A favorite Indian lentil dish, this spinach dal is made with an easy dump and done Instant Pot recipe. This recipe also shows you how to make the rice at the same time using the pot in pot technique so you have a full meal to enjoy.
A family favorite recipe with creamy dal cooked in warming spices such as cumin, turmeric, garlic and optional veggies, served over hot fluffy rice for a wholesome comfort meal that the entire family will enjoy.
Dal
The word dal in Hindi language has 2 meanings:
- Dried split pulses such as masoor dal, toor dal, moong dal, etc. and
- A soup, stew-like dish made with the tender cooked split pulses tempered with spices.
Dry Lentils 
Cooked Lentils
Dal and rice is a quintessential Indian meal! Many families have their favorite version, with some recipes that are passed down for generations.
There are many variations and ways to prepare dal. Starting with plain soft-cooked dal with just turmeric and salt, to tempered or tadka dal where cooked the lentils are topped with a smoky tempering of spices such as cumin, turmeric, and chillies, to a dal cooked with spices and an assortment of vegetables.
Often served over rice, dal is an inexpensive way to eat proteins paired with carbohydrates to makes a complete and hearty meal.
This spinach dal recipe is on my weekly menu for many years. It started with trying to incorporate greens into our diets while trying to manage busy weeknight meals. I grew up eating my mom’s version of spinach dal that tastes incredible but I rarely have the time to make her detailed recipe which resulted into my simpler version that comes pretty close to hers with much fewer efforts.
Using Instant Pot to cook Dal
My original spinach dal recipe that I shared last year uses a more traditional cooking method with tempering and layering of ingredients. Using the Instant Pot to start and finish up this dish in itself is a HUGE plus. You have one pot to clean and hands-free once you press the pressure cook button. A big advantage over traditional pressure cookers that you need to manually keep track of time by counting the whistles.
A year later, I keep trying to make the recipes even more simple so my children can make them independently. Making dal seemed like a perfect candidate for a dump and done recipe and this is how this easy recipe was born.
Variations
- This recipe is gluten-free and to make it vegan simply substitute ghee with neutral cooking oil, or simply skip the ghee altogether
- Other than lentils, salt and turmeric all the other ingredients can be optional
- Skip spinach or substitute it with baby kale, frozen spinach, or kale
- To make pot-in-pot brown rice, increase the pressure cook time to 22 minutes
No Tempering!
Unlike mustard seeds, cumin seeds do not require popping them in hot oil. You can add them raw to dal or rice when pressure cooking and they meld perfectly well with all the other ingredients to make a flavorful dish while adding its earthy aromas. So go ahead and add cumin seeds to your dump and ready recipes.
Steps
How to make Spinach Dal & Rice, easy step-by-step recipe:
Add all the ingredients for the dal except the spinach to the Instant Pot insert. Add rice, water, and salt to the stainless steel pan and place the pan over the tall trivet and start pressure cooking (photos 1 – 4).
Allow 5 minutes of natural pressure release and then open the Instant Pot. Thin out the dal to the consistency you like by adding more water, stir in the spinach, bring the lentils to a gentle boil on Sauté mode (photos 5 – 8).
I love the convenience of pre-washed boxed baby spinach. Although you can add it with the lentils and pressure cook, I like to stir it in after the pressure cooking is done so that the spinach retains the bright green color. You can add a handful (photo 9) or the entire box (photo 10).
FAQ’s
How to serve Spinach Dal
Enjoy hot dal served over rice, pickle, and a small spoonful of homemade ghee. I often pair the spinach dal and rice with Batata Bhaji, Aloo Gobi or cooling cucumber raita with beets
How to store cooked Spinach Dal
Cooked spinach dal will stay well refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. For extended shelf-life, freeze the dal for up to 6 months. Place the dal in the refrigerator to defrost overnight.
EASY Spinach Dal with Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 green chili chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 4 curry leaves optional
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 4 ounces baby spinach
Pot in Pot Rice
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups water
Instructions
- Add ghee, cumin, turmeric, green chili, garlic, curry leaves, tomatoes, lentils, salt and water. Give a quick stir.
- Place the tall trivet inside the pot. Add rice, salt, and water to the stainless steel pot and place it over the trivet.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook(Hi) and adjust the cook time to 5 minutes. Allow 5 minutes of natural pressure release and then release the remaining pressure manually. Open the Instant Pot and carefully take out the rice bowl and the trivet.
- Mix the lentils with a spatula. Add more water, to bring the lentils to desired consistency. Dal will thicken as it cools. Add chopped Spinach and mix well. Cook on Sauté mode until the daal comes to gentle boil.
- Enjoy hot with steamed basmati rice.
Video
Notes
- Substitute masoor daal with moong daal or toor daal.
- You can also make daal without pot in pot rice.
Nutrition
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Bekra Yorke says
Made it last night, my 1st Indian food in the Instant Pot, and only the 4th or so item I’ve tried in the Instant Pot. Wow, delicious!! As good as any restaurant dal I’ve ever had. Had an extra small head of cauliflower and an onion, so cut them up and included them (along with recipe for 16 servings). I get the feeling this is a forgiving recipe in that way. I will be making this again, and look forward to trying others on the site as well. Thank you for making these great recipes available!
Rekha Pradeep says
The dal turned out delicious. Thank you so much for the easy to follow instructions and the fantastic recipe!
Wasfa says
Made it today, I doubled the recipe. Came out perfect. I never knew pink daal and spinach was such an amazing combo! My new comfort food:)
Archana says
Thank you! Would love 5 star from you 🙂
Wasfa says
Loved it❤️