Palak Chana Dal
Split Bengal gram simmered with spinach and finished with a garlic-cumin tadka.
Ingredients & method
Method
Amounts inside the steps follow the servings dial, so you never have to hold the arithmetic in your head.
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Soak the dal
Rinse the 200 g Chana dal until the water runs clear, then soak it in fresh water for 30 minutes.
Soaking softens the dal so it cooks evenly and cuts the pressure-cooking time.
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Pressure-cook the dal and spinach
Drain the dal and add it to the pressure cooker with the 400 g Spinach (Palak), ½ tsp Turmeric powder and 500 ml Water. Cook for 3 whistles, then let the pressure release naturally.
Cooking the spinach in with the dal lets it wilt right down and infuse the whole pot instead of sitting on top as a separate layer.
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Temper the cumin
Heat the 3 tbsp Ghee in a small pan. Add the 1 tsp Cumin seed and ¼ tsp Asafoetida (hing) and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
Cumin and hing bloom fastest in hot fat, which is what carries their flavour through the dal.
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Build the aromatics
Add the 1 Onion, medium, 6 Garlic cloves, 15 g Ginger and 2 Green chillies. Saute until the onion turns soft and golden at the edges.
A well-browned onion base is what gives this dal its depth, rather than relying on a long simmer.
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Cook the tomatoes and spices
Add the 2 Tomatoes, medium, 1 tsp Red chilli powder and 1 tsp Coriander powder. Cook until the tomatoes break down and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
Cooking the masala out fully stops the finished dal tasting raw or sharp.
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Combine and simmer
Pour the tadka into the cooked dal. Add ½ tsp Garam masala and Salt to taste, then simmer uncovered, mashing lightly with a ladle to your preferred consistency.
A brief simmer after combining lets the tempering's flavour marry into the dal instead of sitting on the surface.
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Finish and serve
Stir through the a handful of Cilantro and serve hot with roti or steamed rice.
Adding the fresh herb at the very end keeps its flavour bright rather than cooked out.
About
Chana dal, the split, skinned form of the humble Bengal gram (kala chana), has been a fixture of the Indian plate for millennia — archaeobotanical remains of chickpeas turn up at Neolithic sites on the subcontinent, and split pulses cooked into a soft dal have long been the everyday protein for a largely vegetarian population, prized because they keep for months in a dry larder and need no refrigeration.
Palak, the Hindi word for spinach, entered North Indian kitchens as a winter staple: the leaf grows fastest in the cool months, and pairing it with dal was a practical way to stretch a batch of pulses into a fuller, greener meal without spending extra on vegetables. The dish sits in the same family as saag-based curries but stays lighter and soupier, closer to a dal than a sabzi, and is common through Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh as a everyday lunch or dinner eaten with roti or steamed rice.
Cook’s notes
Soak the dal properly — skipping the soak means a longer pressure-cooking time and a less even texture.
Chop the spinach roughly rather than pureeing it if you want visible flecks of green through the dal; blend it if you prefer a smoother, restaurant-style finish.
The tadka can be made in ghee for a richer, more traditional flavour, or in a neutral oil to keep the dish vegan.
Health benefits
- Chana dal has a low glycaemic index and a good share of resistant starch, so it releases sugar into the blood slowly and keeps you full for longer.
- Spinach contributes iron, folate, vitamin K and vitamin A, and cooking it briefly in fat helps the body absorb its fat-soluble vitamins.
- Together the dal and greens make this a genuinely high-fibre, high-protein vegetarian main that supports digestion and steady energy.
General information about the ingredients, not advice about you. Nothing here is a medical or dietary recommendation, and no dish treats or prevents any condition. If you are managing a health condition, pregnant, or on a prescribed diet, ask a doctor or a dietitian.
Cons & who should be cautious
- Spinach is high in oxalates, which can bind calcium and iron and reduce how much of those minerals the body absorbs — people prone to calcium-oxalate kidney stones are usually advised to eat it in moderation.
- Chana dal is a pulse and contains purines, so those managing gout may want to keep portions modest.
- Legumes can cause bloating or gas in some people; a pinch of asafoetida in the tadka is the traditional fix and genuinely helps.
- If made with a generous hand of ghee, this is not a low-fat dish — use oil instead if you are watching saturated fat intake.
Not a complete allergen declaration. Ingredient lists describe what we used and cannot account for cross-contamination or what your particular brand contains, so check the packaging of everything you cook with.
Nutrition facts (estimated)
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