Malabar Spinach Dhal – A bowl of green goodness
- My Blue Tea
- Jun 8
- 4 min read
What to cook to keep your food cost down? Spinach, time to plan to grow some in Spring.
Winter has just begun, but spring is waiting in the wings. When it arrives, our farm garden will be bursting with veggies — including Malabar spinach. Start planning your spring planting now, to cook this delicious and healthy Malabar Spinach Dhal.
This is a continuation of our first blog, "What to cook to keep your food cost down ?" With interest rates and inflation still rising, we may need to look at perennial foods — plants you can grow at home that come back again and again.
Malabar Spinach is particularly richer in calcium than regular spinach, making it excellent for bone health. It also holds up better when cooked — as it "cream" into a tiny smooth pile!
Regular Spinach is richer in vitamin K and vitamin C, but contains oxalates that can block calcium absorption. Malabar spinach has lower oxalates, so your body actually absorbs more of its calcium.
We previously suggested growing several spinach varieties — and here's Red Malabar spinach in all its glory. We've harvested some seeds for friends looking to start their own garden and teach their children about food and nature. While our go-to method is cooking this spinach in soups with salted or century eggs, today we're excited to share a different approach: Malabar Spinach Dhal using our Meat Curry Base. Warm, comforting, and perfect for winter or anytime.
Malabar spinach dhal is a traditional Indian dish that’s a bit spicy, healthy, and oh-so-delicious. It's made with various pulse crops paired with spinach and spices. This dish is like a bowl of warm, creamy goodness that’ll make your mouth water.
The best part? It’s a breeze to make and is ready in a flash!
Malabar Spinach Dhal
Ingredients
1 Cup Malabar Spinach - Fine cut
1/2 Cup Onion - Fine cut
1 Tablespoon Ginger - Fresh, grated
1/2 Teaspoon Tamarind - Paste
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
1 Tablespoon Rice Bran Oil
1/4 Cup Cilantro - Fine cut
Tempering
6 Leaves Curry Leaves
3-4 tspn @my.blue.tea Meat Curry base
1 Teaspoon Urad Dal
1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Lentils
1/2 Cup Toor Dal (pressure cook to soften or soak overnight)
1 Cup Filtered water
Growing Malabar Spinach
Let us walk you through our farm. On the left, you'll spot the lovely Malabar flowers — these will soon transform into dark, tiny seeds. And the final photo? That's our vibrant Green Malabar spinach, growing wild and wonderful. Grow only from Spring.
Malabar Spinach Dhal
Instructions
(1) Pressure cook lentils in Instant Pot (IP) using the pot-in-pot method: Add 3/4th cup of water to the IP container and set the dish containing washed toor dal, with about an inch of water covering the lentils. Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes and allow for natural release. Set aside when done.
(2) Thereafter, heat oil in a pan on a stove top. Add tempering ingredients (curry leaves, cumin and mustard seeds, urad dal, red and green chili peppers) and let mustard seeds pop. Now add onion and ginger and sauté till onions are slightly brown. Add turmeric powder, salt, mix well.
(3) Add Malabar spinach and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
(4) Add pressure cooked dal, tamarind paste, mix well and cook for a minute. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
(5) Mix well and transfer to serving container. Great with hot roti or steamed rice and ghee.
🥬 Best Winter Veggies to Replace Malabar Spinach in Dhal
🍛 Best Substitution for Your Dhal Recipe
For the closest match to Malabar spinach: Use English spinach or silverbeet. For a heartier, winter-friendly version: Use kale or mustard greens. For convenience: Use frozen spinach — just squeeze out excess water first.
📋 Quick Comparison Table
Veggie | Texture | Flavour | Cook Time | Winter Availability |
Malabar Spinach (original) | Slightly firm | Mild, earthy | 3–5 min | ❌ No (warm season) |
English Spinach | Soft | Mild, sweet | 1–2 min | ✅ Yes |
Silverbeet | Hearty | Earthy | 3–5 min | ✅ Yes |
Kale | Robust | Slightly bitter | 5–8 min | ✅ Yes |
Bok Choy | Tender-crisp | Mild, sweet | 2–4 min | ✅ Yes |
Mustard Greens | Firm | Peppery, bold | 5–7 min | ✅ Yes |
Frozen Spinach | Soft | Mild | 1–2 min | ✅ Always |
And there you have it — a comforting bowl of Malabar Spinach Dhal made with our Meat Curry Base. Whether you're using homegrown Malabar spinach from warmer months or swapping in winter-friendly greens like silverbeet or kale, this recipe is designed to warm you from the inside out. Serve it with steamed rice, crusty bread, or simply enjoy it on its own. However you eat it, we hope it brings a little spice, a little love, and a lot of comfort to your table.
🛒 Ready to make this dhal? Shop our Meat Curry Base [here] — plus explore our full range of Spice Pantry blends before they're discontinued.
📧 Love this recipe? Subscribe to our newsletter for more warming winter meals, gardening tips, recipes, and exclusive offers.
💬 Made this dish? Tag us on Instagram @mybluetea and share your creation. We'd love to see your bowl of comfort!
Stay warm, stay well, and happy cooking.
Sources:
A colleague from Sydney sent me this link after an incredibly busy workweek, almost like a digital escape. I checked out https://ozwincasino-aus.bet/ during a sleepless night and was surprised by how balanced the design felt – the text wrapping in the tooltips was neat and the line spacing in the help guides was very easy on the eyes. I took my time scrolling through everything and noticed how my mind started to calm down without any visual distractions. The navigation worked smoothly and intuitively; exactly the kind of technical relaxation I needed at that moment.