Serve the dal with basmati rice or roti for a comforting, nourishing Indian meal. Amaranth greens are one of my favorite summer veggies. When the sun hammers down, causing other leafies like spinach and lettuce to bolt, amaranth, with its beautiful, garnet-red leaves (or green leaves with pink hearts), thrives alongside other tropical greens like malabar spinach. It’s nature telling us, these are the greens I want you to eat right now! Even if you’re not familiar with amaranth greens, you’ve probably come across amaranth grains, which are eaten as a cereal. Both the greens and the grains are superfoods. The grains are one of the richest plant sources of protein, while the leaves are loaded with minerals and vitamins. Amaranth is an easy green to love. It cooks quickly like spinach, has a subtle but delicious flavor, and it is divine stir-fried or in a dal. You can also toss the greens into smoothies and salads. Amaranth greens are widely eaten across India where they go by names like laal maath, chaulai, senkeerai and thotakura. Here in the United States you can easily grow your own amaranth greens in summer or buy them at Asian grocery stores: they are hard to miss with those striking, large leaves and long stems (which are also edible and delicious)!
Why make amaranth dal?
Veggie superpower. Along with the amaranth greens, you have onions, tomatoes and garlic adding their healthful properties to this amaranth dal. This is a dish you can feel good about eating and serving your family. Easy, beginner-friendly recipe. This is one of the simplest recipes you can make. You likely have all of the ingredients in the pantry and once the lentils are cooked the recipe takes minutes to make. High-protein, high fiber and low in calories. This dal has just 128 calories in a serving, eight grams of protein and four grams of fiber, along with loads of vitamins A and C, calcium and potassium. So healthy! Soy-free, gluten-free and can easily be nut-free. Just skip the peanuts if you are allergic to nuts.
How to make amaranth dal
Storage
Refrigerate: The amaranth dal can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. Freeze: Place the dal in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Reheat: Thaw and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add more water if needed to thin out and check and add more salt if needed.
More tasty Indian dal recipes
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I highly recommend eating this dal with an Indian flatbread, either a simple, homemade roti or a stuffed aloo paratha. If you are gluten-free, try this amazing besan roti made with chickpea flour. In an Indian home you’d always serve a sabzi or vegetable side with dal and rice. My favorite sabzis to serve with amaranth dal are baingan masala or cabbage curry. A potato-based curry like these Bombay potatoes is wonderful too. Follow the meal with a cardamom-scented vegan mango bread or turmeric cake for dessert!
