Moong Dal with Spinach (Lentils with Spinach)

This is a great dish to make through the week. It is simple and quick. Especially since I used these particular lentils- moong. They take all of 15 minutes to cook up. I have quite a few lentils in my pantry which is great when I don’t have anything else to cook.

I made these simply with some turmeric, salt and garlic. I let the lentils cook for a while and then added the frozen spinach- another thing I have on hand- it is extremely versatile and easy to use.

While the lentils were finishing up, I heated up some ghee (butter can be used instead) and added cumin. I added the mixture to the lentils and that was it. I served the lentils with some rice and it was a delicious weeknight meal. Everyone loved it.

Make these lentils through the week- they don’t take long at all.

• ¾ cup moong dal
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons garam masala

• 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds

Add the dal, water, turmeric, cloves and salt into a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a boil and simmer on medium heat till the lentils have softened- about 20 minutes. Add the spinach and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper and garam masala. Mix well and taste for seasonings.

Heat the butter or ghee in a small frying pan. Add the cumin seeds and sauté for a minute or two on high heat – till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the cumin to the dal and mix well. Serve with rice or roti.