Red Lentil Dal

User Reviews

5.0

15 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    5 mins

  • Cook Time

    5 mins

  • Total Time

    45 mins

  • Servings

    4 people

  • Calories

    233 kcal

  • Cuisine

    Indian

Red Lentil Dal

This vegan Red Lentil Dal is an easy and delicious spiced red lentil dish.  It can be served alone as a soup, or as a side dish along with rice.

I Made This!

Be the first!

Save this

Be the first!

Ingredients

Servings
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala Optionally, substitute tandoori masala spice mix (see Recipe Notes for a homemade version)
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (use more or less for desired spice level)
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes Or swap 1-2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup red lentils (rinse and check for pebbles)
  • 3 ½ cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • To serve: basmati or jasmine rice (optional)
Add to Shopping List

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat.  
  2. When the oil is hot and begins to ripple, add onion, salt, garam masala (or tandoori spice mix), red chili flakes, and cayenne.  Sauté 3-4 minutes, until the spices are fragrant and the onions are translucent. 
  3. Add garlic, sauté 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add tomatoes, and simmer another 4-5 minutes. Add lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then cover pan and reduce heat to medium-low. 
  5. Simmer until most (but not all) of the water has absorbed and the lentils soften, about 20 minutes. Add turmeric. Taste and add extra salt if desired.Serve dal warm, alone or with rice.
  6. Leftovers:Store leftovers in the fridge, and use within 3-4 days.Make Ahead and Freeze:Let lentils cool to room temperature, and freeze for up to 6 months.

Notes

  • Serves 4 as main dish, 8 as side dish
  • To Substitute Homemade Tandoori Spice Mix: Blend 2 TB cumin, 2 TB garlic powder, 2 TB paprika, 4 tsp ginger, 1 TB coriander, 2 tsp cardamom, and use 2 TB of mixture in place of pre-made spice mix
  • Recipe Adaptions:
  • Change the spice: Substitute berbere (an African spice blend) for garam masala or tandoori masala
  • Make it less spicy: Omit the cayenne and/or red pepper flakes
  • Make this dal heartier: Add 4-5 diced Yukon Gold potatoes to the pan when you add the lentils
  • Turn this dal into soup: Add 4-5 diced Yukon Gold potatoes to the pan when you add the lentils.  Add 4 cups of water instead of 3 cups.  Add 2 or 3 large handfuls of fresh spinach to the dal about 5 minutes before the lentils are done cooking.
  • (NOT VEGAN) Add eggs: Crack 2 - 4 eggs into the lentils about 4-5 minutes before they're done cooking.  Keep the pan covered. 

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 233kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 36g (12%) Protein 13g (26%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Sodium 762mg (32%) Potassium 484mg (14%) Fiber 16g (64%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 533IU (11%) Vitamin C 7mg (8%) Calcium 74mg (7%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 233 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 233kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 13g 26%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Sodium 762mg 32%
Potassium 484mg 10%
Fiber 16g 64%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 533IU 11%
Vitamin C 7mg 8%
Calcium 74mg 7%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Genuine Reviews

User Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0

15 reviews
Excellent

Write a Review

Drag & drop files here or click to upload
Other Recipes

You'll Also Love

Red Lentil Dal (Masoor Dal Tadka)

Indian
4.9 (36 reviews)

Red Lentil Dal {Instant Pot}

Indian
4.9 (108 reviews)

Indian Red Lentil Dal Recipe

Indian
4.5 (11,166 reviews)

Red Lentil Dal with Spinach

Asian, Indian
5.0 (3 reviews)

Butternut Red Lentil Dal with Gingered Tomatoes

Indian, South East Asian
5.0 (3 reviews)

Red Lentil Curry Recipe (Masoor Dal)

Indian, American
5.0 (27 reviews)

Masoor Dal Recipe: The Red Lentil Curry

Indian, Pakistani
0.0 (0 reviews)

Red Lentil Dal

Indian, Vegan
5.0 (75 reviews)

Amritsari Dal | Langarwali Dal

Indian
4.8 (30 reviews)

Dal Chutney | Chana Dal Chutney

Indian
4.9 (27 reviews)

Khatti Dal | Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

Indian
5.0 (21 reviews)