Paalak Daal Shaljam: Turnip Spinach Lentil
Sometimes you get the opportunity to try your hands on something that you haven't done earlier. This lentil is one of those recipes for me. One day while chit chatting in office, one of my colleagues told that she had a big bag of turnips & asked me if I made any recipe with #turnips. I had never used #turnip in my cooking before but I knew it tasted almost like #Mooli #Daikon #Radish, so I told her that I'd try something using #turnips and share a recipe.
As the weekend was approaching, with the thought in mind, I got a bag of turnips. Before deciding on what to make, I peeled a portion and tasted it, to be sure how it tastes. I realized it is slightly sweet yet has a nutty flavor to it. So, I decided that I will use Spinach and Chana daal with it. Chana daal for a bite, and spinach to make it healthier and also to reduce its nutty flavor. Read along for the amazingly delicious recipe of healthy Turnip Lentil with spinach. I did not think that this combination will come out so relishing. Do give it a try if you want to try something new and tasty, yet healthy!!
This recipe will serve 3-4 people. You can serve it with any bread. I served it with chapati.
List of Ingredients:
3 medium sized turnips.
One bunch of Spinach ( around 100 -150 gm).
Chana daal / Split Chickpeas - 3/4 cup.
Oil/Ghee - 1 tbsp.
Heeng/Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 2.5 tsp.
Haldi/Turmeric powder - 2 tsp.
Laal mirch powder/Red chili powder - 1.5 tsp.
Dhaniya Powder/Coriander Powder - 2 tsp.
Garam Masala - 1 tsp.
Salt - As per taste.
Coriander leaves - For garnishing.
Easy to follow steps:
Peel and chop turnips into small pieces. Clean spinach and chop it too. Wash and soak Chana daal for at least an hour in hot water. In a pan on low heat, add 1 tbsp of oil, add heeng and cumin seeds, and let'em crackle a bit then add turmeric powder. Transfer the chopped turnips in to the pan. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste. Mix well. Cover pan with lid for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it to keep it from burning.
When turnip is slightly mushy, add drained Chana daal and stir it well. Let it simmer for another 20 minutes on medium to low heat. Keep stirring intermittently to make sure it doesn't stick to the pan. If it does, add some water. When Chana daal is cooked add spinach and mix well. Cook for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle some garm masala at this point, mix it and turn the flame off.
Tip: If you are short on time, you can use a pressure cooker instead of pan. After adding Chana daal just cook lentil for two whistles, let it depressurize naturally and then add spinach and simmer it for 5 minutes.
And, our Turnip Lentil is ready!
I also made bread sandwiches with it and they tasted even better than regular chapati combo.
Happy Feasting!
Hope you liked the recipe and didn't find it too difficult. Let me know if this got you high on flavors. Don't forget to subscribe for more updates. Leave a comment for any questions/thoughts. Talk to you in my next mouthwatering recipe!
This came out so great! I am the co-worker who wanted a turnip recipe and this totally delivered. It used a bunch of our farm share turnips without actually noticing we were eating turnips 😂
I made this using the instant pot and cooked it under high pressure for 6 minutes. I definitely needed to add water, likely because I didn't soak the chana for the full hour. I probably added between 1.5 and 2 pints, and it came out slightly too watery. But it tasted great and thickened up in the fridge for yummy leftovers! Definitely recommend!