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Spring is my favorite time of the year, Period! Flowers bloom everywhere and there are new vegetables in the stores. I love shopping at farmers markets in summers and there we can find several varieties of vegetables which we haven’t heard before. One such find was Dandelion Greens. I have only known dandelion as that weed in the garden with beautiful yellow flowers which later become Dandelion fluff that kids love to play with. But little did I know that those leaves are rich in nutrients and have incredible health benefits. So naturally, I HAVE to make something out of it. So, here I go…

How do they look and how healthy are they?

Dandelion greens are rich in fiber as well as Vitamins A, K and C. They also have a substantial amounts of iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. They are rich in antioxidants and also lower triglycerides and maintain liver health. So overall, super duper healthy!

They are slightly bitter in taste which make them perfect for salads, Soups, side dishes, anything you can dream of. This is how they look, I have washed and dried them to get started. These are an amazing dark leafy greens to include in your diet, if you haven’t tried it yet, consider this green next time you go grocery shopping.

Where do you find these greens?

Dandelion is a weed available everywhere and it might be in your own backyard. But don’t go picking those weeds unless you are a 100% sure that you did not use any chemicals on it. I would suggest you to try venturing your local farmer’s market or a local produce store. I find it during spring at whole food here in US.

What is dal? Which dal/lentil to use and which greens can be used in this dal?

Dal is nothing but a lentil curry usually served with rice or roti. We can make with several types of lentils. I usually make dals with Toor dal, Moong dal, masoor dal, etc. There are several ways to make dals, we can make it as a soup and eat it as is or make it as a side dish with roti or rice. Anyway you choose, dal is a very good meal choice to add to your diet. Dal is low in cholesterol, low-fat, high is protein and fiber, are usually gluten-free and are rich in minerals and vitamins. So go ahead, whip your dal stock and get cooking!

My favorite way of incorporating Dandelion greens in our diet is making a Dal out of it. Yellow moong dal goes really well with the bitter greens, so I am using Yellow moong dal in this recipe. Once washed and dried, chop and freeze them if you need to store them for long. They last for couple months in freezer.

If you cannot find dandelion greens, you can use any greens you like. I have had success with Methi/fenugreek Leaves, Spinach, kale, etc.
This recipe is inspired by my friend who makes the most delicious Methi dal. Its so simple to make and its my kind of comfort food.

This recipe is a one-pot recipe and there is no need to temper the dal later. I add everything to my pressure cooker or instant pot and it gets done in a jiffy. It can be made in a pot on a stove top or a pressure cooker/instant pot. I am going to note down both the pressure cooker and instant pot recipes below👇Instant pot makes the job easier without any babysitting while I get other things done and the whole dal gets done in 30 min with NPR(Natural pressure release). I usually pair this dal with rice, a dollop of ghee, Mango pickle and rasam.. umm its delicious!

Dandelion Greens Dal

Recipe by Blissful Bites by TayCourse: Main DishesCuisine: Indian

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

NPR time in instant pot

minutes

Total time

minutes

A healthy and simple Dal made with Dandelion Greens and Moong dal in Instant Pot.

Ingredients

2 cups roughly chopped fresh Dandelion Greens( If frozen, 1 cup packed tightly)
1 cup yellow moong dal
1/2 onion chopped
5 green chillies chopped
Salt to taste
2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tbsp Avocado oil or ghee
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
For tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried red chilli
a few curry leaves

Method

First wash and soak the dal for 10-15 min. I usually soak the dal and prep everything else. Wash, dry and chop your dandelion greens.
In Instant pot:
Turn on the saute mode and add oil/ghee. When its hot, add mustard seeds, dried red chilli, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter.
Add Chopped onion, turmeric powder, green chillies and sauté till the onion turns transparent. Add chopped dandelion greens and saute for a minute.
Drain all the water from the dal and add it to the pot. Saute for a couple minutes. Add chilli powder, salt and 2 cups water. Check for salt and adjust if needed.
Turn off saute mode and close the lid. Turn on Manual/Pressure cook and set the timer for 5 min in Sealing mode.
The dal is ready to eat once the pressure is released. Serve it warm with rice, a dollop of ghee and pickle.. Yum!
In the Pressure cooker:
Heat the pressure pan and once its hot, add oil/ghee and mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilli and curry leaves. Let them splutter.
Add Chopped onion, turmeric powder, green chillies and sauté till the onion turns transparent. Add chopped dandelion greens and saute for a minute.
Drain all the water from the dal and add it to the cooker. Saute for a couple minutes. Add chilli powder, salt and 2 cups water. Check for salt and adjust if needed.
Close the lid and pressure cook for only one whistle. Let the pressure release and enjoy with rice/roti.

Notes

Make sure you soak the dal for 10-15 minutes before cooking it.
Its okay if you cannot find dandelion greens, replace it with any dark leafy greens, this recipe tastes delicious with any greens.
If you do get dandelion greens, you can freeze them and they freeze really well. They last for a couple months in the freezer.