This is very simple, put a handful of finely chopped spinach in dal, along with 1 chopped tomato, 1 chopped onion and some ginger, and cook in pressure cooker with salt as per taste and a pinch of turmeric just like we prepare our regular dal. This quantity of spinach would be enough if you are preparing dal for 3 persons. You can increase the amount of spinach if you want to increase the quantity of the dal. I use a mixture of masoor and arhar dal. Once it's done, I give it a tadka by heating 1 tbsp cumin seeds and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a teaspoon of ghee. The consistency of the dal can be adjusted later by adding little water if it's too thick or by boiling it for few minutes if it's very runny.
And whenever my neighbour's 6-year-old granddaughter visits her, she never forgets to get her daily share of green dal from me. It’s her favourite and she has been telling her mom to serve her the same dal back home as well. I was flattered when her mom Khushi shared this with me.
But one should avoid taking spinach in rainy season. Even otherwise, dip the leaves in a bowl of hot water for around 10 minutes before using them.
And when I serve this dal to Anvay, I feel on top of the world for this is a big achievement. Daily dose of spinach will surely help him stay healthier. This power-packed food is rich in Vitamins A, C, E, K, iron, fibre, calcium and magnesium. It also helps keep nervous system healthy. And our staple food dal is a good source of minerals and vitamins, including foliate, a type of Vitamin B that helps in maintaining and producing new cells.
Hope many more kids like Anvay will pick up the habit of eating dal without making a fuss.
