Budget-Friendly Lentil Dahl
Servings: 4 or 6-8 for a side-dish
Calories: 248kcal
This one-pot Budget-Friendly Lentil Dahl is so easy and quick to prepare. It's ideal for busy families who need wholesome, flavour-packed, inexpensive, meat-free, vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based meals cooked quickly with little fuss. This delicious dahl recipe is easily adapted and is great for gluten-free diets as well as those following a no-oil diet.
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Equipment
- Large non-stick soup pot with lid
- Cheese grater for grating fresh ginger, optional as can use dried ginger
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion [about 175 grams prepped onion, rough diced, or 2 teaspoons onion powder]
- 6 garlic cloves [diced or sliced thin, or 2 teaspoons garlic puree or 2 teaspoons of garlic powder]
- 1 inch ginger root [about 15 grams, grated, or replace with 1 ½ teaspoons ginger powder or 2 teaspoons ginger puree]
- 225 grams red split lentils [rinsed and drained]
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder [such as Madras]
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 80 grams kale [chopped and tough stalks removed]
- 1 litre vegetable stock [hot, plus extra if required]
At the end of cooking:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice [a few squeezes from half a lemon, or to taste] optional
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Optional garnish:
- 4 tablespoons coriander [cilantro, chopped, use more to garnish if liked]
- red chilli or paprika flakes [a few sprinkles, to taste, can replace with fresh chilli slices for those who enjoy spiciness]
Instructions
- Add the onions, garlic, ginger, red lentils, curry powder, turmeric, bay leaf and kale to the pot.225 grams red split lentils, 1 medium onion, 6 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger root, 1 bay leaf, 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 80 grams kale
- Pour in the hot vegetable stock. Season with a little salt and black pepper.1 litre vegetable stock
- Bring to a gentle boil, lower the heat to low-medium, and pop a lid on the pot askew. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring the dahl a few times during cooking to ensure the lentils all cook evenly and they don't stick to the pot. Extra vegetable stock can be added if necessary to prevent the dahl becoming too thick and sticking to the pot.
- Once cooked remove the bay leaf. Stir though the sugar, fresh lemon juice,and the fresh coriander, if using, keeping some coriander back for the garnish.Stir and season with enough salt and black pepper to bring all the flavours together.1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon sugar, 4 tablespoons coriander
- Serve with the extra coriander, and a sprinkle of red chilli or paprika flakes, if liked.red chilli or paprika flakes
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Nutritional data does not include the lemon juice, coriander, or red pepper flakes which are all optional.
- Leftovers can be stored within the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Or freeze for 2-3 months.
- Reheat by placing in a pan and stirring over a medium heat until piping hot. A little extra vegetable stock or some canned coconut milk can be added to loosen up the dahl if necessary, but don't add too much unless of course you want dahl soup! Which is also very tasty.
- Stir through 1-2 teaspoons of garam masala powder at the end of cooking for extra flavour.
- Extra vegetable stock can be added to the dahl if its too thick.
- Add some canned coconut milk to the finished dahl for a creamy dahl meal.
- For gluten-free dahl, use a gluten-free vegetable stock and check your curry powder for any gluten ingredients which can be added as thickeners.
- Enjoy lentil dahl as a main dish with sides of rice, naan breads, chapati's, lentil or chickpea crisps, crackers, mango chutney, mint sauce or pickle, etc.
- Mashed potato is a surprisingly nice accompaniment for dahl, as is a baked sweet potato.
- Or have a scoop of dahl as a side-dish alongside a larger Indian inspired feast.
- Cooled lentil dahl can be packed firmly into a bowl or small food-safe tub and chilled. Once chilled use it as a lentil spread or as a lentil pate to enjoy with oatcakes, toasted bread, or thin slices of pumpernickel rye bread.
- To bulk out the red lentil dahl into more portions mix through a few cups of roasted veggies after the dahl has been cooked. Such as roasted garam masala cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, sweet potato or white potatoes.
- To prepare roasted garam masala cauliflower as an optional extra to mix through the cooked dahl: prepare 2-4 cups of cauliflower florets and mix with a few teaspoons of garam masala powder or similar, sprinkle a little salt and pepper over, and roast on a baking tray for about 20-25 minutes at 180 C/ 356 Fahrenheit/ Gas 4. Exact cooking times will depend on the size of florets, and if using potatoes a longer cooking time will be required. Alternatively, roast the florets in an air-fryer.
- [Cauliflower shrinks once roasted so prepare a little more than you think you need]
- Roasted garam masala cauliflower is so tasty you'll have a hard time not munching it straight from the oven before it can be used for a recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 1011mg | Potassium: 720mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2574IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 6mg
