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Home » Recipes » Cuisine » Indian-Inspired

Easy Dal Palak

By: Thomas Published: 3 Jan, 22 Updated: 26 Jan, 22 60 Comments

Jump to RecipeComments
4.87 from 15 votes

This traditional Indian-inspired lentil soup is prepared with split chickpeas, red lentils, spinach, tomatoes, and a lot of flavorful spices. It is comforting, perfectly spiced, and easy to prepare. Serve with white rice or naan!

Easy Dal Palak (Vegan)
Jump to:
  • ⭐️ Why You Will Love this Recipe
  • 📘 What is Dal Palak
  • 🥣 How to Make Dal Palak
  • 💬 FAQ + Tips
  • 🇮🇳 More Indian-inspired Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

⭐️ Why You Will Love this Recipe

This recipe is inspired by my favorite Dal Palak from a local Indian restaurant. I had a quick talk with the chef and got the chance to squeeze out some tips out of him. So here is my own version, and let me just say it tastes just like the one I love!

  • Spot-on texture: It is not too soupy, but thick and creamy.
  • Perfectly spiced: The spices do not cover the flavor of the spinach, but complement it. This dal is not spicy, but very flavorful, thanks to the aromatics and spices.
  • Healthy: What I like about this dal is how rich it is in spinach. It makes it lighter than other types of dahl, plus you get your daily dose of greens!

Erica said: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I cooked this, and it really does taste restaurant-quality! The final result was beautiful, savory, and delicious."

Don't be scared by its dark green color, this dal is insanely delicious!

Easy Dal Palak (Vegan)

📘 What is Dal Palak

Dal Palak (दाल पालक) is an Indian dish that is made with lentils, spinach, and spices. It is one of the most popular vegetarian dish in India, along with many other types of dal like Dal Makhani and Chana Dal.

Easy Dal Palak (Vegan)

🥣 How to Make Dal Palak

The process to make dal palak is quite easy and requires ingredients that are easy to find. Here is what you will need:

  • Split chickpeas - Authentic dal palak (according to the Indian chef) is often made with split chickpeas (chana dal), which cook a lot faster than whole chickpeas, and don't require soaking. They are a bit bigger than lentils and add a nice texture to the dal.
  • Red lentils - Red lentils tend to "melt" during cooking, bringing a thicker texture.
  • Onion, garlic, ginger - Because you want a very aromatic spinach soup!
  • Tomato and tomato paste - Not all dal palak recipes call for tomatoes, but it adds a natural sweetness and subtle acidity.
  • Spices - Turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and fenugreek. The latter is essential to get the same flavor at the restaurant.
  • Spinach - Fresh baby spinach works best here, plus it saves time as you don't need to remove the stems.
  • Nutritional yeast - To enhance the flavor a little bit.
  • Vegan butter - This is optional, but if you want to add extra richness to your dal, stir in a tablespoon of vegan butter at the end of the cooking.
Easy Dal Palak (Vegan)

Preparing this dal is easy:

  1. Cook the lentils: Start by cooking the split chickpeas and red lentils in water for 20-25 minutes, or until the split chickpeas are tender, and the red lentils have melted.
  2. Prepare the tadka: In the meantime, prepare the tadka, also known as "tempering". Fry onions, garlic, ginger, tomato, and spices for 8-10 minutes.
  3. Blend the spinach: For a more interesting and pleasant texture, I recommend blending ⅔ of the spinach with some water until fully smooth. This way, you get a super creamy consistency while still having some whole spinach leaves here and there.
  4. Combine everything: Finally, add the cooked chickpeas, and lentils to the skillet. Pour in the blended spinach, as well as the remaining spinach leaves, and cook for 5-7 minutes, or longer if you prefer a thicker consistency.
Easy Dal Palak (Vegan)

💬 FAQ + Tips

  • What does "dal" mean? Dal (दाल) basically means "pulses" in Indian. It refers to many types of lentils and beans. Palak (पालक) means spinach. So this dish could be translated to lentil spinach soup.
  • What to eat with dal palak? You can eat this dal on its own, or serve with rice and/or naan on the side. Top with a dollop of cashew cream for extra creaminess, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon juice!
  • Can I substitute the split chickpeas? Yes, you can use yellow split peas; however, I highly recommend trying the recipe with split chickpeas for the best results.
  • How long does this dal palak keep? Dal Palak will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. It freezes very well and will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer.

