Keerai Paruppu in Instant Pot | Spinach Moong Dal

Best keerai (spinach) variety for paruppu

Choosing the right green for your keerai paruppu or spinach dal can help you customize the dal of your dreams. Here are some varieties of greens that you may choose from when making your keerai paruppu. In Tamil, the word keerai is often used to refer to spinach, however some of these varieties are not known as spinach in English. Confusing, I know - but let me break them down for you!

• Pasalai Keerai (Baby Spinach) - Baby spinach is my go-to variety as it is readily available in most United States grocery stores. The leaves of baby spinach are small and the stems tender which allows it to cook easily and meld into the dal in a homogenized creamy mixture.
• Paruppu Keerai (Purslane) - Paruppu keerai is named literally after this dish so it is a no-brainer that this is a great choice when making keerai paruppu if you can get your hands on it. Purslane is the english word for this vegetable and it has small leaves which are slightly sour. When whisked in dal, they help the dal considerably thicken and turn ultra creamy.
• Sirukeerai (Amaranth) - Sirukeerai or amaranth is a tender pointed leaf plant with a heartier texture than spinach. It is great for those who still like the texture of greens when eating dal.
• Kaadugu Keerai (Mustard Greens) - Kaadugu Keerai or mustard greens have a peppery, pungent, and slightly bitter flavor which adds a layer of complexity to dal!

Choosing the right dal and substitutes.

Moong dal (split and hulled) is my go-to dal because it doesn't require soaking and cooks so quickly. In fact, on weeknights when the fridge is barren a simple stovetop moong dal topped with ghee satisfies my craving for dal while coming together in minutes. Be careful when buying moong dal because it comes in various forms from whole, split (unhulled), and split (hulled). The one you want for this recipe is the split and hulled.

Split Moong Dal

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A great alternative to moong dal is masoor dal or red lentil dal which is just as thin and can be replaced 1:1 in a recipe, leading to a dish that can be made as fast as your favorite pasta.

Another great alternative is toor dal also known as yellow split pigeon peas. Toor dal is a thicker dal variety so it is important that when replacing it for moong dal in recipes, it is soaked in water for at least 30 minutes up to overnight so it cooks easily. Alternatively, if cooked on the stovetop, you can increase the water content by 25% in the recipe and allow for a longer cooking time with this thicker toor dal.

Instant pot vs. other methods of cooking dal

Dal can be cooked on the stovetop or in an instant pot. The main distinction is that the stovetop uses gentle heat to cook the lentils and requires more time while the instant pot uses the help of pressure to quicken the process.

The use of the instant pot is particularly helpful when you want to start a dal and forget about it whereas you need to keep an eye on stovetop dal to periodically check the water levels and ensure that the dal hasn't overflowed. I've written an in-depth article on how-to cook any Indian dal which goes over the right dal to source, soak times, and cooking in pressure cooker vs stovetop. It is a really good primer to get you confident is whatever method of cooking decide to choose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keerai Paruppu in Instant Pot | Spinach Moong Dal

Shri Repp

This keerai paruppu or spinach moong dal is a vibrant green, creamy dal that contains a daily dose of leafy spinach greens and comes together so easily in the instant pot! 

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Servings 3 cups

Product Reccs

Asafetida

Split Moong Dal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ½ (90 g) medium yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 (75 g) roma tomato finely chopped
• 1 (6 g) Thai chili or ½ Serrano for less heat
• 4 cloves garlic crushed into a coarse paste
• ½ cup (100 g) split moong dal (hulled)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
• 1 cup water
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ⅛ teaspoon asafetida
• 8 oz (227 g) baby spinach

Ingredients for Tadka/Thalipu

• 2 teaspoons ghee or butter
• ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ⅛ teaspoon asafetida (Optional)
• 1-2 dried red chili peppers

Instructions

 

Prep Ingredients

1. Finely chop ½ (90 g) medium yellow onion
2. Finely chop 1 (75 g) roma tomato
3. Finely chop 1 (6 g) Thai chili
4. Crush or grate 4 cloves garlic

Main Recipe

1. Wash Moong Dal: Add ½ cup (100 g) split moong dal (hulled) to a medium bowl and bring over to your sink. Fill the bowl halfway with water and swish and lightly scrub the dal with your fingers to release the excess starch in the dal. Drain the cloudy water and repeat this process until the water is fairly clear, and drain once more.
2. Turn your instant pot to saute mode on medium heat. Add the 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and ½ (90 g) medium yellow onion (chopped) to the pot and saute until the onions are translucent (~2 minutes).
3. Add the 4 cloves garlic (crushed) and saute for an additional minute. This helps cook out the raw flavor and smell of the garlic. 
4. Add the 1 (75 g) roma tomato (finely chopped) and 1 (6 g) Thai chili (finely chopped) along with half of the 1 teaspoon sea salt and saute until the tomatoes soften and release their juices which should take about (1-2) minutes.
5. Add the washed dal, 1 cup water, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, and ⅛ teaspoon asafetida to the pot. Layer in the 8 oz (227 g) baby spinach on top of the dal and water. Close the lid, hit cancel to exit saute mode, and enter manual or pressure cook mode for 5 minutes. You can release the pressure manually by carefully moving the venting valve once done or you can wait for a natural de-pressurizing of the instant pot which should take an additional 5 minutes.
6. Carefully open the Instant Pot, making sure to open the lid away from you so that you are not burned by the steam. The dal should be cooked through and should be mushy to the touch. Use either a whisk or a wooden spoon to mix up the dal and spinach until it becomes a creamy homogenized dish. Add remaining half of the 1 teaspoon sea salt and taste. Add additional salt at this time based on your preference.
7. Make Tadka or Thalipu: In a separate tadka spoon or small saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons ghee or butter and ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to sputter in the oil add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, ⅛ teaspoon asafetida, and 1-2 dried red chili peppers and temper them in the ghee until the cumin seeds start to dance in the oil (should take only a couple of seconds). Pour the tadka over the dal.
8. Serve the dal over some basmati rice or eat it with roti and enjoy!

If you tried this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and star rating below! It makes my day and your feedback helps the blog immensely.

Notes and Tips

• Helpful Readings: What is moong dal?, How to: Cook Any Indian Dal
• Make sure to keep a watchful eye when making the tadka/thalipu so as to not burn your spices. This step takes <30 seconds and burning your spices will lead to a bitter taste in your final product.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 12gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 852mgPotassium: 529mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 7343IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 4mg

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