Dal Palak Recipe with Spinach and Lentils

If you have ever wondered how Indian restaurants build so much flavor into a single bowl, this Dal Palak is a wonderful place to start. It is creamy, aromatic, nourishing, and surprisingly simple to make at home. The dish brings together tender lentils, warming spices, and silky spinach for a comforting meal that tastes special without requiring complicated techniques.

There are two main parts to this spinach dal recipe. First, red lentils are simmered with turmeric until soft, then whisked into a creamy dal and seasoned with lemon juice and salt. Second, a fragrant spinach tadka is prepared by blooming whole spices, aromatics, chile peppers, curry leaves, and baby spinach in hot oil. Spoon the tadka over the dal, serve it with rice, and you have a deeply satisfying Indian-inspired dinner.

This dal palak is ideal for weeknights, meal prep, or serving to guests. It is rich in flavor, naturally plant-based, and made with everyday ingredients plus a few traditional Indian spices that make the dish shine.

Table of Contents:
1. What is dal palak?
2. Why this recipe works
3. Ingredient notes
4. Step by step instructions
5. Tips for making this recipe
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. Recipe Card with Notes

What is dal palak?

Dal palak, also known as spinach dal, is an Indian lentil dish made with dal, meaning lentils, and palak, meaning spinach. The lentils cook down until soft and creamy, while the spinach is folded into a spiced tadka made with aromatics and whole spices. The result is a comforting, flavorful dish with a smooth lentil base and a savory spinach topping.

Although the recipe is simple, the flavor is layered. Turmeric brings warmth and color to the lentils, lemon adds brightness, and the tadka adds depth through toasted mustard seeds, cumin seeds, onion, garlic, ginger, chile peppers, curry leaves, and asafoetida.

Why this recipe works

Comforting Indian flavors

This dal palak delivers the kind of rich, aromatic flavor that makes Indian lentil dishes so satisfying. Whole mustard seeds and cumin seeds are toasted in hot oil until fragrant, then combined with onion, garlic, ginger, and chile peppers. These simple steps create a powerful flavor base for the spinach tadka.

The lentils cook until very tender, then are whisked into a creamy texture. A touch of turmeric gives the dal its golden color, while lemon juice balances the earthy lentils with freshness. When the spinach tadka is spooned over the warm dal, every bite becomes savory, bright, and comforting.

Wholesome and satisfying

Dal palak is hearty comfort food, but it is also made with wholesome ingredients. Lentils provide plant-based protein and fiber, helping make the dish filling enough for dinner. Spinach adds leafy greens, while garlic, ginger, turmeric, and chile peppers contribute bold flavor without relying on heavy ingredients.

Served over rice, this spinach dal becomes a complete and balanced meal that feels cozy, nourishing, and deeply flavorful.

Easy enough for a weeknight

This recipe is approachable even if you do not cook Indian food often. The lentils simmer in one saucepan, and the tadka comes together in a sauté pan while the dal cooks. With a little chopping and a few pantry spices, you can have a restaurant-style dal palak on the table in about 45 minutes.

It is also flexible. You can adjust the heat, choose red lentils or split yellow lentils, and serve the finished dal with rice, flatbread, or a cooling yogurt-style side.

Ingredient notes

Lentils

Red lentils, split red lentils, or split yellow lentils work best because they soften quickly and become creamy when cooked. Regular red lentils are easy to find in many grocery stores, while split red lentils, also called masoor dal, tend to cook a little faster. Split yellow lentils, or moong dal, are also a good option.

Avoid green or brown lentils for this recipe. They hold their shape more firmly and do not create the same smooth, creamy dal texture.

Turmeric

Ground turmeric gives the dal a warm golden color and a subtle earthy flavor. Only a small amount is needed, so it enhances the lentils without overpowering them.

Onion, garlic, ginger, and chile peppers

Onion, garlic, ginger, and chile peppers create the savory foundation of the spinach tadka. The onion is cooked until golden, while garlic and ginger add sharpness and warmth. Fresh green chile pepper adds heat, but it can be adjusted to your taste.

Substitute: For a milder dal palak, remove the seeds and membranes from the fresh chile pepper, use less dried chile, or omit the chile peppers entirely.

Curry leaves

Fresh curry leaves are optional but highly recommended. They have a bright, citrusy, earthy flavor that makes the tadka more complex. They are different from curry powder and should not be substituted with curry powder.

Tip: If using dried curry leaves, use more than you would fresh because their flavor is milder. Fresh curry leaves can be stored wrapped in paper towels in a sealed bag in the refrigerator, or frozen for longer storage.

Whole spices

Mustard seeds and cumin seeds are key to the tadka. When added to hot oil, the mustard seeds pop and the cumin seeds darken and become fragrant. This step releases their flavor into the oil and gives the dish its aromatic base.

Substitute: If you cannot find mustard seeds or cumin seeds, you can customize the tadka with other whole spices such as fennel seeds, cardamom pods, or cinnamon.

Asafoetida (Hing)

Asafoetida, also called hing, is used in small amounts to add a distinctive savory flavor. It has a strong aroma in the jar, but once it cooks in the hot oil, the flavor becomes mellow and deeply savory.

