi on a medium flame burner. Add approximately 3 cups of normal tap water to it and allow it to boil. When it starts to boil then add Spinach pieces to it and allow it to boil for just 1 more minute, and then switch off the burner. Sieve out the Spinach pieces and drain out the rest of the hot water & transfer the Spinach pieces into a container filled with cold water.
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Keep the Spinach in this cold water for at least 5 minutes and then take out the Spinach pieces/leaves from the water and keep it aside. This process is known as “Blanching”. This procedure allows the Spinach leaves/pieces to look very fresh and green in color.
Blanched Spinach in Recipe of Dal Palak.
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Now open the lid of the cooker and check if the dal has got properly boiled or not. If the dal is properly boiled, then everything is fine otherwise boil the dal in the same way for a few more time, till it gets boiled and softened properly.
Consistency of Boiled Dal in Recipe for Dal Palak.
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Next, put a non – stick Karahi on a medium flame burner. Add 1 tablespoon Ghee/Oil to it and allow it to get warmed. Then add cumin seeds to it. When Cumin seeds start changing its color then add Onion & Garlic pieces into the Karahi, and stir it after every 1 to 2 minutes. Once the onion pieces become translucent then add tomato pieces and Green chili pieces into the preparation and stir again.
Preliminary stage of preparaing Dal Palak Recipe.
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Slowly the Tomato pieces change into a paste-like consistency. Later add Garam Masala Powder (in amounts mentioned previously) to the components and then transfer the previously boiled Dal into this fried mixture and allow the contents to cook.
Dal being cooked with fried Onion, Garlic, Tomato & Green Chilli in Recipe of Dal Palak.
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In the next step, the “Blanched” Spinach is added to the dal mixture.
Blanched Spinach being added to the Dal mixture in Dal Palak Recipe.
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Allow the mixture contents to boil. Check the salt content of the preparation (by tasting it) and if it is less then add extra salt to make up for this taste. If the consistency of Dal becomes thick then mix a little water, according to requirement. Otherwise no need to mix water to the Dal preparation.
Spinach being cooked with the Dal mixture in preparation of Recipe for Dal Palak.
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When Spinach (Palak) gets softened then switch off the burner. If anyone wants to use Kasuri Methi (Dry Fenugreek) powder in the preparation, then in this stage it should be added with the dal mixture along with sieved lemon juice.
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Now transfer the Dal preparation in a serving bowl.
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Next, put a small pan or Karahi on a medium flame burner, add 1 tablespoon remaining ghee/butter to it. Once it gets hot then add Asafoetida & later on red whole chili in it and switch off the burner immediately.
Tadka (for garnishing on the final preparation) being prepared in Recipe for Dal Palak.
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Spread this ghee mixture along with red chili on the dal preparation.
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This brings us to the end of the Dal Palak Recipe, as the preparation is ready now for serving to guests/family members or friends.
The Final Dish prepared by using Recipe of Dal Palak.
Recipe of Dal Palak Preparation Used in Southern India
Ingredients Used in Recipe of Dal Palak – South Indian Style
1) Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Peas) – ½ cup
2) Onion – 1 (finely chopped)
3) Tomato – 1 in number (finely chopped)
4) Green Chilli – 1 in number (finely chopped)
5) Sambar Powder – 1 teaspoon
6) Turmeric powder – 1 big pinch
7) Water – 3 cups
8) Palak pieces (Spinach) – 250 grams (finely chopped)
9) Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
10) Fenugreek Seeds – A small pinch
11) Whole Red Chilli – 2 in number
12) Curry Leaves – 7 to 8 in number
13) White Oil/ Coconut Oil – 2 tablespoons
14) Salt – 1/4th teaspoon or as per taste
15) Tamarind water – 1/4th cup
How to Make Dal Palak – South Indian Style
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The initial steps of Dal Palak Recipe – South Indian Style is the same as – Initial common steps of how to make Dal Palak, described above; in the method of preparation of Dal Palak – North Indian Style.
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However, the notable difference in how to make Dal Palak – South Indian Style is that the Dal used is normally Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Peas) or Urad Dal (Split & dehusked Black gram lentils).
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For the preparation of this dish, in hot oil add Mustard seeds & Fenugreek seeds together, when it starts spluttering then add onion pieces and tomato pieces together. Keep on stirring, when Tomato and Onion pieces get softened then add Curry leaves, Green chili pieces, and Red whole chili to the preparation.
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After 1 minute, add boiled Toor Dal into it and stir the contents, then add Spinach pieces and Sambar powder together in it and mix it uniformly. Let the contents boil by covering the lid of the container.
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When Spinach (Palak) becomes soft then add Tamarind water with Dal mixture to it & mix them evenly and switch off the burner. Transfer the contents to a serving bowl and the Dal Palak preparation is ready now for serving.
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This method is also known as Dal Palak Recipe Andhra Style, as in Andhra Pradesh the people use this method of Recipe of Dal Palak for preparation of the dish by using Toor Dal. However, rarely Urad Dal can also be used for the preparation.
