- August 13, 2026
Growing up lentils were a big part of day-to-day meals, usually served with plain boiled white rice. Personally, I love lentils! Regardless of how they are cooked and incorporated in a recipe they are hearty and definitely a comfort food. Interestingly enough I have seen my kids going gaga over them, especially over the recipe I am about to share.
The recipe I want to share today is orange lentils cooked with spinach and topped with onions and cilantro.
Palak Dal (Lentils with Spinach)
2 cups orange lentils (Masoor Dal)
4 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Place the lentils in a pot and add the warm water. Place the pot on the stove on medium heat and let it come to a boil but don’t let it boil over or you will be cleaning the stove forever :). Turn down the heat a little and add all the ground spices. Let everything cook for 15 minutes or so. Add spinach and stir everything together. Let everything cook for another 5-7 minutes and turn the heat off.
In a frying pan, heat the oil. Add onions and let them turn golden brown. Add the onions with the oil to the lentils. Add cilantro and serve with rice or as a soup.