This dal palak recipe is incredibly aromatic, subtly spiced, and so comforting! It's also great for meal prep and packs 18g of protein per serving!

Spinach dal with chickpeas and lentls in a bowl.

🇮🇳 More Indian-inspired Recipes

  • Veggie Balls in Creamy Masala Sauce
  • Chickpea Crepes with Creamy Lentil Dal
  • Instant Pot Cauliflower Tikka Masala
  • Vegetable Stuffed Naan

Let me know in the comments, and please leave a rating if you try this recipe!

Easy Dal Palak (Vegan)

📖 Recipe

Easy Dal Palak (Vegan)

Easy Dal Palak

4.87 from 15 votes
Author: Thomas
This Indian-inspired spinach and chickpea lentil soup is healthy and incredibly flavorful. It's light, nutritious, and packed with fiber and protein!
Print Pin Review Text Recipe
Prep Time : 10 minutes mins
Cook Time : 45 minutes mins
Total Time : 55 minutes mins
Servings 2 servings
Calories 382 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • ½ cup split chickpeas also known as chana dal
  • ¼ cup red lentils
  • 2 and ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 tomato finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon each: turmeric, coriander, garam masala, fenugreek
  • ⅛ teaspoon chili or more if you like it spicy
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 9 cups baby spinach
  • 2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
  • for serving: fresh parsley, lemon juice
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Instructions
 

  • Start by rinsing the split chickpeas and lentils 2-3 times.
  • Combine the split chickpeas, red lentils, and water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chickpeas are cooked, and there is almost no water left. Remove from heat and drain excess water if needed. Set aside.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until soft. Next, add the garlic and ginger. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the chopped tomato, spices, chili, salt, and tomato paste and cook until the tomatoes become soft, stirring regularly.
  • While the tomatoes are cooking, wash and drain the spinach. Roughly chop 3 cups of spinach and add it to the skillet.
  • Place the other 6 cups of spinach in a blender with ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth and transfer to the skillet.
  • Add the cooked chickpeas/lentils and nutritional yeast to the skillet and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly until the spinach is soft. You can cook it longer if you prefer a less soupy consistency. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
  • Serve topped with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Dal Palak goes very well with rice.
  • Leftovers will stay in the fridge for up to 3 days or up to 2 months in the freezer.

Notes

Serves two very large bowls, or 3-4 if served with rice or other grains on the side.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 382 kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.1 g | Protein: 17.9 g | Fat: 16.3 g | Fiber: 17.5 g | Sugar: 8 g
Course : Entree, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine : Indian
Did you make this recipe? Tag @fullofplants on Instagram and hashtag it #fullofplants
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  1. Carlos At Spoonabilities

    May 28, 2017 at 10:44 pm

    Dal is one of my favorite Indian recipes. I made it before but with lentils and I have to try your recipe with chickpeas. Also, I didn't know; there were split chickpeas. I have never seen it in the supermarket. Love love your photos!

    Reply
  2. Ron

    June 02, 2017 at 9:58 am

    5 stars
    A big Happy Anniversary!
    I found your site via FBP and glad I did. Dal is such a homey warming dish and can be made in so many ways as well as spiciness. This one is pinned to my "Indian Dishes board and we'll be making it soon.
    Keep up the excellent work.
    FYI: Nice photography.

