Lola’s Kitchen: Spinach Dal Recipe

Posted February 20, 2015 by Lola in Lola's Kitchen / 18 Comments

Lola’s Kitchen is a feature on Lola’s Reviews where I talk about all things related to food, cooking and baking. These posts can be recipe posts or more discussion type posts about food. I love cooking and spend some time in the kitchen almost every day, so I wanted to give it a place on my blog as well. The banner for this feature is designed by Michelle from Limabean Design.

I am especially fond of indian food, it’s yummy and often vegetarian. So after eating ina really good indian restauarant I started experimenting with indian recipes. This Creamy Spinach Dahl is one of my favourite recipes! It’s filled with veggies and the indian spices give it it’s curry flavour. Do make sure to use heavy/thick cream or greek yoghurt, I used cooking cream once that was thin and the curry structure wasn’t as good then.
This reciped is inspired by Veggie Belly.
spinach dal

Ingredients

Ingredients spinach dal

  • Red Bell pepper- 1
  • Lentils – 200 gram/ 1 cup
  • Onion – 1
  • Tomato – 2
  • Spinach either fresh or frozen – 1 1/2 cup
  • Garlic – 2 gloves
  • Low salt bouillon cube – 1
  • Heavy Cream/ crΓ©me fraiche/ greek yoghurt – 125 ml / 4 tablespoons
  • Turmeric Powder – 2 tablespoons
  • Cumin Powder – 3 teaspoons
  • Garam Masala – 1 tablespoon (optional)
  • Mild Madras 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
  • Water – 500 ml/ 2 cups
  • Olive Oil

You can serve this with rice, naan or any other bread. This recipe feeds about 4-6 people.

Method

  1. Slice and dice all the vegetables. Heat the oil and bake the garlic and onion until the onion is translucent.
  2. Add the tomato and bake for a minute or so.
  3. Mix all the spices and the bouillon cube in a small bowl.
  4. Add the paprika and a bit water and bake for about 5-10 minutes so the paprika get’s a bit soft.
  5. Add the lentils and spinach. If you’re not using storebrought lentils that are done already, you have to cook them first. If you’re using frozen spinach you can heat it first or let it melt in the pan. Stir well.
  6. Add the spices, the remaining water and the heavy cream. Stir well and cook till it is a nice thick curry.

Pictures

At step 2 baking the onion, garlic and tomato

Onion, gralic and tomato

Step 3 mix the spices

spices

And added the optional spices as well

spices and optional spices

Step 4 adding and baking the paprika

paprika added

It’s alive! My boyfriend made a face in the paprika, doesn’t it look happy?

it's alive

Step 5 adding the lentils

adding lentils

Step 5 adding the frozen spinach

adding spinach

Step 6 add the spices

adding the spices

After adding the cream, it should look something like this.

spinach dal on stove

Have you ever eaten dal/lentil curry? What’s your favourite lentil dish?

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18 responses to “Lola’s Kitchen: Spinach Dal Recipe

  1. Oh, I love Indian food, we had a very good Indian restaurant nearby but unfortunately, it’s now closed… Your recipe is tasty, I’ve bookmarked it to try it later πŸ™‚ It’s funny you’re mentioning lentils, I’m currently eating a Chorba, a sort of vegetable soup with lentils, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, various spices, I’ve added a leek to replace the zucchini not available in this season. I’ll post the recipe one day. Meanwhile, here’s what it looks like : http://www.food.com/recipe/algerian-lentil-soup-chorba-adas-498369
    It’s tasty and perfumed, ideal for winter πŸ™‚

    • Oh that lentil soup looks delicious! I pinned that recipe so I can give it a try, I only made lentil soup once before and it was okay, so I am looking forward to try a new lentil soup recipe.

      Ever since I ate at an india restaurant this summer I am in love with indian food. I have a new curry with pieces of dough in it planned for tomorrow!

    • We have some asian supermarkets and toko’s close by where you can get spices for real cheap, every once in a while my boyfriend goes there and buys a few bags of spices for me. I am a big fan of indian food and how it can be so flavourfull but not spicy and most often vegetarian as well.

    • I think jasmine rice would be great with this as well. And how weird your frozen spinach come in big blocks! I always use frozen spinach as it’s just so easy and I like frozen spinach more than fresh spinach, with those sized balls you can easily add a bit more spinach if necessary.

  2. Yum. My mom’s been trying out a lot of Indian recipes lately! We love Indian food here, too!

    For the things with sauces we use either greek yogurt or coconut cream. The coconut cream is sooo hard to find, but it tastes amazing with all of those spices cooked in!
    Angie F. recently posted…Chick Flick Friday: Reality BitesMy Profile

    • Indian food doesn’t have to be spicey, most of the recipes I make aren’t hot. I hate spicy, I am a total wuss when it coems to spicy food as well. But these recipes are flavourfull and full of spices, but not spicy in the sense of hot. I always leave the peppers out and only add a bit cayenne pepper, that removes most of the too spicyness.

      Yes our frozen psinach always comes in that shape, it’s really handy :).

  3. I love Indian food, too, and everybody at my house loves spinach, too. I may have to try this one as well, Lola. But since we’re all very carnivorous, I think I’ll have to find some kind of meat to add in as well…
    It looks really good, and I bet it’s nice with long-grain brown rice.
    Have a great Sunday, Lola, and happy reading.
    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews recently posted…The Sunday Post #20My Profile

    • You can add some minced meat or chicked to it, I am sure that would work or any other meat you like. Most of the recipes I make and post here are vegetarian as I am a vegetarian, but ofcourse you can add meat to them. If you like indian food and spinach I am pretty sure you will like this as well!

  4. I’ve not eaten dahl before, Lola, but I love curry. My kids aren’t very adventurous when it comes to foods but I have a friend who is, so we eat at different restaurants to get our ‘fix’. πŸ™‚ My favorite lentil dish is a simple lentil soup.

    BTW, I made the chocolate snickerdoodles last week!! They are amazing and my kids ate them up so quickly! I’m going to make another batch this week. πŸ™‚
    Bookworm Brandee recently posted…Travel by the Book ~ Lake QuinaultMy Profile

    • My boyfriend ate a delicious lentil soup in a restaurant once, but I haven’t been able to make a nice lentil soup at home yet. I wasn’t adventurous when it came to food as a kid and I am still a picky eater, btu I definitely broadened my tastes.

      And I am so happy to hear you tried the chocolate snickerdoodles! And I am glad your kids liked them as well, here they are gone really quickly as well.

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