Dal Palak (without onion and garlic) | Palak Dal | Easy Dal Palak Recipe

Recipe for the day is this warm and yummy Dal Palak which always reminds me of our Pune days. This hot bowl of simple yet flavorful palak dal was enough for us to eat scores of phulkas and extra extra helpings of rice. Did I slightly go overboard? Maybe ;) But you get the drift right. It is healthy too. All you need is that bowl of dal and maybe a sabzi. Even if I don't get time to make a sabzi, we manage with boiled egg fry or paneer burji. I love to make this with the palak I used to buy in Pune which gives an earthly flavor to the gravy. With the Chennai palak I feel that's missing. So without much further talk, let's get to the recipe.

Recipe Source: Here

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

I Used:

Palak	-	2 cups
Tur Dal	-	½ cup
Oil/Ghee	-	2 tbsp
Cumin seeds	-	1 tsp
Ginger	-	An inch piece - chopped
Green Chilly	-	2 nos (medium sized) - chopped
Red Chilly powder	-	½ tsp
Asafoetida	-	¼ tsp
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the lentil with water for 2-3 times. Then take them in a pressure cooker and add around 2 cups of water. Add salt and turmeric powder to it. If you have time soak the dal for 15-20 minutes before cooking so that they cook faster

2. Pressure cook the dal for 5 to 6 whistles till it becomes soft and mushy

3. Now rinse the palak in water for 2-3 times. Drain them of water. Then chop finely and keep aside. Also clean and chop the ginger and green chillies and keep aside

4. In a pan heat oil/ghee. Using ghee gives a very nice aroma and flavor to the gravy. Then temper the cumin seeds 

5. Reduce the flame to low and then add the chopped ginger and fry till the raw smell goes off

6. Then add the chopped green chillies & fry for 30 seconds

7. Now add the chopped palak and saute for a minute

8. Then add the red chilly powder and asafoetida

9. Now cover the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes till the palak is cooked. Palak will release some water. So no need to add additional water at this point. Just open the lid and saute twice or thrice in between so that the palak doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan

10. Mash the cooked dal so that it is smooth. Once the palak is cooked, add the mashed dal to it

11. Add water (1-2 cups) depending on the consistency you want or the gravy and give a nice stir

12. Check salt and add if needed

13. Simmer the dal for about 5 minutes and then switch off

Serve with nice phulkas/rotis, rice & a sabzi of choice :)

Cheers,
Chitz

Palak Paneer

Spinach pureed & cooked with chunks of cottage cheese

Hello friends.. It's spinach time. Last week I got hold of a fresh bunch of palak and I couldn't resist myself from making the special of any dhaba 'Palak Paneer'. This time I had them with chapathis as I was a little lazy but the next time I make it, I wanna have it with peas pulav. 

Whenever I come across Palak Paneer, I remember the 'girls vs boys' contest I and my friends had in office. Me and my mates went for grocery shopping together, after office one day and both the girls and guys got palak. We girls made palak paneer and took it to office the next day. And we started off like 'This is the perfect palak paneer and lo-lo'. Then the guys challenged us that they can do better than us. They were very confident as they had our friend - the Delhi guy in their side. And yes, they did bring palak paneer the next day and we all enjoyed the gravy again :D And to the contest - both the girls and boys team believe that they surpassed the other.. What to say, just another excuse to enjoy food na ;) So here goes the recipe which can be enjoyed with chapathi, paratha, peas pulav, vegetable biriyani :)

My other spinach recipes are Cheera Parippu Curry, Cheera Thalippu, Sirukeerai Paruppu Masiyal, Vallarai keerai Poriyal, Chembila Mezhukkupuratti, Chembin Thandu Parippu Curry & Cheera Thoran

Recipe Source : Ma's Cookbook

I took: 45 minutes 

I Used:

Palak	-	1 bunch
Paneer	-	150 g (Cubed)
Onion	-	200 gm
Tomato	-	200 gm
Cumin seeds	-	½ tsp
Green chilly	-	4 silted
Ginger Garlic paste	-	2 tsp
Chilly powder	-	2 tsp
Coriander powder	-	4 tsp
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Cumin powder	-	1 tsp
Salt	-	As needed
Cream	-	4 tbsp

The Way:

1. Wash and clean the palak 
2. Now blanch the palak. For this boil water in a pan. When the water boils add the palak. Close the pan with a lid and simmer for 3-4 min. Finally drain the water and grind the palak to a smooth paste
3. Heat oil/ghee in a pan. Fry the paneer and dip the in hot water for a few seconds and keep aside
4. Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds
5. When it splutters add onion and fry till it turns golden brown in color
6. Then add ginger-garlic paste and saute well
7. Add tomato. Saute till the mix is dry 
8. Add green chilly, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt and ½ a glass of water. Mix well 
9. Put in the palak and the paneer cubes. When the gravy comes to a boil add cream
10. Garnish with coriander leaves

Notes:

• The paneer can be added without frying also
• If you are frying the paneer in oil, don't forget to dip in hot water. Else it makes the paneer harder
• Can substitute cream with milk

Cheers,

Chitz