    Reply
  3. Laurie

    September 25, 2017 at 10:57 pm

    5 stars
    This was easy to make and delicious. I followed the directions exactly except used one can of chickpeas which i added to the spinach along with the cooked red lentils then served over riced cauliflower. This recipe fed 4 adults. Though we all could have eaten more and would have liked leftovers!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      September 28, 2017 at 4:31 am

      Serving over riced cauliflower sounds great! Try with split chickpeas next time, I'm sure you will love the texture 🙂
      Thanks for the feedback Laurie!

      Reply
  4. LIza N.

    October 03, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    This looks fantastic! I'm super excited to try it. Two things - as a blogger please embed links to the recipe in your pictures. I am kind of lazy, at least as much as your average vegan web surfer, we don't want to have to find the corresponding words to go with your lovely pictures. Really, if it didn't look so yummy I would have gotten frustrated and moved on (and not everyone is as patient as me!) Second - the print button leaves off the instructions. 🙁 Boo. Luckily, I can pin it for later. Thanks for the post!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      October 04, 2017 at 6:05 am

      Hi Liza, thanks!
      Which internet browser are you using? I don't have any problem with the print option...

      Reply
  5. Kelly

    November 04, 2017 at 12:16 am

    What kind of chili are you using? I’m excited to try this!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      November 05, 2017 at 1:07 pm

      I'm using ground chili, which is a spice blend with cayenne, paprika, cumin, garlic, etc.

      Reply
  6. Brittany

    November 28, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    I just made this tonight and it's delicious! I couldn't find split chickpeas, but I added in some chunks of potato which was a nice addition.

    This is for sure going into my regular recipe rotation!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      November 29, 2017 at 4:31 pm

      Thanks Brittany! Happy to hear you liked it 😉
      You can probably replace split chickpeas with other beans like green lentils.

      Reply
  7. marie

    January 17, 2018 at 2:06 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe. This turned out even better than i expected. So delicious and full of flavor.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      January 19, 2018 at 10:15 am

      Awesome! So happy you liked the recipe! Thanks for the feedback Marie 🙂

      Reply
  8. Leela

    February 02, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    I have a question re the nutritional yeast - what is it replacing and/or what flavour is it adding? I'm not a vegetarian but like to cook mostly vegetarian foods at home and so replacing cheese/cream has never been needed. Does nutritional yeast make this a creamier recipe? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      February 04, 2018 at 3:31 pm

      It doesn't make it creamier, it adds a very subtle cheesy flavor, it's not essential to this recipe so you can omit if you want. I used it because usually, they add some cream + cheese in Dal Palak, at least at the Indian restaurant I go to.

      Reply
  9. Banu

    June 17, 2018 at 11:37 am

    5 stars
    Very good recipe for health and fitness as well tasty.
    It one of most know vegetarian food in India

    Reply
    • Thomas

      June 19, 2018 at 6:10 am

      Thanks Banu! Dal Palak is my favorite Indian dish!

      Reply
  10. Steve

    July 13, 2018 at 2:17 am

    This made a very good vegan dinner!

    Tip: Chana dal/split chickpeas are actually not that easy to find so you may be stuck using either whole chickpeas (much longer to cook), canned chickpeas, or another legume.

    Question: What consistency should the lentils be? Mine were essentially blown up at the end, should they remain whole?

    Suggestion: I served this with quinoa that I boiled with some cremini mushrooms and onions that i sautéed in olive oil for some extra flavor. That allows the dish to have more complete proteins, less overall carbohydrates, and additional fiber.

    Love the site!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      July 15, 2018 at 2:17 pm

      Glad to hear you liked it Steve!

