Slow Cooker Winter Palak Dal Recipe

This hearty, complexly spiced lentil and spinach stew is delicious all year round—but adapts well in winter with frozen spinach and canned Italian tomatoes.

Feel free to use fresh ingredients when available seasonally.

A classic and simple Indian entrée Palak Dal is incredibly easy to make when you let your slow cooker do the heavy work.

After washing lentils, throw them in the cooker, cover with two inches of water and let them simmer to softness. About half an hour before you plan to serve, cook the spices and vegetables and add to the lentils. That’s it.

If you’re lucky enough to live close to an Indian grocery store, buy a whole spice garam masala mix. The few extra minutes it takes to toast and grind the spices pay off in wonderful, aromatic flavor.



I serve Palak Dal with brown basmati rice and condiments that include:

• Unsweetened flaked coconut
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• Whole milk plain or coconut yogurt

Slow Cooker Winter Palak Dal Recipe

1 pound lentils or yellow split peas
1 large vegetable bouillon cube, optional
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
2 tablespoons whole spice garam masala or 1 tablespoon ground garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red chili peppers
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
4-5 small fresh or canned Italian tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped frozen spinach
1 cup coconut milk
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt, to taste

1. Rinse lentils well in colander.
2. Put lentils into slow cooker and cover with two inches of water. Add the bouillon cube, if desired, cover the cooker and slow simmer lentils until tender—about two hours. Spoon off and reserve any clear excess water.
3. About half an hour before ready to serve, prepare remaining ingredients. If using whole spice garam masala, heat a small frying pan over a medium-high flame. Add 2 tablespoons of the whole spice garam masala to the pan. Stirring constantly so spices don’t burn, toast the garam masala for 2-3 minutes. Pour spices onto a plate to cool completely. Grind with mortar and pestle or an electric coffee grinder.
4. In a large frying pan or Dutch oven, over low heat, heat the butter or ghee. Watch the butter carefully and remove immediately from flame if it starts to brown.
5. When butter is hot, add one tablespoon ground garam masala, turmeric, cumin seeds or ground cumin and crushed red pepper. Stirring occasionally to keep them from burning, cook spices to allow their full flavor to bloom—about 2-3 minutes.
6. Add onion, stir and fry for about five minutes until onion is softened.
7. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Add tomatoes and simmer vegetable mixture for about 10 minutes to cook off tomatoes’ raw taste.
9. Spoon vegetable mixture into cooked lentils. Add spinach and stir to incorporate vegetables and lentils. Cook for 5 minutes to thaw and cook spinach.
10. Add coconut milk and lemon juice to lentils. Thin with reserved lentil liquid, if needed. If you did not add a bouillon cube, salt palak dal to taste. Cover and allow to heat through—about 5 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Serves 8.