Malabar Spinach Dal in a Pressure Cooker
Do you know of Malabar/Vine spinach?
It’s a protein and other nutrients-rich green leafy vegetable popular in southern India. If you are from Karnataka, you’d know it as Basale Soppu, which is used in a variety of dishes. When cooked, this leaf vegetable becomes a bit slimy which is why many people do not like to eat it. However, it’s a favorite at our house and we cook it frequently.
This recipe is my go-to for any dal + green leafy vegetable combo. Pressure cooking saves much time in the kitchen, making this delicious recipe easy and quick. It’s a perfect side dish for rice or other cooked millet, that you could make even on busy days.
I hope you try this healthy and delicious green leafy dal recipe!
Ingredients:
2 bunches of Malabar spinach, cleaned & roughly chopped (add stem too)
1 1/2 cups of toor dal, thoroughly rinsed
3 cups of water
1 small red onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small lime-sized tamarind
Green chilies to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 cloves of garlic
Tempering:
3 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
A couple of curry leaves
A pinch of Hing
Directions:
- Add all the ingredients into a pressure cooker and cook until 5 or 6 whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally and lightly mash the cooked ingredients.
- Add salt and adjust consistency if necessary by adding water.
- Heat oil in a small pan on medium heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds, and allow them to pop & sizzle. Then add curry leaves and Hing.
- Pour this seasoning over the dal and mix.
- Serve hot with rice or other cooked millet, with a dollop of ghee on top. Enjoy!
Check out the recipe with full pictures on Instagram:
Let me know if you tried this recipe by tagging a picture of your preparation on my Instagram @swaadista and using #swaadistarecipes.
Happy cooking, happy eating!