When you say ‘lentils’ or ‘lentil soup’, I say ‘dal’! Dal has been a staple in my kitchen for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I used to eat some type of dal at almost every meal (yes, there are several types and each has its own flavor and nutrition profile). So it never really struck me as a comfort food until after I went off to college and could no longer have it twice a day.
Eventually, I moved into my own place and bought an Instant Pot so I could cook up a big batch of dal at the start of each week. In fact, dal has become such an essential part of my meal prep routine that it never even struck me to share a recipe with y’all until my mom asked me about it.
Like I said before, dal itself is a pretty generic term (kind of like curry). There are hundreds of thousands of ways to prepare dal depending on the actual lentils you use, how you season them, and which veggies (if any) you add. This Spinach & Tomato Dal is one I prepare frequently because it reminds me of my childhood and it’s an easy way to get in some veggies with your meal. So let’s make it!
Spinach and Tomato Dal (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup toor dal (aka split pigeon peas), rinsed and drained
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 cup spinach, tightly packed
- 3 medium tomatoes (about 2 cups), diced
- 2 vegetable broth or water (I like to do 1 cup each)
- neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, vegetable, etc.)
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Select the Sauté function on your Instant Pot and set the timer for 4 minutes. Heat up some oil and add, cumin, mustard, and diced onions. Sauté the onions for 2 - 3 minutes, or until translucent.
- Once the onions are cooked through, cancel the Sauté function. Add crushed red pepper, garam masala, red chili powder, turmeric, spinach, and tomato and mix with a spatula.
- Add toor dal and vegetable broth or water to the Pot. Stir well to combine.
- Seal the Instant Pot, ensure the pressure valve is turned to 'Sealing' and select the Pressure Cook function. Pressure cook on High for 9 minutes.
- After 9 minutes, allow the pressure to naturally release for an additional 5 - 6 minutes.
- Using a dishtowel or oven mitt, carefully turn the pressure valve from 'Sealing' to 'Venting.' Once you see the metal rod click back down, open the Instant Pot and give the dal a stir.
- *At this point the lentils should be cooked all the way through and the mixture should be fairly thick and uniform. If you think the dal is undercooked and/or too dry, add more water and repeat step (4) for an additional 3 - 4 minutes.
- Serve dal warm over basmati rice or with a side of flatbread.