Red lentil dal is a wonderful, warming bowl of food. It's incredibly filling and cozy on a chilly day.
It combines the traditional lentils, onions, tomatoes, and spices and I've added a can of coconut milk for an extra creamy dish.
It's naturally vegan and gluten-free. The recipe makes a hearty 6 servings, so it's an excellent meal prep recipe and easy to reheat.
In the Indian subcontinent, dal (or dhal) means split pulses, like lentils and beans, and is also used as the name of soup made from these pulses. I love Indian cuisine - I've been to India several times and even took cooking classes there because I loved the food so much! Dal is one of the first recipes I learned to make and it's on repeat at our house, so I'll hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!
What You'll Need for Dal
- Whole Red Lentils
- Coconut Milk
- Vegetable Stock or Vegetable Broth
- Canned Diced Tomatoes
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Ginger
- Fenugreek Seeds
- Ground Turmeric
- Cumin Seeds
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
Optional for serving - brown or white rice or naan, lemon juice, lime juice, chopped parsley, or fresh cilantro.
Instructions
Heat a large or medium pot over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil.
Once it's hot, add the chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until they start to become translucent.
Add the garlic and ginger and let cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
Add the fenugreek seeds, turmeric, cumin seeds, and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to allow the spices to bloom.
Add the coconut milk, vegetable stock, tomatoes, lentils, and salt to the pot and stir to combine.
Increase the heat and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low or medium heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and serve with rice or naan. Sprinkle optional cilantro on top.
Substitution Ideas
- Spices - you can also use curry powder or garam masala in dal - swap in an equal amount to replace the fenugreek, cumin seeds, and turmeric. You can also add ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds.
- Lentils - you can use green lentils instead of red lentils, but you'll need to add an additional cup of vegetable stock. You can use brown lentils as well - they won't need extra stock. Cooking time will vary if you change the type of lentils - brown cook quickly but green may need an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
- Vegetables - if you'd like to add more heft, you can add 1 ½ cups of diced sweet potatoes. Add them with the garlic and ginger.
Red Lentil Dal with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 14.5 ounces (1 can) coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 15 ounces (1 can) diced tomatoes
- 2 ½ cups red lentils
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- optional - ¼ cup cilantro roughly chopped
- for serving - rice or naan
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil. Once it's hot, add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until they start to become translucent.
- Add the garlic and ginger and let cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Add the fenugreek seeds, turmeric, cumin seeds, and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to allow the spices to bloom.
- Add the coconut milk, vegetable stock, tomatoes, lentils, and salt to the pot and stir to combine. Increase the heat and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve with rice or naan. Sprinkle optional cilantro on top.
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