Spinach and Dal

Overview
This is one on my favorite dish that my mother used to make. Fresh coconut ground to a smooth paste and mixed with Dal and spinach adds a unique flavor to this curry. This curry is garnished with mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and red whole chillies which adds a very pleasant mouth watering aroma to this dish.

Spinach and Dal

Ingredients
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Spinach leaves - a bunch
fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

To Garnish
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds - 11 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Red whole chillies broken to pieces - 3
Olive oil - 3 tablespoons

Steps
1. Wash and drain the spinach leaves. Chop finely and keep aside.

2. Wash and cook the Dal with 2 cups water in a pressure cooker till the Dal is cooked well. Add the chopped spinach to this along with salt and chilly powder. Bring to boil.

3. Grind the fresh grated coconut with turmeric to a smooth paste add this to the cooked Dal and spinach and bring it to a boil. Turn off heat.

4. In another dish heat the oil. When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the fenugreek and cumin seeds. add the broken red chillies and curry leaves to the oil. saute and then add this to the cooked Dal and spinach.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.