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This Red Lentil Dahl is a full-on comfort meal that your whole family will love. It requires common ingredients, minimal prep, and it'll cook up beautifully in 30 minutes or less!
I'm coming right at you with another easy dinner recipe to try out and I think you're going to love it. If you've never had Red Lentil Dahl before, you're in for a treat!
It's fragrant, satisfying, and filled with soul-warming flavor! It's just as easy and flavorful as my Vegan Chickpea Curry that I posted last week. It is a great addition to your weeknight dinner rotation.
Most of us are cooking at home full-time now which can be really hard. So, I want to help make it quick, easy, delicious, and FUN! This recipe fits the bill.
Ingredients + Substitute ldeas
This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. For the complete ingredient amounts and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Garlic - I prefer fresh garlic, but if you don't have it, you can use frozen or jarred.
- Ginger - Frozen, paste, or jarred will work fine.
- Curry Powder - if you don't have it, you use 1 teaspoon each of cumin, turmeric, and coriander. A few pinches of cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper are a nice addition, too.
- Crushed Red Pepper - Cayenne pepper is a great substitute. Just add a few pinches.
- Tomato Purée - Crushed tomatoes or 1.5 cups of canned diced will work too. You can also dice 3 medium tomatoes and cook with their juices.
- Red Lentils - You can use yellow lentils, but they will take longer to cook. Just simmer until tender.
- Coconut Milk - You can use homemade cashew cream or any store-bought vegan cream that's unsweetened. Lite coconut milk will work too. Just use 1 ¼ cups instead of the full can.
- Lemon Juice - Fresh lime juice will work too.
How to make Red Lentil Dahl
See how to make this dahl recipe in just six easy steps and all in one pan.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and lightly golden.
- Add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the curry powder, cumin, and crushed red pepper. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Now add the tomato purée.
- Cook the purée for about 5 minutes until it thickens up.
- Add the broth, coconut milk, red lentils, and salt. Gently simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened and the lentils are tender.
Red Lentil Dahl Success Tips
You'll love how easy this recipe is to put together. Here are some tips to help you along:
- Don't overcook the lentils or they will lose their texture and become mushy.
- For a thinner consistency, add a few splashes of broth or water to thin.
- Keep everything at a moderate simmer. If you boil it, the coconut milk may curdle and the liquid will cook down too fast.
- If you want a thicker consistency, reduce the vegetable broth and coconut milk by ½ cup each. Note: the lentil dahl naturally thickens up as it cools down a bit.
- To make this dahl kid-friendly, you can reduce or omit the crushed pepper and reduce the cumin.
Flavor Enhancing Ideas
I kept this dahl recipe simple, but it still has a wonderful flavor. Just make sure to sauté the onions well until they are lightly golden, and sauté the garlic and spices until they are fragrant. Also, make sure your spices are not expired and choose a quality brand.
If you want to add additional flavor, you can add ½ teaspoon of cumin, coriander, or garam masala to the curry powder.
This lentil dahl is mildly-spiced, so if you want more heat, you can add 1 small jalapeño or serrano pepper with the garlic and ginger. Deseed the peppers first, then dice or slice them. You can leave some seeds for extra heat.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can, but the texture may change slightly due to the coconut milk. However, if you're cooking the dahl specifically to freeze it, you can leave out the coconut milk and add it when you thaw and reheat. It'll keep in the freezer for 4-6 months.
Dahl is very hearty on its own, but it pairs nicely with rice, naan, lemon or lime wedges, and fresh-cut cilantro
This Red Lentil Dahl also goes perfectly with quinoa, salad, cauliflower rice, artisan bread, roasted or steamed veggies, Bombay potatoes, and more!
More Indian-Inspired Recipes To Try
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think by leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and sharing your feedback in the comment section below. It would make my day!
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Recipe Video
Recipe
Red Lentil Dahl
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or preferred oil
- 1 large onion , finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger , grated or minced (fresh, frozen or paste)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper , more to taste (sub ¼ teaspoon cayenne)
- 4 cups vegetable broth , low sodium
- 2 cups red lentils , rinsed well and drained
- 1 cup tomato purée , jarred/canned (not paste or sauce)
- ¾ teaspoon salt , more to taste
- 14 ounces coconut milk , canned (full-fat)
- 1 lemon , juiced (sub with lime)
- ¼ cup cilantro , chopped
For Serving (Optional)
- Naan
- Fresh-Cut Cilantro
- Lemon Wedges
- Rice (about 3 cups cooked)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet (or Large Pot) over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add onion and sauté until softened and lightly golden. About 4-6 minutes.
- Lower heat one notch and add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the curry powder, cumin, and crushed red pepper. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Now add the tomato purée. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until it thickens up. Stir often to prevent sticking or burning. Lower heat if needed.
- Add the broth, coconut milk, red lentils, and salt. Stir well to combine. Raise the heat to get things moving, then lower the heat to maintain a mild-moderate simmer. Cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and the lentils are starting to fall apart. Stir occasionally.
- Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and cut cilantro. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken up. Serve with rice, naan lemon wedges and more cilantro if desired. Enjoy!
Erin Tippett
Recipe was easy and true comfort food also very filling!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you loved the recipe, Erin! It's one of my favorites. Thank you for sharing feedback. 🙂