Dal-Saag (Lentils cooked with Amaranth leaves)

There are days when, I can only think of comfort foods and dal –roti is one such recipe which never gets ruled out and we never get bored out of it either. Dal- saag is adding up more greens to those ‘’everyday dal recipes’’. I have used up green amaranth leaves with chana dal+ masoor dal. Many use spinach , some even use beetroot greens. Choose whatever you wish to, bottom line is, this is a great way of incorporating greens in one’s diet-plan.

This is how we make Dal-saag – our comfort food.

Dal-Saag (Lentils cooked with Amaranth leaves)

Recipe requirements

•  2 cups of chana dal ( Yellow split pea lentil)
• ¼ cup of masoor dal ( orange lentil ) 
• 1 bunch of amaranth leaves or 800 gm of amaranth leaves -stems discarded

For tempering and seasonings

• ½ tsp. of turmeric powder
•  1 tsp of red pepper powder
•  1 tsp of coriander powder
• ¼ tsp of cumin powder
•  1 tsp of salt or as per taste
• 1/2  tsp of sugar
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 2-3 fat cloves of garlic
• 1 medium size tomato
• Pinch of hing
• 4-5 tbs of mustard oil
• 2 tsp of ghee

Method

• Soak chana and masoor dal for about 2-3 hrs in a vessel with water.
• Put cleaned dals in pressure cooker.Add in 2-3 cups of water.Let it come to one boil, Remove /skim off the white foam that is forming now. Close the pressure cooker, by securing the lid with whistle.
• Now pressure cook both dals together for 2 whistles with ample water. Let the pressure subside and then open the lid. Add more water if it turns out semi- dry. Add in turmeric powder, red pepper powder, salt and sugar. Mix well and keep aside.
• Now heat up a fry pan, add in mustard oil. Let it come to smoking point.Now do the Tarka/tempering.
• Add in cumin seeds, dry red chillies and hing. Add in chopped garlic and tomato. Add dry spices- coriander+cumin powder.
• Stir/fry all for about 3-4 mints at med-high flame or till oil separates out.
• Clean Amaranth leaves in water.Take out tender shoots and healthy looking leaves from the bunch, discard stems..
• Blanch amaranth leaves separately. Add the leaves to the cooked dals ( Lentils). Let it simmer for about 8-10 mints.
• Add the tempering/tarka to the above cooked dals with greens.
• Let it slowly simmer for about 4-5 mints. Add ghee at the end. Serve and enjoy with roti or rice whatever way you prefer.

Tip- You can add in some toasted cashews to the above dal or Paneer cubes as well.

Happy Cooking and have a great week ahead.....