Chilli Coconut Dal Palak

So, I don’t really have a typical or traditional name for this dish but Chilli Coconut Dal Palak describes it the best. It is basically a yellow dal with palak that has coconut in it and to offset the creaminess of the coconut, I ensure I add some heat and kick from the chillies. As I have earlier written about, I never really was a fan of Dal Palak or Palak, growing up. Some tweaking around with ingredients and a few replacements later, I landed up with this Dal with Beetroot greens which was an acceptable form of dal with greens. Now, I finally do like dal palak with a different method and quantity of palak from what I ate growing up. So much so, that my mom now prepares dal palak this way.

What dals to use?

Adding coconut to dals is something I am now quite fond of. It transforms the dal into a creamier and earthier accompaniment to rice. For this Chili Coconut Dal Palak, I usually pick a combination of moong, arhar/toor and masoor, in no specific proportion. I find Arhar or Toor dal (Yellow Pigeon Pea) to be creamier and make it in various forms in my kitchen like this one with a heeng jeera chaunk and this simple one with a tadka. It is of course the star of the simple sambar. Here with palak, the creamy texture of cooked arhar/toor dal with pureed fresh coconut and chilies serves as the perfect vehicle for palak or spinach greens.

Having said that, you can make dal palak with any yellow dal. Arhar is known to be difficult to digest so some people use heeng or asafoetida with it while others steer away from it and opt for moong and masoor which are also fantastic in this. Moong and Masoor result in a lighter more easily digested dal so choose what you like.

Versatile Coconut Paste

The coconut and chilli paste that I add in this dal palak is borrowed from the Kerala recipes that I cook at home. The same green chilli- jeera and coconut paste is also used in recipes like Ripe Mango curry, Parippu Dal, Pineapple Pachadi and even the Coconut Egg Curry. Because of the versatility of this paste, I almost always have a stock of grated fresh coconut in my freezer, something that I learnt from my mother in law. This paste transforms most recipes in a creamy luxurious gravy with its earthy flavour.

Let’s make creamy Chili Coconut Dal Palak

Prep Time: 10 to 15 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 40-45 minutes

Serves 4; Yields 4 to 6 cups

Ingredients

For the Dal and Tadka

• Mix of Arhar/Pigeon Pea, Yellow Moong, Orange Masoor Dal, 1 cup
• Water for soaking and cooking, 2 cups approx
• Fresh Spinach/Palak, 250-300 grams or 1 bunch (see notes for using frozen spinach)
• Onion/Pyaaz, 1 large, chopped
• Tomato/Tamatar, 1 large, chopped
• Ginger/Adrak, 1 inch piece, finely chopped
• Garlic, 1-2 cloves, finely chopped (optional)
• Coconut Oil or Ghee, 2-3 tbsp
• Dried Red Chilli/Lal Mirch, 1 to 2
• Asafoetida/ Heeng, a few pinches
• Cumin/Jeera, 2 tsp, divided
• Mustard/Sarson/Rai Seeds, 1 tsp
• Curry leaves/ Kadi Patta, 5-6, dried or fresh
• Salt to taste
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric/Haldi powder, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander/Dhaniya Powder, 2 tsp

For the Chilli Coconut Paste

• Green Chillies/ Hari Mirch, 2 to 3
• Grated Coconut/Nariyal, frozen or fresh, 1 cup
• Warm water, for blending, approximately 1/8cup

Special Equipment

• Pressure Cooker
• A small blender or mixie

Method

Soak and cook the Dal

Start by measuring and rinsing the dal that you plan to use. You could use only one dal or a use a mix of arhar or pigeon pea with moong dhuli or yellow washed moong and washed red lentils or masoor dhuli. I use roughly equal amounts of all three dals to make 1 cup. Rinse the dal a few times by gently agitating them with your fingers and then finally soak them in 2 cups of water for 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a pressure cooker and add turmeric powder. Pressure cooker for 1 to 2 whistles. Keep aside for use later.

Prep the spinach and aromatics

If using frozen grated coconut, measure 1 cup and bring it out so that it starts to thaw. The coconut is only used at the last step so there is still time but if it does not thaw completely, you can use warm water to grind it. More on that later.

Next, rinse and drain fresh palak a few times, if using. For frozen palak, you need only need to bring it out to thaw slightly. Fresh Spinach usually has a lot of dirt so dunk it in a large pot of cold water for a couple of minutes. Drain and slice off the ends of the any fibrous stems. Bunch up the rest of the palak to chop it. Once chopped, keep aside for later.

Peel and dice an onion. Clean/peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic if using. Chop the tomato and proceed to the next step of making the tadka.

Make the Tadka

Place a kadhai or dutch oven on medium high heat. Once hot, pour in a few tablespoons of coconut oil or ghee. I prefer to use coconut oil as it adds a great flavour. When the oil or ghee is hot, add in cumin seeds or jeera and a pinch of asafoetida or heeng. Once the jeera sizzles, add in mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. When the mustard seeds pop, throw in fresh or dried curry leaves/ kadi patta and dried red chilli (I used a Kashmiri chilli). Bloom these for just a minute or till the dried chilli fluffs up.

Soon, follow by adding chopped onions, ginger and garlic. Cook for 7-10 minutes on medium high heat or until the onion starts to become golden at the edges. Do not leave unattended or the onion will burn.

Next, throw in diced tomatoes followed by turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and just a teaspoon of salt. We will add more salt later. Stir the seasonings in and let the tomatoes cook to a mush, which should be in another 7-10 minutes on medium high heat.

Once the tomatoes are mushy, add in the chopped spinach or palak. Mix in the chopped leaves and when they wilt, which will be in a couple of minutes, add in the boiled dal.

If you are using frozen spinach, there is no need to thaw it. Just measure roughly1/2 to 1 cup of frozen spinach in whatever form (chopped or whole) and add it in place of the fresh spinach. There is no need to cook frozen spinach for longer, it will eventually disintegrate in the dal as the dal palak simmers. 

Stir the dal in the tadka and reduce the heat to medium. You may add some water to adjust the consistency of the dal if it is too thick. Let this cook for 5-10 minutes as you prepare your chilli coconut paste.

Prepare the Chili Coconut Paste

While the dal palak simmers, prep your chilli coconut paste. Start by heating half a cup of water (in a microwave or stove) which we will use for blending the paste. Once the water is steaming hot, not boiling, we can take it off heat.

Now in a blender, add in shredded coconut, 2 to 3 green chillies, a teaspoon of cumin and a few tablespoons of hot water. Blend till a smooth paste is formed. Depending on your blender or mixie, you may need to stop and scrape the sides or add more hot water until a smooth paste is formed.

Once the paste is ready, stream it in the simmering Dal Palak. Taste and adjust salt at this moment. Cook on low for 4-5 minutes and your Chilli Coconut Dal Palak is ready.

Serve this Coconut Dal Palak with roti or steamed rice, roasted papad and some optional Pulli Inji for a delicious comforting meal.