I am really loving some lentil dishes lately. Another week where I need something easy. Indian cuisine is a good one for that. Lots of flavor, without a lot of fuss. The key with Indian food is to not be intimidated by the long ingredient list. Many Indian dishes require you make a masala. That is usually a long list of spices that are ground and bloomed in oil on the stove. That makes each dish unique and is really simple. I found this recipe from Ministry of Curry for Easy Spinach Dal and I was interested. Lentils and spinach are a great combination. Dal just means a bean or lentil. The original recipe needs a boost in the protein department as well as vitamin A and C. I will also not be using an Insta Pot for this recipe, since I don’t have one. I have a lot of cookware and I don’t plan on buying any more any time soon. Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I removed the added salt to reduce the sodium
• I replaced the tomato with red bell pepper to increase the vitamin A and C.
• I increased the amount of lentils to increase the protein.
• I will be serving this with 1/3 brown rice

Here are the updated stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Spinach Dal

• 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 green chili chopped
• 4 garlic cloves or 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
• 4 curry leaves optional
• 2 large red bell pepper
• 3 cups water
• 1.5 cup red lentils
• 6 ounces baby spinach

1. Add ghee, cumin, turmeric, green chili, garlic, curry leaves, red bell peppers to a large pot and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes

2. Add lentils and water to the pot and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked

3. Mix the lentils with a spatula. Add more water, to bring the lentils to desired consistency. Dal will thicken as it cools. Add chopped Spinach and mix well.

4. Enjoy hot with steamed brown rice.