Spinach Dal Recipe Andhra

There are two ways you can cook Spinach Dal Andhra Style. We’ve covered both of them.

Pressure Cooker Method

• Clean the spinach leaves by washing them under running water.
• Chop the leaves and set them aside.
• Wash your lentils (whichever one you plan to use) and place them in the pressure cooker (if you plan on using one).
• Then, add around two and a half cups of water. Then add a quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder.
• Roughly chop the onions into big pieces. Also, slit the green chilies and add them to the lentils.
• Now you can add the chopped spinach and spread it evenly all over the lentils.
• Chop up the tomato into medium-sized pieces and place them in a small bowl. Place this bowl on top of the spinach inside the pressure cooker.
• Seal off the lid and pressure cook for around three whistles in high heat. Then you have to simmer to low for around five minutes. After that, turn off the heat.
• Once it’s done, open the pressure cooker. Mash all the contents from the bowl and the cooker together. You can add a little sugar to even out the saltiness/sourness. You can add salt as well per your taste. Pour out the dal to a serving dish. Ensure that the burnt dal does not stick to the bottom.

Without Pressure Cooker

• First, you have to soak the dal in water for around half an hour.
• Then, add four to five cups of water to the dal along with turmeric powder.
• You have to cook it on medium heat until it becomes soft.
• You can then add onions, tomatoes, and green chilies. Also, add the tamarind extracts and the red chili powder.
• Now you can finally add the spinach leaves and boil everything till it is cooked.
• If you want to adjust the taste, you can add a little sugar or salt as well.
• The dal, along with the other ingredients, should be thoroughly blended.
• You can also make the dal viscous or less viscous by adding water or boiling it a little more. Finally, if the mixture begins to froth up, you can remove the lid and cook without it.
• Once you’re done, you can turn off the heat.

Tempering/Tadka

A dal is not complete without the tadka.

• Take a small frying pan and heat oil or ghee in medium heat.
• Add a few crushed or chopped garlic pods.
• Once the oil is hot enough, you can add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to turn slightly brown, you can add the remaining tampering ingredients like red chilies, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds.
• When the mustard seeds start to splutter, you can then add a pinch of asafetida.
• Turn off the heat and introduce the mixture into the dal. You can either leave it as a topping or mix it thoroughly.
• You can serve Spinach Dal Andhra Style either with rice or nan.