It snowed this week…yep, our first snow of the year already arrived! Growing up in a warmer Texas climate, the quick change of seasons in Montana never fails to catch me off guard 🙂 As the temperature drops, I find myself in the mood for more comfort meals as I warm up to the idea that winter is starting to dig in it’s heels for the long haul. Lentils and chickpeas are comfort foods in my book…not only do they have a creamy texture, they’re hearty and filling and can accompany a warm pita or can be used in skillet meals, breakfast dishes and even dessert. This dish for chickpeas and spinach served over cozy rice hit the spot!
Another idea I am still warming up to is this post is the second to last for the Secret Recipe Club monthly reveals. Sadly, we got the news this month that the club is coming to an end after 5 years… and I have so enjoyed my 4+ years in the club, I can’t believe it’s been that long! For this month, I was assigned The Big Sweet Tooth blog, and what fun I had searching through recipes and getting to know her Rafeeda! Her blog has a huge variety of recipes, with an extensive collection of Indian dishes. Amongst the many that piqued my interest are her Ripe Plantain Lentil Sweet Curry (the combination of ingredients plus the sweet and savory aspect are intriguing), her South Indian Rice Cakes (these are naturally gluten free and fermented!), and her Egg-free Mango Chocolate Marble Cake (this is a perfect fall-looking cake).
In the end, I chose Rafeeda’s Palak Daal (Spinach Lentil Gravy) recipe when I craving greens and beans, AND I had many ingredients on hand. If you enjoy curries and pulses (chickpeas/lentils etc), this is a definite keeper! I made a few adjustments based on the availability of ingredients: I used serrano peppers for the green chilis, swapped minced a garlic clove and 1/2 inch of fresh ginger instead of a ginger garlic paste and used chickpeas (chana dal) instead of red lentils as Rafeeda suggested. I also drizzled some lemon juice over the dish for acidity before serving since I love that extra little zing but feel free to omit if you prefer 🙂
Palak Daak (Chickpeas or Lentils with Spinach) lightly adapted from The Big Sweet Tooth
Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Nut-free, Soy-free, Sugar-free, Egg-free
Ingredients
¾ cup masoor lentil (can use chickpeas, red lentils)*
¼ tsp turmeric powder
sea salt to taste (I used 2 tsp)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 serrano peppers, deseeded and minced (or 2 green chilies)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste (I used 1 garlic clove and 1/2 tsp freshly minced ginger)
1 onion, minced
1 bunch spinach, chopped thinly
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder (I found Kashmiri chili powder in the bulk section of our health food store)**
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
Sea salt to taste
a drizzle of fresh lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar (I used roughly 2 tbsp)
Instructions
- Pressure cook the lentils/chickpeas in sufficient water with turmeric and salt. (I’m not that familiar with pressure cooking though I own one so I followed these instructions for cooking but used 3/4 cup chickpeas and the tumeric and salt in the recipe above).
- In a saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Crackle the cumin and mustard seeds.
- Add the serrano/green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute until you smell a nice aroma.
- Add the onions and saute until wilted, then sprinkle with little salt.
- Add in the spinach and masala powders (tumeric through garam masala) and saute till the spinach looks wilted.
- Add the cooked chickpeas/lentils into the sauteed masala, cover and simmer for five minutes.
- Add the fenugreek leaves and lemon/lime juice or apple cider vinegar and give a final mix. Taste and season with additional salt if desired.
- Serve warm with rice or rotis.
Notes
*You can use any daal of your choice instead of chana dal (chickpeas) – masoor dal (red lentils) and moong daal (split green gram) 🙂
** If you cannot find the Kashmiri chili powder, you can substitute a mixture of paprika and cayenne pepper – about 3 parts paprika to 1 part cayenne pepper.
For other recipes from this month’s reveal, click the link below!
*Ground beef, bison, chicken, turkey or lamb would all be lovely options if not vegetarian. You can use up as much as 1 lb of meat if omitting the quinoa/rice or reduce to 1/2 pound of meat and increase grain or veggies if wanting to reduce the cost when purchasing good quality meat.
My favorite stand is the organic Cedar Rose Farms run by a sweet and very knowledgable couple. I always buy several items that they have featured for the week. Carrots, spring onions and zucchini were featured the week I made this recipe (yum!)…which was ideal for this month’s 
I swapped out carrots for the corn since I didn’t find any at the market. I also incorporated goat feta cheese instead of cow’s for easier digestion my end (though you can swap out dairy-free cheese if needed OR use fresh avocado chunks and season with additional salt and lemon for a flavor boost) and used up the vegetable stock I had on hand to keep this a veggie-friendly main dish! I squeezed some additional lemon juice on top to amp up the acidity…which I’m about if you’ve been following me for a while 🙂 This was a big hit! It can stand alone as a dinner, quick lunch (hot or cold) or a zesty side dish alongside your favorite protein. Swap in your favorite fresh veggies to your liking – fresh corn kernels, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, beets, bell peppers, etc. I think this dish would also be delicious with chickpeas and a few olives for fun too!
While I happily chose to make her Farmer’s Market Skillet, Heather’s 
You can serve them for breakfast alongside a fried egg or slathered with some 
Natural Noshing 
