Palak & chana dal pulao recipe | Spinach & lentil (split Bengal gram) rice recipe
This mildly spiced ‘palak & chana dal pulao’ is perfect for a quick, easy and healthy one-pot meal that will satisfy the whole family. Rich in plant-based protein, dietary fiber, calcium, iron & potassium, this pulao is good for lunch or dinner, on the weekend or weekday!
What is pulao?
Vegetarian pulao (also known as pulav or pilaf) is a one pot rice dish where the rice is cooked together with spices, herbs, vegetables and sometimes plant-based protein such as lentils. It’s a very flexible dish, one that you can customize as per the available ingredients and taste.
This palak & chana dal pulao is adapted from my sister-in-law’s chana dal pulao. I have added spinach to the recipe to increase its nutritional value. Spinach is an excellent source of iron, especially for vegetarians/vegans.
If you are new to chana dal, chana dal is also known as split Bengal gram or skinned & split brown chickpeas (desi kala chana). These brown chickpeas are small in size with a dark brown husk. They are different from garbanzo beans which are bigger in size and pale yellow/cream in color.
Chana dal is rich in plant-based protein, dietary fiber and is a good source of calcium & iron. Besan, popularly known as chickpea flour or gram flour, is made from grinding chana dal.
To make this pulao, I am using good quality extra-long/long grain basmati rice that is aged for at least 2 years. This is the best rice for making a non-sticky and flavorful pulao. If you use a different type of rice, keep in mind that it will affect the texture and also the water as the cooking time will need to be adjusted.
Rice to water ratio
To cook this pulao, we follow the rice to water ratio of 1:2. So, for every cup of raw basmati rice, you need double the amount of water to cook it. This ratio works when the rice has been presoaked for at least ½ hour.
Why you’ll love this palak & chana dal pulao
- one-pot meal
- excellent source of plant-based protein, dietary fiber, calcium, iron & potassium
- mild flavor, perfect for the whole family
- quick & easy to make
- vegan/vegetarian – traditionally, pulao is made with ghee, however if vegan, use any neutral oil.
- naturally gluten-free
Important
Though this recipe is quick to prepare & cook, it requires presoaking of chana dal & rice. Even though it’s not required to presoak lentils, presoaking provides many benefits and is never skipped in Indian cooking. Presoaking drastically reduces cooking time, makes dal easier to digest, makes the nutrients in dal ready to be assimilated by the body, and reduces its gas-producing quality. With a little bit of planning, time does all the hard work for you and of course it tastes much better when cooked after presoaking.
Cooking in advance
If you are cooking the pulao in advance, do not cover until it has cooled down, or the residual heat will make the rice sticky and lumpy. If possible, spread the pulao in a tray to let the steam escape and then store once it has cooled down. This will ensure non sticky rice.
Serving suggestions
Though this pulao is good on its own, take it to the next level with accompaniments such as plain yoghurt/raita (for raita inspirations, check out zucchini raita, onion raita or kale raita), pickles or papad/poppadoms.
As it’s mildly spiced, you can also have it with a curry of your choice.
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Palak & chana dal pulao recipe | Spinach & lentil (split Bengal gram) rice recipe
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup chana dal (also known as Split Bengal gram or split brown chickpeas without skin); washed, soaked (min 2 hrs) and drained
- 1 ½ cup long grain aged basmati rice; washed, soaked (at least ½ hour) and drained
- 3 tbsp ghee (use oil if vegan)
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 inch ginger
- 3-4 large garlic cloves
- 1 medium green chili
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 tsp salt or as per taste
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 200 gms spinach, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
- 3 cups hot water
- ½ lime/lemon, juice of
Instructions
Wash and presoak dal & rice
- In a bowl, measure & add the chana dal. Add water to the bowl, then wash and drain. Repeat till the water runs clear. Soak in fresh water (up to 1-2 cm over the dal) for a minimum of 2 hours. (It’s ok to soak for longer too. As dal absorbs water during presoaking, it will slightly increase in size).
