Dal Palak

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Toor Dal

• 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

• 2 Tsp Clarified butter/ Desi Ghee

• 1 Onion (half cup chopped)

• 1 Tomato(half cup chopped)

• 1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste 

• 2 Green Chilies (chop into medium size pieces)

• 2 Cups Spinach/ Palak (chopped)

• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

• 1 Small Ball of Tamarind

• Salt to taste 

For Tempering 

• 3 Kashmiri Chilies

• 3-4 Garlic Cloves 

• 1 Tbsp Ghee 

Method

• Wash toor dal and soak it in cold water for about 15 minutes

• Heat pressure cooker over medium heat by adding clarified butter and cumin seeds

• Once cumin seeds starts to splutter, add the onions and a little salt (so that the onions cook faster) and fry till they turn brown in colour. Then, add the ginger garlic paste, green chilies and give it a nice mix

• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook it they turn mushy

• Now, add the soaked toor dal by discarding the water and the chopped spinach and mix it well 

• Add turmeric powder, tamarind , salt and about 1-1/2 cups of water and mix it well 

• Pressure cook it for about 2-3 whistles on high flame and then cook it on low flame for 1-2 minutes and switch off the gas and wait till the pressure is completely released
• Add about 1/2 cup hot water to adjust the consistency and mix well in case its too thick (I like my dal to be a little thick so I don"t add water)

Time for the tadka !!!

• In a small kadai, add ghee, garlic and Kashmiri chilies and fry them till the garlic turns light brown in colour by continuously mixing (do not burn the garlic or else it will taste bitter)

• Add the above tempering to the dal and mix well 

• Serve the dal hot with Jeera rice or Chapatis