Palak dal tadka

Adding a green leaf vegetable once in 2 weeks is my regular habit. After I started cooking, I tried different ways to include green leafy vegetables in my diet. This palak is not a common leafy vegetable in down south. I came to know about palak only after shifting to north.

It is easily available in winter season and it’s healthy and easy to clean and chop as compared other spinaches like methi and amaranth leaves.

In north Indian people make palak paneer for chappathi and it’s mostly made during winter season. I too have tried and would share with you in future.

Here I have used this palak in a pure south Indian way and its easy and healthy way to include in our diet plan. I believe that simple cooking is always healthy. This method is an easy way of adding palak in children’s diet. Let’s see how to make it.

Also view: Dal tadka

                Sambhar recipe

Ingredients:

 1 cup toor dhal

2 cups of chopped palak

¾ th of finely chopped onion

4 garlic cloves

4 sliced green chillies

1 chopped tomatoes

A pinch of Asafoetida powder

Turmeric powder

Seasoning ingredients:

¼ th of finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 sprig curry leaves

2 red chillies

2 tablespoon ghee

Let’s see how to make it

1.    Put 1 cup of toor dhal in a cooker and rinse it well in tap water. After washing 4 to 5 times, add 4 cups of water, ¾ th of finely chopped onion, 4 sliced green chillies, 4 garlic cloves, 1 chopped tomatoes and a pinch of asafetida powder.

2.   Close the lid and cook for 4 whistles

3.   Meanwhile wash the chopped palak and keep it aside.

4.   After 4 whistles and when the pressure has released, open the lid.

5.   Add the chopped and washed palaks, ½ teaspoon turmeric  and required salt. I added 2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 1 whistle.

6.   After 1 whistle and when the pressure has released, open the lid and stir the palak dhal with a spatula.

7.   If it is thick add little water, 2 tablespoon ghee and boil it.

8.   Then for seasoning, heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds have spluttered, add remaining  ¼ th of onion, curry leaves and 2 red chillies and sauté it until the onion turns brown

9.   When the onion turns brown, add it to the palak dhal

10.                Healthy palak dhal is ready.

Variations that can be done to enhance the taste of the palak dhal tadka:

·        We can squeeze half lemon at the end after seasoning which gives little sour taste to the palak dhal.

·        We can add little tamarind juice, chilli powder and coriander powder and make it a palak sambhar which will be very tasty.

Nutritions in palak dhal Tadka:

·        Palak is rich in vitamins A, C, E and K

·        It is also rich in other minerals like phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, potassium and folate.

·        Palak is rich in fibre.

·        Dhal is rich in protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, folic acid and B vitamins.

Health benefits of dhal tadka:

Palak is rich in vitamin k. so it gives good strength to bones. It improves the calcium absorption. So it is good for bones.

It is rich in fibre. So it supports our digestive system for digestion.

Vitamin A in palak is good for skin health and hair health.

It promotes hair growth.

Palak is rich in anti-oxidants which reduces oxitative stress.

It is rich in Folate which is a mineral that promotes body tissue development. So it is good for pregnant women to give birth to a health child

Hope you like it😍😍😍

Be Healthy, Happy and long-lived😊😊😊