My Mother-in-law made this dal while at my mom’s house in Montréal, over the summer. I did the measuring of everything as she was going, and noted the steps. I cooked it again this morning and it delivered! Dishes like this Toor Dal with Spinach offer such warmth and provide the palate with a rich balance of flavors. You get the heat from the peppers, the bitterness from the lime. It makes for something calming, yet vibrant. Check it out for yourself!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it. Please tag @LivityGardens on Instagram and use the hashtag #LivityGardens.
For other heavily tried, tested and approved Indian spices, check out this Brinjal Fry (Indian Sautéed Eggplant) and this Mung Bean Curry.
PrintToor Dal with Spinach
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas), rinsed well
- 5 cups water (plus more, if needed)
- 1 large onion, diced finely
- 2 cups tomatoes, diced finely
- 1–2 serrano peppers, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 large handfuls of spinach (hard stems removed)
- Lime juice, to taste (I usually use a whole juicy lime)
For the tempering:
- 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3–4 curry leaves (optional, but nice)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds (optional, but nice)
Instructions
In a large pot, bring the toor dal and 3 cups water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer until the peas have lost their crunch, but still needing additional cooking, about 20-30 minutes. Then add the onion, tomatoes, serrano peppers, turmeric, salt, and 2 more cups of water. Cook for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the onion is cooked through, and the peas are soft. Add the spinach and heat through over low heat for 5 minutes. While the spinach is cooking, make the tempering.
Heat the grapeseed oil up to almost the smoke point. Add the garlic and spices, making sure they sizzle on contact with the oil. Some will pop. This can take 1-3 minutes depending on your pan and oil used. Don’t burn the garlic, just a golden touch. Add the tempering to the dal. It will make a sound! Stir well, while heating gently for a few minutes. Add the lime juice, taste and adjust. Bon appétit!
Notes
You can switch out the spinach for pretty much any other vegetable you want. Vegetables such as chayote, squash, chard, even cucumbers are sublime in here! Just add them earlier, shortly after the onion, tomatoes and peppers. Cook until you like their consistency.
Toor Dal aux épinards
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 portions 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tasse de pois cajan cassés, rincés et égouttés
- 5 tasses d’eau (ou plus si nécessaire)
- 1 gros oignon, haché finement
- 2 tasses de tomates, hachées
- 1 ou 2 piments serrano, émincées
- 1/2 c. à thé de curcuma
- 2 c. à thé de sel de mer
- 2 grosses poignées d’épinards
- Jus de lime frais, au goût
Pour le tempering:
- 2 c. à soupe d’huile de pépin de raisin
- 3 gousses d’ail, hachées
- 1 1/2 c. à thé de graines de cumin
- 3 à 4 feuilles de cari fraîches
- 1 1/2 c. à thé de graines de moutarde noire
Instructions
Dans une grande casserole, porter à ébullition les pois cajan et 3 tasses d’eau. Réduire le feu à moyen-vif et laisser mijoter jusqu’à ce que les pois soient mi-cuits, environ 20 à 30 minutes. ajouter ensuite les oignons, les tomates, les piments serrano, le curcuma, le sel de mer, et deux autres tasses d’eau. Laisser mijoter pendant 20 à 25 minutes de plus, jusqu’à ce que les pois soient tendres. Ajouter les épinards, retirer du feu et laisser reposer.
Pendant ce temps, chauffer l’huile de pépin de raisin à feu vif. Ajouter l’ail et les épices. Laisser les épices grésiller pendant 1 à 3 minutes, sans brûler l’ail. Ajouter le tempering au dal (vous devriez entendre un bruit!) Bien mélanger, ajouter le jus de lime et ajuster les épices, si nécessaire. Bon appétit!
Notes
Vous pouvez remplacer les épinards par tout autre légume vert, comme de la bette à carde, de la chayote, des courgettes, ou même du concombre. Ajouter les légumes plus tôt pendant la cuisson, si nécessaire.
