Red Lentil Dahl

This Red Lentil Dahl is a full-on comfort meal that your whole family will love. It requires common ingredients, requires minimal prep, and it'll cook up beautifully in 30 minutes or less!

Course Dinner, Entree

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 322kcal

Author Melissa Huggins

Equipment

Large Skillet or Pot

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)

US Customary - Metric

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!

Notes

Flavor enhancing ideas: ½ teaspoon turmeric, coriander or garam masala. Add to the pan with curry powder. A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom at the end of cooking is nice too.

To make this kid-friendly, you can reduce or omit the crushed pepper.

For more heat, sauté 1 small serrano pepper or jalapeño with ginger and garlic. Seeded and sliced or diced (leave some seeds for more heat).

If you don't have tomato purée, you can substitute with crushed canned tomatoes or 1.5 cups of diced canned tomatoes. You can also dice 3 medium fresh tomatoes. Cook with their juices, too.

*Nutritional info doesn't include rice or naan.

Nutrition