The June 2025 Digest
Chana Dal with Spinach
Welcome to The Flavor Files! 🎉This is where my love for cooking, flavor, and food science all come together—because delicious food is even better when you understand a little of the magic behind it.
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Now, let’s dive in. 🔥
Hello!
Summer has arrived, and June is in full swing. It’s hot enough that I think about cold coffee, ice cream, and sorbets, morning to night. Pretty much anything that’s filled with a heaping of ice.
I got myself a new fine mesh strainer that is STRONG and filters stuff out well - I tested the Rösele fine mesh strainer with blended coconut, and it did a fantastic job of straining the solids out to give me a smooth, clear milk (I got the 7.5-inch strainer).
I grew tired of sticking wet towels between the counter and my cutting boards to prevent the boards from slipping, so I finally got a slip mat for my large cutting board. It’s made prep work a breeze.
I LOVE this small kitchen remodel. It is tasteful, refreshing, and thoughtful, and the rest of the home is equally cozy and beautiful.
I finally scored a reservation at Panda Inn in Pasadena, yes, the birthplace of Panda Express. Ever since their remodel and grand reopening, getting a table has felt almost impossible. So when a friend invited me to join them for lunch, I jumped at the chance. The place was buzzing with energy, and the food? It was well worth the wait. I couldn’t get enough of the Phoenix Chicken and the Honey Walnut Shrimp, both perfectly executed and deeply nostalgic in flavor.
And while I’m on the topic of local gems, I have to shout out 61 Hundred Bakery in Santa Ana. I first tasted their stunning blue corn masa sourdough at Somni a few weeks ago. When Chef Aitor Zabala mentioned he sources it from this bakery, I immediately added it to my must-visit list. I finally made the trip and was blown away. The croissants? Flaky, layered, and intensely flavorful. Every item I tried showed a level of craft and precision that speaks to true mastery. The bakers and staff are extremely friendly.
Roopa Gulati’s Indian Kitchens
I was absolutely delighted to read Roopa Gulati’s new cookbook, Indian Kitchens: Treasured Family Recipes from Across the Land (Bloomsbury, 2025; Amazon / Bookshop). It reads like a deeply soulful love letter to the kitchens of India, kitchens that tell stories, hold memories, and reflect the incredible diversity of communities across the country.
One line in Roopa’s book stopped me in my tracks:
India isn’t a closed book — it absorbs influences from global kitchens and has done so for centuries.
As someone who grew up in Bombay (Mumbai), this resonated strongly with me. French, Portuguese, British, Middle Eastern, Central and North Asian, these influences (and many more) have all woven themselves into the rich, evolving tapestry of Indian cuisine. And yet, so many myths still persist:
→ that all Indian food is “curry”
→ that garam masala is some kind of universal magic key
→ that naan is our everyday bread (it’s not — it’s a restaurant treat!)
→ that Indian food is always fiery hot
Roopa’s book gently and beautifully dismantles these clichés by showcasing the stunning range of dishes and traditions from kitchens all over India; dishes rooted in place, memory, and family. It’s a journey told through food, and one I know you’ll savor as much as I did.
This week, I’m sharing one of my favorites from the book: Chana Dal with Spinach, a comforting and nourishing dish layered with subtle flavor.
Chana Dal with Spinach
It’s usual to use chana dal for this dish, but you could also make it with split yellow peas. Both have a robust, almost meaty flavour, which stands up well to leafy green vegetables. Add the softened spinach at the last minute, so that it retains its fresh grassy-green colour. This dal is finished with a fried tarka flourish, made with sizzling spices, garlic, ginger and the sharpness of green chillies.
Serves 4
7 oz [200g] split Bengal gram (chana dal ), washed and soaked in hot water for 2–3 hours
¼ tsp ground turmeric
12 1/4 oz [350g] baby spinach leaves
juice of ½ lime
sea salt
FOR THE TARKA
1 3/4 oz [50g] ghee or 5 tbsp sunflower oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 dried Kashmiri red chilli
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 oz [30g] ginger root, peeled and finely grated
2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
1 tomato, diced
Discard the soaking water from the Bengal gram and transfer the dal to a pressure cooker. Cover with water by a depth of 4 cm. Add the turmeric and cook under pressure for 30 minutes, until the gram is soft and has broken down. Roughly crush the dal with a potato masher against the side of the pan.
Aim for the consistency of thick soup. If it looks a bit watery, boil the dal for a few more minutes without any pressure. Alternatively, put the Bengal gram and turmeric in a medium pan and cover with water to a depth of 4cm. Half-cover the pan and cook the dal on a medium heat for about 1½–2 hours, until completely tender, adding extra water if needed to prevent it from becoming too thick. Roughly crush the dal in the same way with a potato masher. Keep the dal warm.
Heat a sturdy, dry pan on a high heat and add the spinach. Cook, stirring all the time, until the leaves start to wilt – this should take 1 minute. (You may need to do this in batches.) Scoop the leaves into a colander set over a bowl and leave to cool. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze any excess liquid out of the leaves with the palms of your hands, then roughly chop them. Leave to one side.
For the tarka, heat the ghee or oil in a small pan on a medium–high heat and add the cumin seeds and Kashmiri chilli. Swirl everything around for about 20 seconds, until the cumin releases its nutty fragrance and the chilli swells and becomes darker.
Turn down the heat to medium and add the garlic, ginger and green chillies and fry for 1 minute. Stir the diced tomato and cook for another 2 minutes, until softened.Tip this tarka into the hot dal, season generously with salt, then stir in the chopped spinach. Reheat and finish with the lime juice before serving straight away.
(Note: I’ve not changed anything in the original recipe, but I’ve included measurements for American audiences.)
Sublime !!!