- In another big enough bowl, measure & add rice. Add water & wash by gently rubbing the rice and drain. Initially, the water will be cloudy but becomes clearer with each wash. Repeat at least 4-5 times or till water runs mostly clear. Once the water is clearer, soak in fresh water (at least 2cm over the rice) for at least half an hour.(As rice absorbs water during presoaking, it will increase in size and the color will change from translucent, creamy white to white). Note-Chana dal & rice have different soaking times. Rice can be washed & soaked at the same time as the chana dal or it can be done half an hour before cooking.
Prepare the other ingredients
- Roughly chop the ginger, garlic and green chili and using a mortar & pestle, make a ginger-garlic-green chili paste.
- Peel and slice the onion.
- Chop the spinach and the coriander/cilantro leaves.
- Measure & heat up the water.
Cook the pulao
- On a medium flame, heat ghee in a big enough nonstick or heavy bottom stainless steel pot. Using a pot with a wider base will give the rice maximum space to expand as the rice will elongate to twice its size upon cooking.
- Add the bay leaves and cumin seeds. Sizzle for around 12-15 seconds, taking care not to burn them.
- Next, add the ginger-garlic-green chili paste. Sauté for approx. 30 seconds, just enough to remove the raw smell of ginger & garlic.
- Add the sliced onions and cook till the onions become light pink and slightly translucent, approx. 1-1½ minutes.
- Drain the chana dal and add to the pot. Add salt, mix and cover. Reduce the flame to low & cook the dal for 5-8 minutes till almost cooked (chana dal usually holds its shape even after cooking).
- Mix in-between once or twice while cooking the dal. The amount of time needed to cook the chana dal will vary depending on the chana dal you have as every packet of chana dal can have slightly different cooking times.
- To check if the chana dal is almost done, take a piece of chana dal and bite it (remember to let it cool down a little). You’ll know it’s cooked when there’s no rawness. You could also try cutting the chana dal with your thumb nail, if it cuts easily, it’s done.
- Once the dal is almost done, add the garam masala and ground black pepper.
- Mix thoroughly and add the chopped spinach & the coriander/cilantro leaves. Mix and cover & cook for approx. 1-2 minutes till the spinach wilts.
- Pour in the measured hot water. Adding hot water helps to maintain the cooking temperature in the pot and speeds up the cooking time.
- At this point, taste the stock to add salt or spices if needed. If you prefer more heat, add some more garam masala or ground black pepper. Do not add red chili powder as it will change the color of the pulao. The stock needs to be saltier and spicier than normal as we need to account for the rice. As a rough guide, if the salt tastes just right, then add extra salt that you usually add while cooking plain rice.
- Turn the flame to med-high. Bring the water/stock to a boil. Drain the rice and add to the boiling water. Mix gently once and cook uncovered and undisturbed till all the water has evaporated.
- Once the water level goes below the rice, it is very close to being cooked. Using a spoon, gently remove the rice from the side to check the water level. When you see the water has completely evaporated, immediately switch off the gas and remove from heat.
- Since the rice has been presoaked, it is cooked in just the time it takes to evaporate the water. As it cooks very quickly, do not leave it unattended at any time. After adding the rice, it takes less than 10 minutes for the pulao to be ready.
- Gently fluff to help the steam escape from the bottom of the pot. The residual heat will keep the rice and dal cooking and therefore, it’s very important to leave the pulao uncovered. If the pulao is covered at this stage, it will result in sticky and lumpy rice. Let it rest for 7-10 minutes.
- Squeeze some lemon/lime on top. Serve hot with accompaniments such as papad, pickles or/and raita (refer to the post/Notes for some raita inspirations).
Video
Notes
- 1 cup=250ml
- Vegan options – Traditionally, pulao is made with ghee, however if vegan, use any neutral oil.
- Cooking in advance – If you are cooking the pulao in advance, do not cover until it has cooled down, or the residual heat will make the rice sticky and lumpy. If possible, spread the pulao in a tray to let the steam escape and then store once it has cooled down. This will ensure non sticky rice.
- Calories information is approximate, calculated using online Recipe Calorie & Nutrition Calculator.
- Raita recipes – Zucchini raita, Onion raita, Kale raita
We tried the recipe at home. It was easy to make and very tasty.
Would like to make it regularly.
Hello, Thank you for trying the recipe and glad you liked it!