Preparations:

Take pigeon peas in a deep bowl and wash them. Add some water to the dal and keep that bowl aside. Wash the Malabar spinach and pluck the leaves. We are going to use only the leaves for this recipe. Do not throw away the stems. Use them in Sambar or Majjigapulusu. Chop the leaves finely and add them to the dal. Place this bowl of dal in a pressure cooker and cook. When pressure develops in the cooker, lower the flame and cook for 15 minutes. When the cooker cools down remove the bowl of cooked dal.

Method:

Heat a pan and add oil to it. When the oil is hot add the black gram and fry till it starts changing color. Then add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and fry till they splutter. Then add the asafoetida and mix well. Now add the cooked dal along with the cooked Malabar spinach. Add the red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and some water to the dal and mix well. Cook the dal till it reaches a boil. Transfer the dal to a serving bowl and serve hot with plain rice accompanied either with a hot pickle or curd chilies.

Points to Notice:

The Malabar spinach leaves taste bland yet has a peculiar flavor which makes the dal very tasty.

Malabar Spinach is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron and Calcium. It is low in calories and high in proteins.

Serve this dish and enjoy good health.