Recipe for Dal Palak Preparation Used in Eastern India
Ingredients Used in Recipe of Dal Palak – Eastern Zone of India
1) Moong Dal – ½ cup
2) Spinach (Palak) – 300 grams (finely chopped)
3) Green Chilli – 1 in number (finely Chopped)
4) Salt – 1/4th teaspoon or as per taste
5) Turmeric Powder – 1 large pinch
6) Tomato – 1 in number (finely chopped)
7) White Oil – 1 ½ tablespoon
8) Garam Masala powder – ½ teaspoon
9) Ginger – 1 ½ long (finely grated)
10) Water – 2 ½ cups
11) Sugar – 1 tablespoon
12) Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
13) Asafoetida – A small pinch
14) Good Quality Ghee/Amul Butter – 1 tablespoon
15) Cumin Powder – ½ teaspoon
How to Make Dal Palak – Eastern Zone Variety
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The initial steps of Dal Palak Recipe – Eastern Zone Variety is the same as – Initial common steps of how to make Dal Palak, described above; in the method of preparation of Dal Palak – North Indian Style.
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However, in this variety of Recipe for Dal Palak, both Moong Dal and Masoor Dal can be used for the preparation of the dish.
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For the preparation of this dish, put a non – stick pan or Karahi over a medium flame burner. Add oil to it and allow the oil to get warm. Once the oil is warmed then add Cumin seeds & Asafoetida to it. When Cumin seeds start spluttering then add chopped Tomato pieces to the contents and stir, till Tomato pieces become glossy.
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Later add Chilli pieces, Cumin powder, and grated Ginger to the contents and stir for 2 minutes; till a nice fried aroma of Ginger starts to come out. Next, add Garam Masala powder to the previously described contents, and fry it a little bit, then add boiled Dal mixture preparation to it along with the Blanched Palak.
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Mix all the contents evenly, and add sugar and then cover the lid of Karahi/non-stick pan and let it boil till the Spinach gets softened. Then switch off the burner and add good quality Ghee/Amul butter – 1 tablespoon in it.
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Mix the contents evenly and transfer Dal Palak to a serving bowl. This brings us to the end of Recipe of Dal Palak – Eastern Zone Variety.
Recipe of Dal Palak Preparation Used in Western India
Ingredients Used in Recipe of Dal Palak – Western Zone of India
1) Chana Dal (Split Chick Peas) - ½ cup
2) Red Chilli Powder – 1/4th teaspoon (preferably Kashmiri Chilli Powder)
3) Cumin seeds – 1/4th teaspoon
4) Spinach (Palak) – 300 grams (finely chopped)
5) Asafoetida – A large pinch
6) Water – 3 cups
7) Turmeric Powder – A large pinch
8) Salt – 1/4th teaspoon or as per taste
9) Green Chilli – 1 in number (finely chopped)
10) Tomato – 1 of large size (finely chopped)
11) Onion – 1 of large size (finely chopped)
12) Ginger – 1 inch long (finely cut)
13) Ghee – 2 tablespoons (for preparation) & 1 tablespoon for spreading over the final dish
14) Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
15) Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
How to Make Dal Palak – Western Zone Variety
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The initial steps of Dal Palak Recipe – Western Zone Variety is the same as – Initial common steps of how to make Dal Palak, described above; in the method of preparation of Dal Palak – North Indian Style.
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However, the Dal used for preparation in Recipe of Dal Palak (Western Zone Variety) is usually Chana Dal, but sometimes Chana Dal & Masoor Dal are used in combination with a 1:1 ratio.
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For preparing the dish, put a non – stick pan/Karahi on a medium flame burner. Add 2 tablespoon ghee into it and allow it to get warm. Next add Cumin seeds, Asafoetida & Chopped Tomato pieces into the non-stick pan/Karahi. Stir the contents for 2 minutes and then add chopped Onion and Ginger pieces into the previous contents. Stir till the onion pieces become translucent.
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Next add Cumin powder, Coriander powder & Stir for 2 minutes and then add Green Chilli pieces and again stir the contents gently for 1 minute. Then add Dal mixture, chopped Palak pieces, and Chilli powder together, Mix the components evenly and allow the contents to boil, after covering the lid of the pan/Karahi till Palak gets softened.
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Later switch off the burner. Add 1 tablespoon Ghee to the final product and mix it nicely with a spoon and transfer the now ready Dal Palak preparation to the serving bowl. The dish is ready now. This brings us to the end of Dal Palak Recipe – Western Zone Variety, also known by some as Chana Dal Palak Recipe
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Above we have described the Recipe for Dal Palak preparation used in Northern/Southern/Eastern and Western Parts of India. However, the cooking procedure or Recipe for Dal Palak of every zone maybe a little bit different, but the final dish prepared everywhere is tasty and nutritious and at the end of the day is known by the same name as Dal Palak.
