Main image of Green Spinach Coconut Curry

Green Spinach Coconut Curry

55 min

Main
Packed with spinach, two types of hearty legumes, and a lot of spices, this bright green curry is as delicious as it looks!

Servings

Total

55 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

45 min

Free from

Soy symbol

soy

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Gluten symbol

gluten

Ingredients

  • 6 cups (1440 mL)
    boiling water
  • ½ cup (100 g)
    dry chana dal, soaked overnight, drained
  • ½ cup (104 g)
    dry mung beans, soaked overnight, drained
  • 1 cup (200 g)
    uncooked white rice
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    vegetable oil
  • 2
    medium onions, chopped
  • 4
    cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp (4 g)
    fresh ginger, minced
  • 1
    red hot chili pepper, minced
  • 1 Tbsp (16 g)
    tomato paste
  • 1 tsp (2 g)
    ground cumin
  • 1 tsp (2 g)
    ground coriander
  • 1 tsp (2 g)
    garam masala
  • ½ tsp
    ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp
    salt
  • 1
    medium tomato, chopped
  • 8 cups (240 g)
    fresh spinach, divided
  • 1⅔ cups (399 mL)
    canned full-fat coconut milk
  • ½
    lemon, juiced

Directions

  1. Fill a large pot with water and add the drained chana dal. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
  2. Then add the drained mung beans to the same pot and let it cook uncovered for another 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package instructions.
  4. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes.
  5. Then add in the chili, tomato paste, and spices. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes.
  6. Then add the chopped tomato and turn the heat to low.
  7. Once the legumes are cooked, first remove ⅓ cup (80 mL) of the cooking liquid and transfer this to a blender. Then pour the legumes into a strainer to drain off the remaining liquid.
  8. Place half of the spinach in the blender as well, and blend on high until smooth.
  9. Add the blended spinach to the pan, together with the cooked chana dal, mung beans, and coconut milk.
  10. Return the heat to medium-high. Meanwhile, chop the remaining half of the spinach. Add this to the pan, cooking until everything is heated through.
  11. Just before serving, add in the lemon juice and stir. Enjoy!

Storage

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Let us know what you think

Plate method

The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.

Grains & Starches 29%

• uncooked white rice

Proteins 27%

• dry chana dal

• dry mung beans

Fruits & Veggies 44%

• medium onion

• clove garlic

• fresh ginger

• red hot chili pepper

• tomato paste

• medium tomato

• fresh spinach

• lemon

Calcium
No significant sources of calcium
Fat

• vegetable oil

• canned full-fat coconut milk

Nutrition info

We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.

Show nutrition info  

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Discussion & Rating

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Danielle - May 8, 2023, 1:18 a.m.

Such a lovely curry! My husband and I did not have mung beans, so we just used chana dal to replace the mung beans. It was our first time soaking the chana dal overnight in water and think it's such a nice trick to cut down on cooking time. Lemon before serving is quite nice!

PUL Team - May 8, 2023, 9:01 p.m.

Mmm sounds lovely, Danielle - thank you 🤗

Reply
Samantha - March 26, 2023, 12:36 a.m.

Can I use red lentils in this recipe?

PUL Team - March 26, 2023, 9:49 p.m.

Hey Samantha! Red lentils can get quite mushy when cooked compared to brown or green lentils, but you're welcome to give them a try if you prefer. The curry will be a bit mushier but should still be delicious 😊

Reply
Rachael - Feb. 12, 2023, 9:41 a.m.

This is a fantastic recipe. It makes quite a lot so I recommend having some containers to pop spare in the freezer. It cooks from frozen very well too so would be a good meal prep.

PUL Team - Feb. 12, 2023, 5:40 p.m.

So lovely to hear, Rachael, thank you so much!

Reply
Marie - Feb. 9, 2023, 9:52 p.m.

Your website has been my go to every time I lack some cooking inspiration! Love your recipes! Thanks a lot and love from Belgium

PUL Team - Feb. 9, 2023, 11:18 p.m.

Aw it means so much, Marie, thank you! Lots of love back to Belgium 💛

Reply
Zena - Feb. 1, 2023, 7:53 p.m.

I'm extremely grateful for discovering your wonderful page! I appreciate your visually appealing content as well as your detailed knowledge about food consumption, their benefits and the importance of mindfulness. Thank you for changing many lives for the better!

