A quick and easy dal with spinach recipe that needs no curry powder or coconut, yet full of flavor with a creamy texture from yellow dal, spinach and a few simple healthy ingredients.
An easy recipe for spinach dal that never fails to make an impact, whatever the time of the year and wherever you are. Though you will agree with me that fall is the perfect season for such comfort food like a homemade lentil curry with the goodness of spinach. On a bed of hot steaming rice. Or use naan, chapati or paratha to scoop out this curry for a satisfying vegan Indian meal.
This creamy lentil curry is mildly spiced so if you want to introduce Indian curries in your menu or to your kids, this recipe qualifies as the best candidate. One of the easiest and yummiest recipes with toor dal or split pigeon pea, it is also chockful of nutrients and uses just 2 teaspoons of oil. So HEALTHY!
Want to prepare a last-minute meal? An inexpensive but nutritious meal? Or bulk up an already cooked curry?
The spinach dal curry will be the answer to all your woes. I promise.
why you’ll love this easy recipe for curry lentils
- I would recommend this quick and easy lentil curry recipe for newbies entering the “world of curries”.
- It doesn’t need curry powder or coconut milk.
- This dal curry requires no roasting or grinding.
- This dal palak recipe requires very few basic ingredients.
- It takes less than 20 minutes to cook. Or even lesser if you have a pressure cooker or instant pot.
- The protein-rich lentils combine with the nutrient-dense spinach to give you an entirely plant-based health boost.
how to make lentil curry with spinach
Yellow lentils or toor dal (split pigeon pea), spinach, onions, garlic, tomatoes, chili, and a handful of whole spices are all you need for this super simple dal with spinach recipe. Cook the lentils with the vegetables in the pressure cooker or instant pot. Roast the whole spices and add as garnish. It’s as SIMPLE as that.
I’ve used white lentils for tempering. These are actually skinned black lentils. Roasted white lentils give a characteristic bite to the curry, and it’s worth hunting for them.
If you would like a similar super-easy recipe with chicken, check out the 5-ingredient easy chicken curry or chicken meatball curry for variations.
Not in a mood for curry? Go for the lentil soup with turmeric for that hot and spicy comfort on a cold night.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Follow me on your favorite social media: facebook, pinterest, instagram, and youtube. Or why not subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get all the latest recipes right in your inbox?
Share this post with your friends so they can enjoy it too!
*****If you like this recipe, please give a star rating to help more readers see this post. *****
Happy cooking!
– Sheeba.
health benefits of lentils
- Lentils are an inexpensive way to get a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals.
- They are great sources of health-promoting phytochemicals.
- Lentils are rich in protein, which makes them an excellent alternative to meat.
- The fiber-rich lentils improve your overall gut health.
health benefits of spinach
Given its health benefits such as 15 different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and rated as one of the most protein-rich vegetables, spinach can help improve your overall health and fitness levels, including heart, bone, muscle, blood, hair, skin, eye and gut health. In short, it is a superfood loaded with goodness for every part of your body!
did you know these fun facts about spinach?
- March 26th is National Spinach Day.
- The spinach growing town of Crystal City, Texas, erected a statue of Popeye in 1937.
- In the 1930’s U.S. spinach growers credited Popeye with a 33% increase in domestic spinach consumption.
- Medieval artists extracted green pigment from spinach to use as an ink or paint.
- Cooking spinach increases its health benefits.
- Spinach can reduce hunger and cravings.
- Spinach is best eaten boiled since boiling gets rid of oxalic acid which is linked to kidney stones.
- During World War I, spinach juice was added to wine and given to soldiers who had been injured, because spinach pumps up production of blood.
This post was last published in March 2018. It has been updated with new photos to give you an awesome experience.
I never knew it could be a health risk to eat raw spinach. Perhaps I’ll stop using it my coleslaws and salads. This recipe sounds good.
Thanks, Chris! You can use spinach in smoothies however, since the blending process helps breakdown some of the hard-to-absorb nutrients.
Enjoyed your post and the nutritional facts.
Thank you, Cathryn!
Great post, thanks for sharing the spinach facts that are unheard of !
Thanks for the encouraging words, Megala!
I make a similar curry with spinach. The only difference is that instead of lentils, I use gram flour as a thickening agent to my sabji. I love spinach! And, for the tempering, I use garlic and cumin seeds.
Loved your recipe, too! 🙂
Sounds great! Gram flour makes it even faster and easier to cook. Thanks!