Easy Red Lentil Dahl Recipe

This Easy Red Lentil Dahl Recipe is a flavorful, comforting dish from Indian cuisine that is made from red lentils. This dish mixes red lentils with vegetables, fresh ginger, tomato, broth, coconut milk and a warm mixture of spices like curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin and coriander. Serve this with rice, a swirl of Greek yogurt and fresh cilantro.

EASY RED LENTIL DAHL RECIPE

We love lentils in my house and I know a lot of you do too.

A couple of my most popular lentil recipes are this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Lebanese Lentil Soup and Lemon Lentil Soup.

Today’s Easy Red Lentil Dahl Recipe is one of the lentil dishes I love making.

My favorite part is the mixture of the spices. My recipe uses aromatic spices of curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper.

Red lentil dahl (also dal, dhal, or daal) refers to refers to dried, split pulses or legumes and is a popular South Asian dish made from red lentils (masoor dal).

Dahl is a thick, flavorful stew or soup {I consider it a thick stew} that is simmered using a mix of lentils, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, vegetables and warm spices.

This quick and easy red lentil dahl recipe is the ideal vegetarian meal as it’s packed full of flavor, but with the addition of lentils is still protein packed, filling and nutritious meal.

I love to flavor pulses and vegetables with spices, they make a hearty, healthy meal option. Some other recipes you might like are my Chickpea Curry, Cauliflower Curry, Easy Lamb Curry, Easy Shrimp Curry, Easy Eggplant Curry, or my Red Lentil Curry.

Why You Will Love This Red Lentil Dahl Recipe

Make Ahead: This red lentil dal recipe can be made up to 2 days beforehand and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. In fact it will taste even better if left to sit as all the flavors will meld together.

Full of Flavor: Lentils and pulses are great at absorbing flavor, so this easy red lentil dahl is packed with flavor from the blend of combination of spices. I love the mixture of spices in this dahl and it is my favorite way to eat lentils.

Protein Packed: This recipe is packed with protein rich lentils, which will keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Double the Recipe: This recipe can be doubled up if you are feeding a larger group of diners. Dahl also freezes really well, so double up and enjoy some dahl now and freeze the rest for an easy dinner another day.

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Oil – olive oil is always my go to, but you can use other light oils like avocado oil.
• Garlic – for the best flavor I like to use fresh garlic, but garlic puree or frozen garlic are good substitutes. You also could use dried garlic.
• Onion – I use either a yellow or sweet onion to flavor the base of my dahl. You also could use red onion or shallot.
• Vegetables – I add a red bell pepper and carrot to the dahl. We love the flavor from those vegetables.
• Ginger – for the best flavor I like to use freshly grated ginger, but pureed, frozen or ground ginger can be used if you can’t find fresh.
• Ground spices – I use a combination of curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and black pepper to flavor the dahl, along with salt to season the lentils.
• Tomato – I add tomato paste to add depth of flavor and thicken the sauce, as well as a can of crushed tomatoes.
• Lentils – I use dry red lentils, which I pick through and rinse thoroughly before adding to the pot. I like the texture of the red lentils but you could also use yellow, green or brown in their place.
•  Broth – I’ve opted to use vegetable broth, but you could also use chicken broth.
• Coconut milk – I use full fat coconut milk which gives the dahl a thicker consistency.
• Lemon – I add fresh lemon juice, which adds acidity and balances out the spices in the dish.
• Garnish – I finish the dahl with a garnish of red pepper flakes, freshly chopped cilantro and a spoon of thick Greek yogurt.

How to Make This Recipe

1. Saute the vegetables: In a large Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the chopped onion, red bell pepper and carrots and sauté another 3-4 minutes.

2. Cook the spices: Now add the fresh ginger, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne red pepper, salt and pepper and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes to help the spices bloom. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.

3. Cook the lentils: Add the vegetable broth to the pot and scrape up any vegetables and browned pieces from the pot. 

Add dried red lentils and crushed tomatoes and stir well. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are almost soft.

4. Add the coconut milk: Stir in the coconut milk and the lemon juice or lime juice and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes on low until the dahl is thickened.

5. Garnish and serve the dahl: Garnish with crushed red pepper, fresh cilantro and a swirl of Greek yogurt. Serve over basmati rice and a side of naan bread.

Recipe Modifications for this Simple Red Lentil Dahl Recipe

• Lentils: I’ve used red lentil in this recipe as they cook quickly. However, you can substitute with green or brown lentils, you will just need to cook them longer.
• Onion: I use yellow or sweet onions but you could also use a white or red onion, or even shallots.
• Vegetables: You can add in other vegetables to the dahl if you wish, try adding celery, mushrooms or green beans.
• Greens: greens would be a great addition to dahl. Try fresh spinach, kale, swiss chard or arugula.
• Spices: the blend of spices I’ve used add flavor, but if there’s a spice that you don’t like simply leave it out. If you don’t have garam masala, try adding a cinnamon stick, and a pinch each of ground nutmeg and clove.
• Coconut Milk: for the best consistency I use full fat coconut milk, but you can use light coconut milk although it will thin down the dahl. Another alternative would be to substitute with thick Greek yogurt, provided you are not serving dairy free or vegan diners.
• Chili: If you like spice and heat in your dahl add jalapeños or chilis when sautéing the vegetables. You also could add some chili powder, or chili flakes along with the dry spices.

Recipe Tips

• Rinse the Lentils: always rinse lentils before adding them to the pot, as this helps to remove any dust or excess starch.
• Puree: You can either leave this dahl thick like a stew which is how I eat it but you also can puree it more to create a thinner soup.
• Type of Lentils: I think that red lentils or yellow lentils work best in dahl. I like the way they cook and the texture they create in the soup/stew. If you want to use brown or green you will have to cook those longer.
• Timing: make sure you pay attention to the lentil and how long you cook them. You want them to be soft but not mushy.
• Make Ahead: dahl is a great make ahead dish and will taste even better if left to sit as flavors will meld together and intensify. This works great for meal prep.
• Leftover: store leftover lentil dahl in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
• Reheating: to reheat leftovers place into a pot and warm up to piping hot on the stove. Add a splash of broth or water if the dahl look too dry.
• Freeze: once cooked and cooled, place the dahl into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly in the refrigerator overnight and warm up on the stove when ready to enjoy.

Should I Soak Red Lentils?

Red Lentils do not need to be soaked but you should rinse them and pick through them to eliminate any debris and stones.

How Can I Slow Cook Lentil Dahl?

You can make this in the crockpot. Combine the ingredients in the crockpot, stir well and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. This is such a simple way to make it!

What to Serve with Red Lentil Dahl

This easy dahl is a delicious plant based dinner, served with some steamed white rice, cauliflower rice, brown rice, my Coconut Rice Salad, or Instant Pot Fried Rice. I also like to add a vegetable side like my Lebanese Green Beans, Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower, or this Simple Roasted Broccoli dish. 

I always serve bread alongside which is great for dipping into the dahl, try my Easy Homemade Naan, Air Fryer Pita Chips, or my Homemade Baked Pita Chips.

You can also serve lentil dahl as a side dish, along with a variety of other curries like my Butter Chicken, Easy Lamb Curry, Curry Meatballs, Slow Cooker Beef Curry, Slow Cooker Chicken Curry, or Easy Shrimp Curry.

Other Red Lentil Based Recipes You Might Like

MOROCCAN RED LENTIL SOUP

MOROCCAN CARROT RED LENTIL SOUP

RED LENTIL CURRY

RED LENTIL COCONUT SOUP

LEBANESE LENTIL SOUP

CHICKEN LENTIL SOUP