Dal Palak is one of those everyday staples that never loses its charm in my Punjabi home. It's the dal we grew up eating on busy nights, lazy afternoons, and those "I need something simple but comforting" days. Light enough to enjoy anytime, but still hearty, nourishing, and filling. It's the kind of meal that makes you slow down for a minute.
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In my family, this dal is the definition of routine comfort. Someone always asks for it when they want a break from heavy curries. We pair it with whatever is around: soft rotis, a bowl of steamed / jeera rice, or lately, fluffy quinoa. It's the dal you eat when you want to feel grounded, almost like hitting a reset button after a long day.
Split masoor dal cooks fast, blends beautifully with spinach, and uses the most basic pantry ingredients. Just a simple, wholesome bowl that feels like home. I usually make it pot-in-pot so the quinoa cooks right along with the dal. One pot, one cleanup and dinner is ready.
Saag Aloo( Spinach & Potato curry )
Saag Paneer ( Kale & Spinach with Indian Cottage cheese)
Step By Step Instant Pot Dal Recipe.
- Start Instant Pot on Sauté. Add oil, cumin, garlic, and green chilies. Stir 30-45 seconds until fragrant.
- Add onion and cook about 1 minute (just to soften).
- Add tomato and cook 1-2 minutes until it breaks down a bit.
- Add turmeric, red chili powder, salt. Stir. Add rinsed masoor dal and 3 cups water; mix well.
- Place trivet into the dal. In a metal bowl, add rinsed quinoa (or rice) + 1 cup water. Set the bowl on the trivet. Close lid and move valve to sealing.
- Pressure Cook for 4 minutes. Quick Release when done.
- Lift out the PIP bowl and trivet carefully.
- Stir in chopped spinach. The residual heat will wilt the spinach in around 1-2 minutes. Add a spoon of ghee if you like. Taste salt and adjust.
- If too thick, splash in hot water to loosen.
- Fluff quinoa/rice. Ladle dal over. Eat warm. Enjoy.
If you're new to the Instant Pot, take a deep breath. We break down how to use your Instant Pot and tell you exactly what all those buttons do on our complete beginner's guide to the Instant Pot, called Master the Instant Pot with 3 Buttons. If you are looking for other easy Instant Pot recipes to try, check out our 15+ Quick and Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners. You can also check out our 100+ Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes for all your Instant Pot recipe needs.
Soniya's Top Tip
Add a squeeze of lemon at the end. It brightens the flavors and keeps the spinach color vibrant.
PRO TIPS AND TRICKS
The Instant Pot makes cooking dal palak super easy. To ensure success, you can follow some of these tips and tricks:
- Rinse the lentils first to make sure they are free of dirt or other debris that could be in them.
- If the dal is too thick, add a little bit of water and stir. Do this a little at a time to give you the consistency you want.
- Make the dal palak vegan by using oil instead of ghee.
How to Store
| Leftover Storage | How Long | How to Store |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator (covered container) | Up to 2-3 days | Cool to room temperature, transfer to airtight container, refrigerate |
| Freezer | Up to 1 month | Portion into freezer-safe container, leave head-space, thaw overnight in fridge then reheat gently |
| Reheating | — | Warm on stovetop with splash of water to bring back desired consistency; stir and heat through. You can also follow the same using a microwave |
How to Serve
Here are ideas for serving dal palak and pairing it with other dishes:
- Serve it with steamed basmati rice for a comforting combo.
- Pair with jeera (cumin) rice for extra flavor contrast.
- Serve alongside roti, chapati or paratha if you prefer bread.
- Add a simple side like cucumber-tomato salad or raita (plant-based yogurt version) to brighten the meal.
- For more variety, you could serve a vegetable side dish like gobi aloo or bhindi masala, and finish with a fruit-based dessert.
Difference between Dal Palak and Dal Spinach soup?
Dal palak and dal spinach soup are essential the same dish, just different ways of saying it. Dal is a soup made out of lentils or split peas. Palak is the addition of spinach to the soup as a means to add additional nutrition and flavor to the soup.
