Fresh spinach cooked into toor dal with a generous garlic-ghee tempering — the Kumaoni way of combining greens with the daily lentil for a complete, nourishing one-bowl meal.
Ingredients
3/4 cup toor dal
200g fresh spinach — washed and roughly chopped
2 tomatoes — roughly chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 cups water
Salt to taste
For tempering:
3 tbsp ghee — generous amount intentional
1.5 tsp cumin seeds
5 garlic cloves — thinly sliced
2 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Lemon juice to finish
Method
Pressure cook washed toor dal with water, tomatoes and turmeric for 4 to 5 whistles. Whisk smooth. Add salt.
Add the roughly chopped fresh spinach directly to the hot cooked dal.
Simmer on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring regularly, until spinach is completely wilted and cooked into the dal.
The dal will turn a deeper green.
Adjust consistency with water if needed — the spinach dal should be moderately thin.
Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a small pan — a generous amount is intentional in Pahadi cooking where cold mountain climate demands higher fat intake.
Add 1.5 tsp cumin seeds — sizzle. Add thinly sliced garlic — fry until deep golden, almost caramelised at the edges.
Add dried red chillies. Turn off heat. Add red chilli powder — blooms red in the residual heat.
Pour the entire generous ghee tempering over the simmering spinach dal. Stir. Simmer 2 minutes.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve over steamed rice.