Slow Cooker Spinach Dal Recipe
Slow Cooker Spinach Dal
Spiced Lentils with Spinach (Dal Palak)
Submitted By: Taz
Ingredients:
1 Cup Yellow Split Pigeon Peas (Toor Dal) - picked and rinsed
1 lb Baby Spinach Leaves (Palak Saag)
1 (15 oz) Can Diced Tomatoes (Tamatar) - drained*
1 Large Onion (Pyaz) - diced
3 cloves Fresh Garlic (Leh-sun) - finely minced
2 inch piece Fresh Ginger (Adrak) - finely minced
2 Fresh Green Chiles (Hari Mirch) - seeded and rough chopped
3 Tbs Oil - can use ghee, olive, canola, vegetable, or safflower oil
1 tsp Cumin Seed (Jeera)
1 tsp Black Mustard Seed (Rai)
1 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 tsp Kosher Salt (Namak) + to taste
½ tsp Coriander Powder (Dhania Podi)
¼ tsp Red Chile Powder (Lal Mirchi) - amount to taste
Preparation:
- Turn a 5 quart slow cooker (Crock-Pot®) to high and allow to heat for at least 15 minutes
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering - Once oil is heated, add cumin seed and mustard seed and allow to fry until they pop (apx 30seconds)
- Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes - Add the garlic, ginger, and green chiles to the skillet and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes
- Add the turmeric, salt, coriander powder, and red chile powder to the skillet - Thoroughly combine - Add the tomatoes to the mixture and bring to a simmer - Allow to simmer until tomatoes begin to break down (apx 10-12 minutes) - At this point, use the back of a wooden spoon to mash up the tomatoes until well macerated
- Transfer the tomato/onion mixture to the preheated crock of the slow cooker - Add all of the remaining ingredients (minus spinach) along with 4 cups water and thoroughly combine
- Reduce slow cooker to low, cover, and allow to cook for 7-9 hours (high for 4-5 hours) - Make sure and check once or twice during cooking and add additional water if it looks like all of the liquid is being soaked up by the lentils and it is getting too thick
- About 20 minutes before you are going to serve, add the spinach leaves and allow to cook until wilted
- Adjust seasoning - Serve hot 'on its own' or along with basmati rice, chapatti or naan, and raita or plain yogurt
*
You can substitute 1 lb of fresh tomatoes (diced) and reduce water by ¼ cup if desired
