Kale and Zucchini Dal/Lentil Curry

Hearty, Vegan and Healthy – Kale and Zucchini Dal… made with Yellow Lentils and Coconut! The Perfect Comfort Food Heaven…!!

Are you a kale lover?

Well, I wasn’t until a year ago when I made this Kale Smoothie with Mango & Banana recipe, a Healthy Green Drink! From then on, I’ve lost my inhibition to this leafy vegetable and started exploring various dishes made with it across restaurants; be it in salads, soups, and so on. Slowly my taste buds started liking it and considering the endless goodness of Kale and its health benefits, I’ve decided to incorporate it in our daily diet focusing on staple foods like dal curry/lentil curry which is an integral part of Indian cuisine.

After quite some experimentation and trial-n-error with Kale, I finally have my perfect recipe by combining it with split pigeon peas (toor dal / tuvara parippu) and zucchini. This recipe is quite similar to Spinach lentil curry in its preparation, but it does taste different. Usually, grated coconut is not common in dal curries but I’ve added it to mine…Well, my Kerala roots are to blame for that I guess, right?

Dal to us all Indians is a Comfort Meal Heaven! You would be astonished by the countless number of dal recipes in every State in India! In fact, just a bowl of dal with hot steamed rice/roti is enough to bring a smile on any Indian’s face, and the perfect meal to satisfy your cravings on a chilly rainy day! This Kale and Zucchini dal recipe is a great way of adding greens and plant-based proteins to your diet. It’s easy, flavorful, power packed with all the goodness, and an insanely satisfying comfort meal.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Kale and Zucchini Dal/Lentil Curry

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Hearty, Vegan and Healthy - Kale and Zucchini Dal… made with Yellow Lentils and Coconut! The Perfect Comfort Food Heaven…!!  

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: dal, indian, kale dal

Servings: 4

Author: Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 cup split pigeon peas / toor dal / tuvara parippu
• 3 strands of kale (almost 2 cups; stem removed, chopped)
• 1 zucchini (skin removed, cubed)
• 2 to matoes (chopped)
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 green chilly
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tbsp oil
• Water (as required)
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

1. Pressure cook dal/lentils with water (just enough to cover the dal) and a little salt, for 3 whistles. Keep aside.
2. Grind grated coconut along with garlic, green chilly, cumin seeds and turmeric, to a smooth paste.
3. Add the chopped kale and zucchini along with the grinded coconut mixture into the pressure cooker and cook on a medium flame. Add ½ cup water if the dal/lentil mixture is too thick.
4. In a separate pan, add oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chilies and chopped tomatoes, sauté on a medium flame until it becomes mushy. Add this to the boiling dal mix in the cooker.
5. Reduce the heat of the cooker to a low and allow it to cook for another 5-10 minutes or until it starts turning thick. Check for the seasoning.
6. Serve warm with hot steamed rice/roti/naan. Enjoy.