PUL Team - Feb. 4, 2023, 3:12 a.m.

Awe, Zena, you're much too kind! We're so happy you joined the PUL community 🥰

Reply
Ambra - Dec. 14, 2022, 4:38 p.m.

When i see big packages of fresh spinach at the supermarket, i always think about this recipe and of course i grab one of this to make this delicious meal!

PUL Team - Dec. 14, 2022, 4:47 p.m.

So glad it's being enjoyed, Ambra, it means so much!

Reply
Noy - Nov. 13, 2022, 9:04 a.m.


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Yaya - Aug. 14, 2022, 8:01 p.m.

After making a few of your recipes I really don’t miss meat at all! Everything I made so far taste so good. My husband is the happiest one in the family when I cook one of your recipes. Thank you so much!

PUL Team - Aug. 14, 2022, 9:22 p.m.

Aw it means so much, Yaya, thank you for the glowing review 🌱

Reply
Fay - June 22, 2022, 3:18 p.m.

I found your page by accident and I'm so glad that I did. It tasted so good, and I normally dislike mung beans. The only thing I would love to know is, how much is a serving and how many calories 😊

PUL Team - June 22, 2022, 4:27 p.m.

Hey there, Fay, we're so glad you came across the PUL community and the recipe was enjoyed! You can find the approximate nutrition information per serving, around a quarter of this recipe excluding the "serves well with" ideas, by clicking on the green "show nutrition info" button below the recipe. Kindly note that as the disclaimer mentions, this is just an estimate and if you need specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a healthcare professional, such as a dietitian or physician 😊

Reply
Erin - April 10, 2022, 4:33 a.m.

This recipe is amazing!!! Even my husband, who is a very picky eater, loved it! I will definitely be making this again! Thank you so very much!!!

PUL Team - April 11, 2022, 12:50 a.m.

Oh thank you, Erin, it means so much!

Reply
CDG - Feb. 9, 2022, 1:57 a.m.

I have made this dish 3 times so far and it’s a banger for my family. So flavorful, so rich and creamy. I always come back to this recipe for a good meal prep idea. Love this dish.

PUL Team - Feb. 9, 2022, 2:07 a.m.

So glad the curry is being enjoyed, CDG, thank you 😃

Reply
Chand - Jan. 25, 2022, 12:38 a.m.

This dal recipe has become a part of my regular rotation... I really like all of your recipes, but this has to one of the best tasting curry recipes I have ever had! I´m from India and rice and dal are a staple in my household, and I love this unique combination of the whole moong, chana and spinach!

PUL Team - Jan. 27, 2022, 1:55 a.m.

Such a massive compliment, Chand, thank you so much! Sending love to India ❣️

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M - Oct. 24, 2021, 2:34 p.m.

This is so so so good. It's really different from the Aloo Matar curry from your site, though - at first I was disappointed because I was expecting it to taste like the Aloo Matar, but after a few moments I just loved it. It's lemony, light and a little spicy. The lemony flavours balance the earthiness of the dal and the spinach perfectly. Such a great recipe! Thank you so much!

PUL Team - Oct. 26, 2021, 4:31 a.m.

Aw we're so happy to hear this, M, thank you for taking the time to share the kind words 😃

Reply
Yelena - Sept. 20, 2021, 2:53 p.m.

Lovely simple recipe, and really good with many veggies you can find around the fridge.
Careful with the grains -- if you don't stir them and the water boils down, they can burn on the bottom of the pan ;)

Reply
Kanako - Aug. 8, 2021, 8:25 p.m.

I really like all of your recipes, but this turned out a little weird and I don’t understand why? I followed the recipe, used full-fat coconut milk and added A LOT of spices and it still tasted just spinach. I am just confused, still love pick up limes though!

PUL Team - Aug. 8, 2021, 11:33 p.m.

Hey, Kanako, oh sorry to hear this wasn't enjoyed! Thanks so much for sharing the feedback with us. May I ask, did you use fresh spinach or cooked/frozen spinach? If using fresh spinach, I have a few ideas: 1) It could be how much the cup was packed. 2) If the spinach was also a bit older, and not so fresh, the taste could be more strong perhaps. 3) Different varieties of spinach also taste more strongly than others. We used baby spinach, which tends to be a bit milder in taste. 4) Spinach can taste a bit more strong/bitter the longer it's cooked, so try not to overcook it. 5) The lemon can also really help with this dish to mellow out the flavours.

