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!
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!
Moong dal and substitutes
Moong dal (split green gram) 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.
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. On the flip side, stovetop dal is great for when you don't want to lug out big machinery for a meal and is a great way for beginners to cook dal. You can checkout tips on my simple stovetop dal recipe if you are interested in how to effectively cook dal on the stovetop.
The other thing to consider when choosing whether to cook dal in an instant pot vs. stovetop is the lentil variety that you choose. Thinner lentil varieties like moong dal or masoor dal can easily be cooked on the stovetop whereas thicker varieties like toor dal cook better with the use of pressure to help reduce their cooking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Masoor dal (red lentil dal) is a great substitute for moong dal. It is thin like the moong dal which makes it a great candidate for stove top cooking with no soaking needed. Toor dal (yellow split pigeon peas) is also a great alternative but requires soaking as it is a thicker variety of dal.
You can absolutely soak your moong dal before you make it but it is not a requirement, unlike for thicker dals. Soaking is just an insurance policy to ensure that the dal cooks throughout and saves time during the cooking process. However, if you didn't have the foresight to soak your moong dal, do not fret as it is a forgiving dal which cooks quickly regardless of soaking.
Yes, you can absolutely make this dal on the stovetop. You can use this stovetop dal recipe as your guide for timings while using the ingredients in the spinach dal recipe for the flavorings.
Yes. It's highly recommended that you wash dal before cooking. Washing the dal removes the excess starch and residues that are present during the factory processing stage and ensures that the dal has a clean taste and consistency.
Keerai Paruppu in Instant Pot | Spinach Moong Dal
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2.5 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
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!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp - Vegetable Oil
- ½ - Medium Yellow Onion, finely chopped (90g or ¾ cup chopped)
- 4 - Cloves of Garlic, crushed into a coarse paste
- 1 - Roma Tomato, finely chopped (75g)
- 1 - Serrano Chili (6g) or 1-2 Thai Chilis, finely chopped
- ½ cup - Moong Dal (100g)
- 1 cup - Water
- ¼ tsp - Turmeric
- 8 oz - Baby Spinach (227g)
- 2 tsp - Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tsp - Melted Ghee or Butter
- ½ tsp - Mustard Seeds
- ¼ tsp - Cumin Seeds
- Pinch of Hing
- 1-2 - Dried Red Chili Peppers
Instructions
- Wash the moong dal: Add moong dal 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.
- Turn your instant pot to saute mode on medium heat. Add the oil and onions to the pot and saute until the onions are translucent (~2 minutes).
- Add the crushed garlic and saute for an additional minute. This helps cook out the raw flavor and smell of the garlic.
- Add the tomatoes and green chilies along with 1 teaspoon of salt and saute until the tomatoes soften and release their juices which should take about (1-2) minutes.
- Add the washed dal, water, and turmeric to the pot. Layer in the 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.
- 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 1 teaspoon of salt and taste. Add additional salt at this time based on your preference.
- Make Thalipu or Tadka: In a separate tadka spoon or small pot over medium-high heat, add ghee and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to sputter in the oil add cumin seeds, hing, and 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 ghee and spice thalipu over the dal.
- Serve the dal over some basmati rice or eat it with roti and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to keep a watchful eye when making the thalipu/tadka 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.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Keerai Paruppu in Instant Pot (Spinach Moong Dal)
Shri Repp says
★★★★★