Do you Love Lentils the do try these recipes
- Dal makhani
- Instant pot Toor dal
- Brown lentil curry
- Green moong Dal
- Dal tadka
- Mujadara ( rice and lentil)
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Instant Pot Dal Palak / Spinach Dal Recipe
Servings:
peopleCalories:
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup split masoor dal red lentils, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon oil or ghee
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 green chilies slit or chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1½ cups chopped spinach packed
- 3 cups water dal thickens as it rests
Pot-in-Pot Quinoa or Rice
- 1 cup quinoa or rice rinsed
- 1 cup water
- Trivet + metal bowl that fits your Instant Pot
Instructions
- Start Instant Pot on Sauté. Add oil, cumin, garlic, and green chilies. Stir 30-45 seconds until fragrant.
- Add onion and cook about 1 minute (just to soften).
- Add tomato and cook 1-2 minutes until it breaks down a bit.
- Add turmeric, red chili powder, salt. Stir. Add rinsed masoor dal and 3 cups water; mix well.
- Place trivet into the dal. In a metal bowl, add rinsed quinoa (or rice) + 1 cup water. Set the bowl on the trivet. Close lid and move valve to sealing.
- Pressure Cook for 4 minutes. Quick Release when done.
- Lift out the PIP bowl and trivet carefully.
- Stir in chopped spinach. The residual heat will wilt the spinach in around 1-2 minutes. Add a spoon of ghee if you like. Taste salt and adjust.
- If too thick, splash in hot water to loosen.
- Fluff quinoa/rice. Ladle dal over. Eat warm. Enjoy.
Ashley says
This sounds so deliciously comforting!
Emily Liao says
I've never had Dal palak before until now! This recipe is so delicious and my whole family loved it for dinner! Super hearty and tons of flavor.
Alison Corey says
This is such a delicious recipe! The spices are perfect, and it's so easy to make vegan. Will make this recipe again and again.
Angela says
I love that this meal can be made in one pot! Thanks for sharing!
Bennett Cunningham says
Made the vegan version today. I used the stovetop as I don't have an instant pot and it turned out wonderfully. Also, I added extra greens cause I couldn't help myself. Thanks for the recipe.
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Bennett, Thanks for sharing your feedback with us...glad you enjoyed the spinach dal 🙂 hopenyou try our other recipes too.
Maryam says
Which pip would recommend for instant pot?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Maryam, if you are into pip cooking .. I highly recommend getting a high legged trivet. https://amzn.to/32Cxb12 you can use any stainless steel container for making the rice we use https://amzn.to/2IJfZiS. Hope this helps!
Sandy A says
Hello! I made this using the stovetop method yesterday and it came out really well, thank you! (My husband is not a fan of Indian dishes made in the Instant Pot!).
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Sandy, we are so glad to hear that ❤️ hope you try other recipes from our blog xoxo
Angela says
When would you add the garam masala? With the other spices?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Angela... It goes in with the spices (salt, turmeric, red chili powder)
Lisa says
Can cumin powder be used instead of seed? Also will brown lentils work?
Soniya says
Hi Lisa, yes you can use curry powder.Yes you can use brown lentil.. but the time will change to (15 minutes)
Bethany says
How many servings does this make? I have a family is 8 so I'm guessing I should double everything.
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Bethany, this recipe serves 4-5 people. Yes you need to double the recipe if you are family of 8. Make sure you are using a 8 qt if you are planning on doing cook rice and Dal together (pip). Hope this helps.
Leslie says
The recipe says to use lime juice but the instructions say lemon juice. Which one is it?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Leslie, you can use either 🙂
Leslie says
@Soniya Saluja, Thanks!
Liana Bagworth says
Hi, I love dal palak and am trying your recipe for the first time (it's in the pot now)! Just fyi, I noticed in the narrative in the beginning of the posting it says to add the onion, garlic and ginger but the ginger is not listed in the ingredients. I always use ginger so just added my own to my liking! Looking forward to trying this dish, and some of your other recipes.