Saturday, is cooking lesson day for me courtesy of my Ba:
Palak (spinach) and Mung Dal
Shopping List
400-500g Spinach (depending on bag size), shredded into 0.5cm slices
300g of Mung Dal (soaked in water for a 2-3 hours, then rinsed and drained)
Spice Mix
· Red Chilli – 2 tsp
· Turmeric – 1 tsp
· Cumin – 1½ tsp
· Coriander – 2 tsp
· Salt – 1.5 tsp
To cook
· Oil – 2 tbs
· Hing – pinch
· Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
· 5 cloves of Garlic, 4 Green Chillies – crushed/chopped fine
Method
Heat the oil on a high heat, add in the Mustard seeds and Hing then the Garlic and Chillies. Once they are softened add in all the Dal, add in a cup of water, and stir. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, until the dal is ¾ cooked (keep stirring every 5 minutes, if it’s getting dry add more water)
Then add in the Spice Mix, stir, and then add a little more water (½ cup) to keep it loose, add the spinach in on top, cover and allow the spinach to wilt for a few minutes, then stir and cook for around 10 minutes, frequently stirring.
The dish should have a little light gravy when everything is finished cooking and a loose consistency, if it’s too dry add a little more water, taste and adjust Salt if needed.
Top with a few sliced Green Chillies (optional)
Serve as a side dish or just with Bread.