Dal with Spinach (Palak Dal)

Dal with Spinach (Palak Dal)
[Serves 4]

Adapted from the wonderful  Veg Recipes of India website.  The recipe is the same, but doubled in quantity, and explained using North-American cooking terminology.

Ingredients:

for pressure cooking:

• 1 cup toor dal (a.k.a. split pigeon peas, arhar dal, or tuvar dal)
• 3 cups water
• ½ tsp turmeric powder

for tempering the dal:

• 3 tbsp oil or ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 medium onions, chopped 
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 
• 1 inch ginger, finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 green chili, deseeded
• 1 11-oz (283g) package, fresh spinach 
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves (optional)

other ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• ½ tsp garam masala (optional)
• a few drops of lemon juice (optional)
• salt, to your individual taste

Preparation:

cooking lentils:

1. Rinse the toor dal a few times until the water stays mostly clear.
2. Drain very well and add the lentils into a pressure cooker along with the turmeric powder and 3 cups of water. Stir well and pressure cook on high heat until the steam starts to hiss, then reduce to medium heat and cook for 15 minutes.  
3. Turn off the heat, and wait for the pressure in the pressure cooker to drop.  Gently mash the cooked lentils with a spoon and keep aside.

preparing the flavor mixture (the 'tempering') for the dal:

1. in a medium-sized pot, heat the oil on high heat until it sloshes like water when you move the pot. Add the cumin seeds and sizzle them for half a minute.
2. Add the chopped onions and sauté them on medium heat until light golden brown.
3. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli. Sauté until the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic disappears; about 20 to 30 seconds.
4. Add the dry spices: asafoetida, cayenne powder, and coriander powder. Stir well.
5. Add chopped tomatoes.
6. Optionally add 1 tsp of dry fenugreek leaves.
7. Mix everything very well, and sauté until the tomatoes soften and you see oil oozing out from the sides of the mixture.
8. Add the spinach and mix very well again until the spinach wilts.
9. Add the cooked dal and 1 cup of water.  Mix well.
10. Season with salt and mix again.
11. Simmer for 5 minutes. 
12. For a final aromatic touch, sprinkle in the garam masala powder, add a squeeze of lemon juice and stir.  Serve with rice or rotis/parathas.