      I agree, it can be hard to find if you don't have an Asian or Indian store nearby. Regarding the consistency, the split chickpeas should be soft, but not mushy like red lentils would be. They should remain whole, yes.
      Thanks for sharing! Happy to hear you like the blog 🙂

      Reply
  11. Julie

    August 13, 2018 at 12:04 am

    Hello!
    Since the sesame crusted tofu was a big hit with my family, I wanted to try this dal palak. I double the recipe, for my family of 5. Served it with brown basmati rice. My supermarket doesn’t carry split chick peas. But I had those dried little Desi chick peas. I just cooked them in the pressure cooker, and I was good to give this dal a try.
    We really loved it. We have left overs for my hubby’s lunches. It’s healthy, flavourful, easy to make.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      August 17, 2018 at 5:28 am

      Hi Julie,
      I'm so happy you and your family liked this dal! Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  12. Amrita Nagadia

    September 05, 2018 at 2:56 pm

    4 stars
    Hey Thomas,

    Glad to know someone so passionate about indian cuisine. Well there are many but I personally don't know who are into cooking it.
    well I tried the recipe step by step. luckily i had all the ingredients and it turned out to be delicious but the colour changed a from dark green to little brown. as per my knowledge, spinach turns brown when it's overcooked. I would be thankful to learn a tip about this. Thankful.
    Amrita

    Reply
    • Thomas

      September 09, 2018 at 5:59 am

      Hey Amrita,
      Glad to hear you liked the recipe! I'm afraid I can't help you here as I never had spinach turn brown, it can turn dark green though. One way to keep its vibrant green color is to blanch it, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the spinach and leave it for 1-2 minutes, then drain and transfer the spinach to ice cold water.

      Reply
    • Shaznin S Das

      May 21, 2020 at 9:26 am

      You can add a little sugar, it will prevent browning

      Reply
  13. Anil

    April 03, 2019 at 5:24 am

    5 stars
    I made Dal palak as per your recipe,it has become very yummy

    Reply
    • Thomas

      April 08, 2019 at 5:43 am

      Thank you Anil!

      Reply
  14. Anil

    April 03, 2019 at 5:28 am

    5 stars
    I made dal palak as per your recipe, it has become so yummy

    Reply
  15. Tanya

    May 02, 2019 at 12:06 pm

    Hi Thomas,

    Thank You for sharing this delightful recipe! I am from India and I was looking for Palak-based recipes on google when I came across Yours! It definitely got my attention and i gave it a try minus the nutritional yeast. As I didn’t mind using butter I cooked it in little butter and I didn’t need to add any cream to it! It is light and delicious beyond words! Was definitely surprised by the aromas, flavours and textures!

    Will definitely check out more of Your recipes! There is a simplicity and beauty in your approach to food which I respect...

    Keep up the good work! Keep on sharing

    Warm Regards,
    Tanya

    Reply
    • Thomas

      May 04, 2019 at 7:00 am

      Hi Tanya,
      Thank you so much for your kinds words! Dal Palak is one of my favorite dal! I'm glad you liked the flavor 🙂

      Reply
  16. Erica

    September 29, 2019 at 12:56 pm

    5 stars
    I cooked this, and it really does taste restaurant-quality! The only change I made was to add the turmeric and salt in with the lentils at the beginning of cooking, which is my habit when cooking dal (or lentils of any kind) — I find it seasons the dish more uniformly, and you wind up needing less salt. The final result was beautiful, savory, and delicious. I was eating it with rice and another side dish, so it made a good 5-6 portions for me.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      October 07, 2019 at 9:29 am

      Thanks for your feedback Erica! I'm glad to hear you liked it! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Oksana

    October 04, 2019 at 3:07 pm

    5 stars
    Do you have any tips on how to measure 9 cups of spinach? Everyone I've spoken to at the market has no clue so both times I've made this (delicious) recipe I've gotten different sizes and consistencies of dish.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      October 07, 2019 at 9:55 am

      9 cups of spinach are about 270-300g 🙂

      Reply
  18. Estee

    October 12, 2019 at 11:22 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing!! Whole family gobbled it all up!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      October 18, 2019 at 4:19 am

      Thanks for your rating Estee!

