Thick and Creamy Kale Dal is healthy, nutritious, packed with flavor and naturally gluten free. It is perfect for busy weeknights served with rice/rotis/parathas/naan or meal prepped for the week.
Weeknight dinner, Lunch or Meal Prep!
A perfect recipe when I am craving for comfort food that is healthy, nutritious and filling. This kale dal is your EVERYDAY DAL yet it's not and it's perfect for lent dinner recipes.
It has got an SECRET ingredient (but healthy) that makes it creamy and luxurious. Almost like Dal makhani.
Kale Dal Recipe is
- Creamy
- Comforting
- Healthy
- Hearty
- Nutritious
- Easy
- Flavorful
- Protein-rich
- Perfect for meal prep
- Delicious
- Easy clean up
Main ingredients :
Yellow Moong dal - It is an everyday dal in Indian cooking , cooks fast, no soaking required and healthy.
Kale - This recipe uses ONE WHOLE BUNCH of kale. That's a load of kale!!! My 3-quart instant pot was filled to the brim and I had to push it down when stirring.
Spices - Coriander powder, cayenne pepper powder, turmeric powder
Onion, garlic, tomato - Staples of Indian cooking
Coconut milk - The secret ingredient for creaminess and more luxurious dal.
Butter - Salted or unsalted
Method:
Heat vegetable oil until hot and then toast cumin seeds. Saute chopped onion and garlic. Add coriander, cayenne and turmeric powder, cook for couple of minutes for the spices to toast. Add tomatoes and stir for few minutes, until mushy. Add rinsed and drained dal. Add chopped kale ( one whole bunch). Add water and stir well.
Cover and cook in instant pot or stove top until dal is tender and mashed. Stir in coconut milk , sugar, salt and let simmer for a few minutes.
I love use kale in everyday cooking like Instant Pot Chicken and Kale Curry or Easy Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms. It easily available year round and one of the health foods recommended by all leading health experts.
Expert tips:
The quantity of kale can reduced if desired.
Regular milk or heavy cream may be used instead of coconut milk.
Storing leftover coconut milk - Transfer to a container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month. Thaw before using.
Serving suggestions:
This Indian kale recipe is delicious with chappathi or rotis.
It can also be served with white rice with spicier side dish (since the dal is mild and creamy).
How to store leftover dal?
Cooked and cooled instant pot kale recipe can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and microwave before serving.
More Indian Dinner Ideas:
Butter Chicken Pasta <--- Indian Chicken Pasta Recipe
Beetroot Curry <---- with chickpeas
Coconut Curry Shrimp <--- 20 minute recipe
Kale dal recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 and ½ to 2 teaspoons salt or to taste, divided
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder (Indian chili powder)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup Yellow Moong dal, rinsed and drained
- 1 bunch kale (6 to 8 stems), ribs removed and chopped
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
Equipment
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Heat instant pot to saute mode. Add vegetable oil when hot, give a minute for the oil to heat up. Add cumin seeds and let toast for few seconds.
- Stir in chopped onion, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook (stirring occasionally), until it begins to turn translucent. Stir all three spice powders (coriander, cayenne and turmeric), stir for a few seconds and then followed by chopped tomatoes. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until tomatoes get mushy.
- Press cancel, add yellow dal, chopped kale and 3 cups of water. Give a good stir. Close and lock lid (making sure that valve is set to sealing). Select manual setting (or pressure cooker) for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, let Instant pot in the warm mode for 6 minutes. Turn valve to venting to release pressure. (Or let do a natural pressure release).
- Press saute again, stir in coconut milk, butter, sugar and more salt to taste. Let it come to a boil, cook for few minutes until thickened to desired consistency. (Dal will continue to thicken as it cools)
- Serve dal with rice/ rotis / whole wheat paratha
Stove Top Method
- Add vegetable oil into a large sauce pan and place over medium heat. When hot, add cumin seeds and let toast for few seconds. Stir in chopped onion, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook (stirring occasionally), until it begins to turn translucent. Stir all three spice powders (coriander, cayenne and turmeric), stir for a few seconds and then followed by chopped tomatoes. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until tomatoes get mushy. Add yellow dal, chopped kale and 3 cups of water. Give a good stir. Cover and cook (stirring occasionally) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until dal is cooked and almost mashed.
- Uncover, stir in coconut milk, butter, sugar and more salt to taste. Let it come to a boil, cook for few minutes until thickened to desired consistency. Serve dal with rice/ rotis / whole wheat paratha.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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LetsCurry
Kale and lentils- perfect combination and nutrition aspect in check. Another amazing recipe.
Ute
This dal is very bland and tasteless, very disappointed. Needs more spice.
Maria Doss
Hi Ute, I'm sorry that this didn't work for you. Traditionally, daals are mild and does not have much spice, so they are accompanied with a dry spicier vegetable/meat dish to be served with rotis / rice.
However, here are few curry recipes that are more spicier and is a great stand alone dish to be served with rice or rotis:
1.https://www.kitchenathoskins.com/butter-chickpeas/
2.https://www.kitchenathoskins.com/instant-pot-chicken-and-kale-curry/
3.https://www.kitchenathoskins.com/instant-pot-chickpea-curry-with-beets-or-stovetop/
4.https://www.kitchenathoskins.com/coconut-curry-shrimp/
Hope it helps:)
Lynn
Delicious use of kale. Thank you for the recipe. You mentioned using ghee if vegan. Ghee is clarified butter and is NOT vegan. There are many plant based alternatives in the markets to choose from. I left out the butter and oil and it came out great.
Maria Doss
Hi Lynn, Glad you liked the recipe and thank you for the pointer. We will make necessary changes, Maria