INDIAN SPINACH CURRY (PALAK PALYA)

Indian Spinach Curry (Palak Palya) image

This tasty, spicy curry makes a great vegan side dish to go along with rice or any Indian flatbread. This is a very authentic curry commonly made with amaranth leaves, found in almost every Madhwa Brahmin household. I regularly make it with spinach, which is easier to find in almost all the grocers near my place. The same curry could be made with any type of fresh green leaves available to you like, dill, mountain spinach leaves, fenugreek, or linseed.

Provided by Ashwini

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Indian

Time 1h15m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

¾ cup toor dal (pigeon peas)
3 ¼ cups water, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon urad dal
½ teaspoon chana dal (split chickpeas)
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
¼ teaspoon hing powder (asafoetida)
1 sprig curry leaves
5 dried red chile peppers
2 green chile peppers
4 cups chopped spinach
1 tablespoon jaggery
½ cup freshly grated coconut
salt to taste

Steps:

Place toor dal in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 15 minutes.
Drain toor dal and transfer to a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®). Add 3 cups water and close and lock the lid. Choose high pressure and set the timer for 7 minutes; allow 5 to 10 minutes for pressure to build.
Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Set cooked toor dal aside.
Heat a pan over medium heat and add oil. Add mustard seeds to hot oil and cook until sputtering, about 1 minute. Add cumin, urad dal, chana dal, fenugreek seeds, and hing. Cook and stir, making sure the seasonings do not burn. Add curry leaves, red chiles, and green chiles and fry for 1 minute. Mix in chopped spinach and saute about 1 minute. Sprinkle 1/4 cup water over spinach and cover pan partially with a lid. Cook until wilted, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
Add cooked toor dal to the pan and mix well. Add coconut and jaggery and combine well. Season with salt and mix thoroughly.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 180.8 calories, Carbohydrate 16.3 g, Fat 11.9 g, Fiber 4.6 g, Protein 4.6 g, SaturatedFat 7.3 g, Sodium 76.6 mg, Sugar 4.5 g