      Reply
  19. Sk

    January 15, 2020 at 3:29 pm

    The dish looks delicious. I want to try it for the dinner I'm hosting tomorrow. Please tell me if split chickpeas are gram lentil/daal chana? I've never heard of split chickpeas, so please clarify this. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      January 18, 2020 at 5:49 am

      Yes it is chana dal.

      Reply
  20. Heather Reseck

    February 21, 2020 at 9:26 pm

    I printed off this recipe to try several days ago. Now that I am going to make it, I tried to find the source. The printed recipe does not indicate your name or blog. It took some searching to find this again.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      February 23, 2020 at 5:51 am

      Thanks for letting me know Heather, I will check it!

      Reply
  21. Alexandra Faria

    February 22, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    Hello i was surching for recepies wish could approach to what i have in mind and i find you! With my pleasure i will inspired on your recepie! I will let you knomw! We are @alquimiavegana.bcn in insta.. Thanks for inspiring!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      February 23, 2020 at 5:54 am

      You're welcome!

      Reply
  22. Shaznin S Das

    May 21, 2020 at 9:20 am

    4 stars
    Awesome, my family loved it. I loved it. Fiber and proteins and with rice it becomes a complete meal.I added a little more chilli powder and instead of fenugreek powder used dry fenugreek leaves. crush them and add.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      May 22, 2020 at 3:12 am

      Thanks for your feedback Shaznin! 🙂

      Reply
      • jarka

        March 25, 2022 at 10:15 am

        Hi! Fenugreek is ment the seeds, or the leaves? Thank you!

        Reply
        • Thomas

          March 25, 2022 at 1:35 pm

          It is the dried leaves.

          Reply
  23. Farida Banu

    September 01, 2020 at 5:55 am

    WOW! Yummy recipe, superb presentation and wonderful photography.

    Reply
  24. Sebastian

    September 09, 2020 at 7:54 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I used split yellow peas instead of split chickpeas and it seemed to work well. Also used English spinach instead of baby spinach.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      September 13, 2020 at 8:35 am

      Thanks for sharing your tweaks Sebastian, glad to hear you liked the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  25. Danielle

    October 03, 2020 at 12:36 am

    5 stars
    I absolutely LOVED this! I used two 10 oz packages of frozen spinach (to save money) and it worked out great. I also used yellow split peas because it's all I could find at the store. They seemed the same or similar to the product the recipe linked to for split chickpeas. Turned out fine. This was my first time to make Indian food not in an instant pot, so I was kind of nervous, but it was really easy (I did use an instant pot to cook the lentils, which worked well). I served with Jeera Rice and yogurt, which both complemented this recipe nicely. The husband loved it. Thank you so much - I'm looking forward to trying more recipes on this site!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      October 07, 2020 at 12:04 pm

      Thanks for your feedback Danielle! 🙂 Glad to hear you both liked this Dal Palak!

      Reply
  26. Aria

    November 18, 2020 at 2:48 pm

    It turned out to be Awesome !! thank you for the recipe

    Reply
  27. Tanya

    December 01, 2020 at 11:46 pm

    This look yummy, can I use frozen or canned spinach?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      December 04, 2020 at 4:27 pm

      Sure, frozen spinach will work!

      Reply
  28. Colin

    December 14, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    Fantastic recipe, really good. Took me a couple of tries to get the measurements right as I had to convert cups to grams, which is usually fine, but a bit tricky with spinach! I think I've got it right now and will make again for sure.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      December 15, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      Thanks Colin!

      Reply
  29. Deeksha

    November 19, 2021 at 7:20 am

    This Dal Palak Looks so amazing. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe.

    Reply
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  1. Chickpea Crepes with Creamy Lentil Dal - Full of Plants says:
    September 1, 2020 at 9:45 am

    […] you are looking for more Indian-inspired recipes, check out this Dal Palak, Instant Pot Cauliflower Tikka Masala, or these delicious Veggie Balls in Creamy Masala […]

    Reply

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