When it comes to easy dinners, dal is always a winner in my book. It’s delicious, generally pretty simple to make, and often made from panty ingredients. You may need to make a trip to the Indian market for some of the spices, but it’s worth it! Keep them on hand so you can whip up this easy dinner whenever a craving hits. I’ve shared quite a few dal recipes on this site, but a simple red lentil dal was lacking until now. Split red lentils are one of the quickest cooking pulses out there. I even wrote an entire article on just how easy it is to cook up a batch of red lentils. When used as the main ingredient for dal, red lentils cook up soft and creamy in record time. I adapted my old dal soup recipe to create this red lentil dal, so if you were a fan of that, I think you’ll love this. It’s thicker and heartier than the soup, so it’s perfect with a side of rice. I also added extra spices to this one for more of a flavor punch. Let’s talk about how it’s made!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Vegetable oil. You can use any neutral high-heat oil here. Canola oil, corn oil and coconut oil are all fine choices.Onion.Garlic.Ginger.Spices. You’ll need a mix of whole spices, which you may need to get from an Indian market, and ground spices, which you can buy at the regular supermarket. We’re using whole cumin seeds and mustard seeds, along with garam masala, ground cumin, turmeric and cayenne pepper.Split red lentils. These may be labelled as masoor dal, depending on the brand and where you buy them. You can use whole red lentils if that’s what’s available, but the dal may take a bit longer to cook.Water.Canned diced tomatoes.Full-fat coconut milk. Use the canned variety, and not the type in cartons.Salt.Fresh cilantro. This might be known as fresh coriander to you if you live outside the U.S. Leave it out if it’s not your thing.Accompaniments. Dal is typically served with cooked rice (preferably basmati) and or naan bread (try my homemade vegan naan). I also like to top mine with a drizzle of coconut milk and some roasted cashews — not required, but totally delicious.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe! Tip: Be careful not to burn the spices when you sauté them. Keep stirring, keep an eye on them, and only cook them briefly. Tip: The longer you cook the dal, the creamier it will get. Feel free to adjust the cook time, cooking it more briefly for more distinct lentils, longer for super soft lentils. Take the pot off of heat and season the dal with salt to taste. Serve your red lentil dal with rice or vegan naan, and garnish each bowl with some fresh cilantro. I like to top mine with roasted cashews as well.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover red lentil dal will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. The dal can easily be reheated in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. Add water during reheating if it’s gotten too thick during storage.
More Vegan Dal Recipes
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