I hope this helps for now, and that you enjoy the recipe if you give it another try. And so glad you're enjoying other PUL recipes in the meantime. Thanks for being here, Kanako 🌻

Kanako - Aug. 10, 2021, 12:43 a.m.

Thanks a lot! I really appreciate your answer and I look forward to try your other future recipes and videos. I am very grateful that I found you on YouTube, we should be thanking you☺️

Reply
Archana - July 26, 2021, 1:03 a.m.

Hi, I want to try this recipe. I was wondering if I can use the usual coconut milk instead of the canned one? Or if I can use the coconut creamer?

PUL Team - July 27, 2021, 6:42 p.m.

Hi Archana, thanks for the question! The canned full-fat coconut milk helps add a creamy base to the curry.

Coconut milk from a carton will have a lower fat amount so you may find the curry too watery and less flavourful. On the other hand, coconut creamer will have more fat so perhaps adding some water to dilute it will help if the curry is too creamy for your liking! Do let us know if you give the recipe a try ☺️

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Maria - July 24, 2021, 8:31 p.m.

I absolutely love it!
I make at least once at month during the winter months 🙃

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Samantha - July 12, 2021, 6:19 p.m.

I've this a few times already and it is so good. It also freezes decently so great for meal prep. We swap out for light coconut milk to limit the saturated fat content and still enjoy it.

PUL Team - July 16, 2021, 1:48 a.m.

Ooo thanks a bunch for sharing this, Samantha, super helpful!

Reply
Abi - July 10, 2021, 9:45 a.m.

This is my go to recipe these days, my husband and I love it completely. Thanks Sadia for coming up with such amazing recipes every time :)

PUL Team - July 15, 2021, 5:40 a.m.

Thank you, Abi, for the continued support and kindness 😃

Reply
Paulina - July 10, 2021, 1:17 a.m.

I've never had mungo beans prior to this recipe but I'm a fan now. Perfect for meal prepping as it holds well in the fridge for 5-6 days.

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Lora - July 8, 2021, 10:15 p.m.

My husband and I tried this recipe a few months ago and we instantly fell in love with it. It is filling but not dense, and it has the perfect balance of flavors, especially if you add in lemon and cilantro at the end! Highly recommend :)

PUL Team - July 11, 2021, 3:23 p.m.

We're so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed the curry, Lora! Thank you ✨

Reply
Devika Mukesh - June 8, 2021, 1:32 p.m.

Hi, amazing recipe.
What do you use to calculate the nutrition info?

PUL Team - June 9, 2021, 5:39 a.m.

Thank you, Devika! We mainly estimate the nutritional information based on the displayed ingredients, which we have linked to entries in the USDA database. More information can be found in our Nutritional information disclosure here 🙂

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Cris S - June 5, 2021, 4:44 p.m.

This was delicious for about three days!

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Alexandra - May 27, 2021, 6:16 p.m.

This is one of my absolute favorite dishes from Pick Up Limes (and I have a lot :)) Thank you so much for your incredible work!
Much love from Germany

PUL Team - May 28, 2021, 2:10 a.m.

So happy to hear, Alexandra! Lots of love back to Germany ✨🤗

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Bea - April 27, 2021, 10:04 a.m.

Can you please tell me if I can also freeze this meal. Thanks a million!

PUL Team - April 27, 2021, 4:31 p.m.

Hey Bea! We haven't personally tested it out, but curries like this generally freeze well. We'd recommend letting it cool completely before freezing and storing portions in an airtight container for up to 3 months 😀

Reply
Mennan - April 11, 2021, 7:42 p.m.

This recipe became the new speciality in my menu. Me and my partner are enjoying it to the fullest and I cooked it also for my friends and family and they enjoyed it as well. Thank you so much for this!

PUL Team - April 12, 2021, 4:34 a.m.

Thank you, Mennan, for leaving such a lovely review! We're so glad you, your partner, and your family are enjoying this one 😍

Reply
Lucy - March 30, 2021, 9:43 a.m.

I made this tonight for myself and hubby and it is amazing! Easy to make and it didnt take long to cook either.

PUL Team - April 3, 2021, 12:17 a.m.

Thank you for sharing, Lucy! So glad the curry was enjoyed 😃

Reply