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Bok Choy Dal Tadka (Dhaba style)/Bok Choy in Spiced Lentil Curry

Name: Bok Choy Dal Tadka (Dhaba style)/Bok Choy in Spiced Lentil Curry
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 cup White urad dal/Vigna mungo/white lentils; 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 cups bok choy, trim and roughly chop leaves; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste; 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise; 1 red onion, chopped finely; 2 tomato, chopped finely; 2 teaspoons dhaba spice mix; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1/2 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon cumin seeds; 2 tablespoons coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon cloves; 1/2 piece cinnamon bark; 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder; 1/4 teaspoon mace powder; 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

by: Dhanya Samuel

January 17, 2014

1 Ratings

Bok Choy Dal Tadka (Dhaba style)/Bok Choy in Spiced Lentil Curry

Serves 4-6

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Author Notes

I have had bok choy in Chinese dishes but wanted to try out and come up with an Indian dish using this. And this dal tadka is a personal favourite since it reminds me of the Punjabi dhabas (roadside eateries) that I love to eat at. Usually, I prepare this dal just as such or using spinach but this time, I tried it with bok choy and the result was a delicious, creamy, perfectly spiced dhaba style dal tadka. —Dhanya Samuel

What You'll Need

Ingredients

For the dal/lentils and tempering
1 cup White urad dal/Vigna mungo/white lentils
¹/₂ teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups bok choy, trim and roughly chop leaves
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¹/₂ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1 red onion, chopped finely
2 tomato, chopped finely
2 teaspoons dhaba spice mix
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¹/₂ cup coriander leaves, finely chopped

Directions

For the dal/lentils and tempering
Pressure cook the dal with salt and turmeric up to 2 to 3 whistles (until mush).
Cool, open and using the back of a ladle, mash to a creamy consistency.
Add the bok choy leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Take off flame and keep aside.
In a pan, take a tablespoon of butter; add the cumin seeds with ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the rawness disappears. Then add the onions and sauté till translucent. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and green chillies.
Add the dhaba tadka mix. Cook until oil lightly separates from the edges.
Pour the cooked dal and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off heat and add lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Dhaba spice mix and tempering
Dry roast the whole spices (cumin, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon) in a pan. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder,mace powder and roast some more.
Cool a bit and make a fine powder of the spices. Use necessary amounts for the dish and store remaining if any in an air tight container.

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2 Reviews

mj November 14, 2018

This came out great. I am betting it will taste even better tomorrow. I do not own a pressure cooker, so I made this recipe over two days. I used green lentils, and cooked them the first day, along with the spice mixture. I did not use a fresh tomato-I tossed in a can of tomatoes. I had whole mace instead of powder. I cooked the whole thing longer than recommended because I like my bok choy softer, and I added water when it got low.The spice mix is great! I look forward to using it in other dishes. Thanks for a great recipe that uses up my surplus of garden greens. I bet this would be good with mustard greens as well!