Gluten-free note: Many varieties of asafoetida contain small amounts of gluten, so omit it if you need the recipe to be gluten-free.

Baby spinach

Baby spinach wilts quickly and becomes silky in the tadka. Add it in batches and toss with tongs so it cooks evenly and stays tender.

Substitute: You can use other tender leafy greens, such as baby kale, as long as they cook quickly.

Step by step instructions

Rinse the lentils, then add them to a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Stir in the turmeric, partially cover the pan, and simmer until the lentils are soft and mostly broken down.

Whisk the lentils vigorously until they become creamy and partially pureed. Continue cooking for a few minutes until the dal thickens. Stir in salt and lemon juice, then taste and adjust as needed.

While the dal simmers, prepare the Spinach Tadka ingredients. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds, stirring or shaking the pan until the mustard seeds begin to pop and the cumin seeds darken.

Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until golden brown. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and fresh green chile pepper for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the dried red chile peppers, curry leaves, and asafoetida, then cook briefly until fragrant.

Add the baby spinach in batches with a pinch of salt. Toss until just wilted. Spoon the spinach tadka over the warm dal, garnish with cilantro, and serve with cooked rice.

Tips for making this recipe

Switch up the spices

A tadka is easy to adapt. Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and aromatics create a classic flavor, but you can adjust the spices based on what you have.

• Use shallots instead of onion.
• Add whole fennel seeds or a few whole cardamom pods with the mustard seeds.
• Add a broken cinnamon stick before the mustard seeds.
• Skip the curry leaves and add dried fenugreek leaves instead.
• Add a pinch of ground cumin or coriander after the curry leaves so the ground spices do not burn.

Keep the spices moving

Whole spices can burn quickly in hot oil. Once they begin sizzling, stir often or shake the pan so they toast evenly without scorching.

Make it more weeknight-friendly

For faster weeknight cooking, prepare the dal ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat, reheat the dal gently and make the spinach tadka fresh. This keeps the spinach bright and the spices aromatic while reducing the total cooking time.

Frequently Asked Questions

More comforting Indian recipes

• Instant Pot Chana Masala
• Red Lentil Curry
• Tofu Tikka Masala
• Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu

Dal Palak (Spinach Dal)

By Nisha Vora

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Total: 45 mins

Servings: 4

In this comforting dal palak, Indian aromatics, whole spices, and spinach are toasted in oil, then served over a creamy, protein-rich lentil dal. It is restaurant-style Indian comfort food made simple at home.

Ingredients

Dal

• 1 ½ cups (300g) red lentils, split red lentils, or split yellow lentils
• 4 cups (960 mL) water
• ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 ½ heaping teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
• Spinach Tadka, recipe follows
• 1 handful (12g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
• For serving: cooked rice to serve 4

Spinach Tadka

• 3 to 4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons black or brown mustard seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 fat or 6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped or thinly sliced
• 1 ½-inch (4 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
• 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, finely chopped, optional
• 2 to 5 dried red chile peppers, torn in half
• 20 fresh curry leaves, optional but highly recommended
• A couple pinches of asafoetida, also called hing, optional; omit if gluten-free
• 5 ounces (140g) baby spinach

Instructions

• Make the dal. Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs mostly clear.
• Add the lentils to a medium saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stir in the turmeric, and partially cover the pan. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and mostly broken down.
• Whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until the lentils become creamy and somewhat pureed. If needed, cook a little longer until the dal is fully softened and thickened.
• Stir in the salt and lemon juice. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice as desired. Keep warm over very low heat.
• Make the Spinach Tadka. Heat a medium or large frying pan over medium-high heat with 3 tablespoons coconut oil.
• When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Stir or shake the pan frequently. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onions are golden brown.
• Add the garlic, ginger, and serrano or jalapeño if using. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the dried chiles, curry leaves, and asafoetida if using. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
• If the pan looks dry, add 1 tablespoon more coconut oil. Add about half of the spinach and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Toss with tongs until wilted, then add the remaining spinach and cook until just wilted.
• Remove the spinach tadka from the heat and spoon it over the warm dal. Stir gently to combine.
• Taste once more and adjust with extra lemon juice or salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro and serve with cooked rice.

Notes

General note: The prep time is listed as 5 minutes because the tadka ingredients can be prepared while the dal is simmering.

1. Coconut oil pairs well with mustard seeds and curry leaves, but a neutral oil or light olive oil can be used instead.
2. For mild heat, remove the white membranes from the fresh chile pepper before chopping.
3. Dried red chile peppers add flavor and heat to the tadka. Use fewer for a milder dish and more for extra spice.
4. Fresh curry leaves bring the strongest flavor. If using dried curry leaves, use more because they are less pungent.
5. Asafoetida adds a distinctive savory flavor. It is optional, and most varieties contain small amounts of gluten.

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal |
Carbohydrates: 54g |
Protein: 20g |
Fat: 12g |
Saturated Fat: 9g |
Sodium: 453mg |
Potassium: 1109mg |
Fiber: 13g |
Sugar: 4g |
Vitamin A: 181IU |
Vitamin C: 32mg |
Calcium: 79mg |
Iron: 7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.