PALAK DAL

Ingredients:

Toor dal or Chana dal ...... 1 cup

Palak (spinach) ............... 1 cup

Onion ................... 1 small (sliced)

Green chillies ...... 1-2

Tomato ........... 1 (chopped)

Tamarind juice .... 2-3 tbsps.

Jaggery ........... a small piece (optional)

Turmeric powder ...... 1/4 tsp.

Salt ...... to taste.

For tempering:

Garlic ............ 6-7 cloves (crushed)

Curry leaves .... 1 sprig

Dry red chillies ... 2 broken

Asafoetida ...... a pinch

Cumin seeds .... 1 tsp.

Mustard seeds ... 1 tsp.

Red chilli powder. 1/4 tsp.

Method:

1. Heat a little oil in a pressure cooker. Add the sliced onion and stir fry. Now add the Palak and saute for a minute. Now add the washed and soaked dal, tomato, green chillies, salt, turmeric powder and 1 cup water. Pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles. Alternately you may cook it even in a pan on low fire until done.

2. Mash the palak dal coarsely. Add the tamarind juice and jaggery piece.(if you like it)

3. Heat oil for tempering. First add a pinch of hing and then the seeds.When they crackle add the dry red chillies and curry leaves. Finally add the crushed garlic and let it become pink in colour. Switch off the gas and add the red chilli powder and immediately mix this into the prepared dal.

(Any other greens could be used instead of palak)