Description
A flavorful and creamy red lentil dahl cooked with aromatic spices, coconut milk, and fresh spinach. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a nutritious vegetarian meal, served best with rice and vegan naan.
Ingredients
Scale
Dahl
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped small
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
- 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Half a lemon, juiced
- 3-4 cups baby spinach
For Serving
- 4 cups cooked brown or white rice
- Vegan Naan
Instructions
- Sauté Onions: In a large pot or pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped onion for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until soft and translucent.
- Add Garlic and Ginger: Add minced garlic and grated ginger to the pan, cooking for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Add Spices: Stir in garam masala, ground turmeric, and red pepper chili flakes. If the mixture seems dry, add a few tablespoons of water to help blend the spices evenly.
- Add Lentils and Liquids: Add the dried lentils, canned diced tomatoes with their juices, coconut milk, and vegetable broth to the pan. Stir everything together thoroughly and increase the heat to high to bring it to a boil.
- Simmer: Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and cooked through.
- Finish with Lemon and Spinach: Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the dahl, then stir in the baby spinach until it wilts. Add salt to taste, adjusting seasoning as needed.
- Serve: Serve the red lentil dahl hot with cooked brown or white rice and vegan naan bread on the side. Enjoy your meal!
Notes
- Leftover dahl stores well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container and freezes nicely for longer storage.
- For a lighter option, use light coconut milk; the texture will be less creamy.
- If avoiding coconut, substitute with cashew cream or unsweetened almond, cashew, or soy milk, though the flavor and creaminess may vary.
- To make this recipe in an Instant Pot, use the sauté feature to cook onions, garlic, and ginger first, add spices, turn off sauté, add lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, and broth, then seal and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Perform quick release, add lemon juice and spinach, and stir until spinach wilts before serving.
- Nutritional information does not include rice or naan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
