Palak Dal

Palak Dal is an Indian curry. The name literally translates as "spinach lentils." Dal is one of the staple dishes in the subcontinent. There are many varieties -- here's one I've developed, thick and heavily spiced with lots of spinach and onions.

My recipe isn't strictly traditional, as I skip the chaunk and just add the spices directly, but I'm lazy and this is already a pretty involved dish. By dividing the spices and adding at separate stages in the cooking process, the depth of flavor is recreated while skipping the work of roasting and grinding the spices.

And don't be daunted by the extensive ingredient list! You can play around with the spices, and it's all stuff you can get a lot of use out of.


Ingredients

2 cups red lentils, washed and checked for pebbles
8 cups water
3 large or 6 small bouillon cubes

2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1 large bunch spinach, washed and chopped
4 jalapeno or serrano peppers, seeded and minced
8 roma tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced

Combine all spices and divide into equal parts:
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp crushed cardamom
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground mustard seed
2 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1-2 tsp molasses
a sprinkle of Liquid Smoke
salt, to taste


Directions

Saute the vegetables in the oil over medium-high heat in a four- or five-quart pot. Start with the onions. Once they are soft and translucent, add the peppers, ginger, garlic, and half the spice mixture. Cook for a minute, and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Now add the lentils to the pot. Stir continuously until all the moisture from washing them has been cooked off. This should take about two minutes, and the roasting will bring out the flavor of the lentils.

Pour the water into the pot, toss in the bouillon cubes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover loosely. Cook for 20 minutes and add the vegetable mixture and remaining spice mixture. Cook for another 10 minutes and check if you need to add salt or more water.

If the lentils aren't falling apart yet, to the point of creaminess, continue simmering until they are. Once the desired consistency is reached, add the tomatoes and spinach, plus the tomato paste, tamari, molasses, and Liquid Smoke, and simmer for a few minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and the spinach is wilted.
Enjoy!