Palak Chana Dal With Lentils And Spinach | Andhra Palakura Pappu

Palak Chana Dal is a healthy, delicious and filling Indian dal made with spinach and lentils. Spinach dal is something I feel good eating because I know it’s good for me. Just ladle a helping of Palak Dal over hot cooked rice, with a generous drizzle of desi ghee. Unbelievably good!

Palak Chana Dal Recipe
Palak Chana Dal

Palak Chana Dal can be prepared in two ways – one, just boil the chana dal (split Bengal gram), prepare a tadka with chopped onions, tomatoes, spinach and spices, and then mix in the cooked dal. Or, boil the dal with chopped spinach, onions, green chillies and tomatoes and then add it to a tadka of mustard, cumin seeds, dry chillies, hing, curry leaves, ginger and garlic.

Whichever way you prepare it, this comforting vegan iron-rich, low-fat, low-cholesterol dish is bound to become a firm favourite.

Palak Chana Dal Recipe:

Palak Dal Recipe

Palak pappu (dal) is a healthy vegetarian dal that tastes great. The Andhra dal recipe is wholesome, yummy and full of traditional Indian flavours. I love adding leafy greens to my diet and dal palak is my favourite comfort food.

palak leaves for dal

This spinach dal recipe is just right for these last few chilly days of winter. Thick and filling with warm flavours, the spinach lentils dish pairs perfectly with steamed rice or garlic naan.

  • To make Andhra palakura (spinach) pappu, wash and soak chana dal for 30 minutes. Rinse well.

SPlit Bengal gram for dal recipe

  • Pressure cook the lentils with turmeric and 1 ½ cups water for 8 whistles. Once the pressure releases, mix in 1/2 tsp salt and keep aside.

Cook lentils for dahl recipe

  • Wash and finely chop spinach, onion and tomato. Slit the green chilli and grate the ginger.

Spinach dal ingredients

  • Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Put in cumin and mustard seeds. Once they start to pop, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and dry red chilli. Sauté for 10 seconds.

Spinach and lentils tempering

  • Add the chopped onions and green chilli. Fry till the onions turn light brown. Add the chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes.

Fry onions for dal tadka

  • Tip in the chopped tomato.

Fry tomato for dahl tadka

  • Cook on low heat till the tomatoes turn soft.

Spices for palak pappu

  • Add the chopped spinach and mix well. Cover and cook till the palak wilts. Add ½ tsp salt and stir well. (You can add a little red chilli powder for extra spiciness).

Add chopped spinach to tadka

  • Mix in the cooked chana dal and simmer on a low-medium flame for 5 minutes.

Add cooked lentils to spinach tadka

  • If there is excess water, cook the spinach leaves dal on a high flame for a further 5 minutes for the water to evaporate.

Dal Palak

  • Remove and serve Andhra Palak Chana Dal with rice and papad.

Andhra Palakura Pappu

If you are searching for more palakura recipes, then do try out Palak Dip

Lentils And Spinach Dal Recipe details below:

Palak Chana Dal Pappu Recipe

Chana dal with palak is an awesome combination. A nutritious dal with lentils and fresh spinach is a great choice for vegetarians looking for meatless dishes. I can eat lentils any time of the year and I love adding greens, such as spinach, fenugreek (methi), or amaranth to the dals I prepare.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Andhra
Servings: 3
Calories: 207kcal
Author: Shil

Ingredients

  • Boil together:
  • ½ cup Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • cups Water
  • For tadka:
  • 1 cup Palak/Spinach, packed
  • 1 small Onion, chopped finely
  • 1 Green chilli, Slit
  • 1 small Tomato, chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 inch Ginger, grated
  • 1 Dry red chilli
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • ¼ tsp Mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp Cumin seeds
  • tsp Asafoetida
  • 1 tbsp Oil

Instructions

  • To make Palak Pappu with chana dal, wash chana dal well and soak for 30 mins.
  • Drain the water; take a pressure cooker and add chana dal, turmeric, and one-and-a-half-cups water. Cook for about 7-8 whistles or until the dal is tender. Keep aside. When it cools down sufficiently, add ½ tsp of salt to the cooked dal and mix well.
  • Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sizzle mustard and cumin seeds.
  • Then add curry leaves, red chilli and hing. Sauté for a few seconds.
  • Add the onion and green chilli. Fry till the onions turn translucent.
  • Put in the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes soften. Add salt to taste.
  • Add chopped palak and combine all the ingredients well.
  • Cover and cook till the spinach wilts and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Remove the lid and stir in the cooked lentils.
  • Simmer the spinach dal for about 5 minutes on low-medium flame, allowing all the flavours to mingle.
  • Remove and serve Palakura Pappu hot with white rice or roti.

Recipe contributed by M. Komatineni

4.3/5 - (6 votes)

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