Toor dal simmered with fresh spinach and a cumin-tomato tempering, iron-rich, protein-rich and light on the stomach, a weekday regular across Indian homes.
Lunch · 10 min prep · 25 min cook · serves 3 Newly added
Ingredients
- ¾ cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
- 3 cups water
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 3 cups spinach , chopped
- 1 tomato , chopped
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tsp ginger (fresh) , grated
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- to taste rock salt
- 1 tsp lemon , juice
Preparation
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Pressure-cook the dal with the water and turmeric until soft (4–5 whistles), or simmer covered 30–40 minutes.
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Whisk the cooked dal smooth; add the spinach and tomato and simmer 5–6 minutes until the spinach is tender and deep green.
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For the tempering, heat the ghee, pop the cumin, then add asafoetida and ginger; stir 30 seconds.
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Pour the tempering into the dal with coriander powder and salt; simmer 2 minutes.
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Finish with lemon juice and serve with rice or phulka.
In the tradition
Greens and dal together are a quiet staple rather than a showpiece, the kind of dish the classical texts would approve of without ever naming it: leafy bitterness lighten kapha, the well-cooked dal grounds the meal, and the small tempering of cumin and hing does the work garlic would do elsewhere, without the rajas traditionally attributed to it.
Sources & further reading
- Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya , Vāgbhaṭa (Sūtrasthāna 6, on pulses well-cooked with ghee and warming spices)
- Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing , Vasant Lad & Usha Lad
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books are shared as further reading, not as prescriptions.