Red lentil dahl
Indian
Red lentil dahl
Lentils cooked down with coconut, turmeric, and a fistful of spinach.
Before you cook
Dahl is the everyday lentil pot of the Indian subcontinent. Red lentils collapse into a soft stew. The tarka, spices fried in oil or ghee and poured over the top, is what makes it taste finished rather than plain.
- Serves
- 4
- Time
- 35 min
- Level
- Easy
- Energy
- 380kcal
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- One-pan
No gluten, dairy, egg, nuts, or shellfish in the written list.
Equipment
- Saucepan with a lid
- Small frying pan for the tarka
- Spoon
Each serving
An estimate from average ingredient values, not a lab test.
- Energy
- 1590 kJ
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Carbohydrate
- 36 g
- Sugars
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Salt
- 0.9 g
- Sodium
- 360 mg
This batch, 4 servings, is about 6360 kJ (1520 kcal), with 20 g sugars and 3.6 g salt.
Ingredients
Tick them off as you go. They reset when you leave.
Shops near you
Use where you are, including when you travel. Nothing is sent until you tap. Or type a suburb. Prices are not listed, because they change every week.
Bagoong, Mang Tomas, Mama Sita’s, and fresh curry leaves are often missing from the big shops. A Filipino or Asian grocer is the backup. Do not swap bagoong for plain salt and expect the same dish.
Method
- 01
Warm the oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 6 minutes, until soft.
- 02
Add the garlic, ginger, and cumin seeds. Stir for 1 minute. Add the turmeric and garam masala and stir for 30 seconds.
- 03
Add the lentils, coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a simmer.
- 04
Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are soft and the dahl is thick. Add a splash of water if it tightens up.
- 05
Stir in the spinach until it wilts. Add a good squeeze of lemon, taste for salt, and serve.
Times are a guide. If it needs another minute, give it another minute.
To serve
Over rice, or with bread. A spoon of yoghurt if you eat dairy.
Keeping it
Cool it and keep it in the fridge for 3 days, or freeze it. It thickens. Loosen it with water when you reheat it. A good work lunch.
Leftovers
- Dahl with a fried egg
For a parent, a student, or anyone who cooked yesterday.
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Hungry Alan
Red lentil dahl
Serves 4 · 35 min
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 200 g red lentils, rinsed
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 500 ml water
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 100 g baby spinach
- 1 lemon
- rice or flatbread, to serve
Method
- Warm the oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 6 minutes, until soft.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and cumin seeds. Stir for 1 minute. Add the turmeric and garam masala and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the lentils, coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are soft and the dahl is thick. Add a splash of water if it tightens up.
- Stir in the spinach until it wilts. Add a good squeeze of lemon, taste for salt, and serve.
To serve
Over rice, or with bread. A spoon of yoghurt if you eat dairy.
Keeping it
Cool it and keep it in the fridge for 3 days, or freeze it. It thickens. Loosen it with water when you reheat it. A good work lunch.