This easy Lentil Dahl (sometimes spelled Dal) with fire roasted tomatoes, coconut milk and spices makes the perfect comforting dish! Serve it over your favorite grain with a big squeeze of lime juice for max flavor. Bonus - it saves really well too!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
I've said it before, but cooking for Poppy is hands down my favorite thing to do! Exposing her to different flavors, spices and cuisines is truly #1 on my list of things that bring me joy. Most recently, we've been loving Dahl.
Dahl comes from the Sanskrit word that means “to split”, and is a collective term for pulses like lentils and peas etc. Most commonly, pulses are slow-simmered with various aromatics that is known as dahl or dal. The recipe below is a flavorful stew like dish that we've obsessed with in our house. We serve it over rice or quinoa, a big squeeze of lime and some fresh herbs. It's fantastic for both toddlers and adults!
If you love this dahl and using lentils, my curry lentil soup is another one of our go-to recipes.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Coconut oil
- Fresh ginger finely chopped
- Yellow onion thinly sliced
- Garlic finely chopped
- Ground turmeric
- Curry powder
- Red curry paste - this is my favorite brand. Some of them really don't have tons of flavor and you want something that has BOLD flavors to stand up to the coconut milk!
- Coconut milk
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes
- Red lentils (or any other color you prefer)
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon or lime
- Cilantro
- Cooked rice or quinoa
How to Make
- Heat a medium dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the coconut oil. Once hot, add the ginger, onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until onions are starting to be translucent and fragrant. Add the ground turmeric, curry powder and paste and sauté for another 60 seconds to toast. Add the coconut milk, water, and the entire can of chopped tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add the lentils and cover the pot, reduce heat to medium and let the lentils cook for 20-25 minutes until soft.
- Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over rice or quinoa with cilantro on top and lemon or lime juice depending on your preference.
Tips & Tricks
- I used red lentils for this recipe but truly any lentil is going to be great. It will all just have a slightly different color!
- The coconut oil with the onion, ginger and garlic is the base of so much flavor!
- Curry powder isn't traditionally spicy, so if you're opposed to spice, don't worry! If you want to amp up the spice, you could add a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes to give it some kick.
- When it comes to coconut milk, go for the full fat can! It's thicker, has more flavor and it's my preference when it comes to making this recipe.
- Coconut milk is different than coconut water! The milk comes in a can in the pantry section of your grocery store.
FAQ's
What kind of food is Dahl/Dal?
Dahl/dal is a thick Indian stew or soup made from dried lentils.
What can I add to Dahl/Dal to make it more nutritious?
You can add vegetables like spinach, kale, carrots, or tomatoes. You can also stir in coconut milk for a creamier texture or top with nuts and seeds for added protein and crunch.
Can I make Dahl/Dal ahead of time?
Yes, Dahl can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 3–5 days or frozen for longer. The flavors tend to develop over time, making it taste even better the next day.
Is Dahl/Dal vegetarian or vegan?
Dahl is typically vegetarian and often vegan, though some recipes include ghee (clarified butter) or cream. It can easily be made vegan by substituting ghee with vegetable oil.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Dahl (Dal)
Ingredients
For Dahl:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger finely chopped
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 14.5-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup red lentils
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
To Serve:
- fresh lemon or lime wedges
- cilantro
- cooked rice or quinoa
Instructions
- Heat a medium dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the coconut oil. Once hot, add the ginger, onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until onions are starting to be translucent and fragrant. Add the ground turmeric, curry powder and paste and sauté for another 60 seconds to toast. Add the coconut milk, water, and the entire can of chopped tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add the lentils and cover the pot, reduce heat to medium and let the lentils cook for 20-25 minutes until soft.
- Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over rice or quinoa with cilantro on top and lemon or lime juice depending on your preference.
Loved this for an easy Monday night meal! And it was excellent for lunches for the week! Ran out of curry paste, only had 1.5 tbsp, so I used an extra 2 tsp of curry powder and it was perfectly spicy for me
Made this multiple times and it is always a winner - even with my toddler!
Do I soak the lentils overnight first?
no need!
Hi Gaby! What curry paste and powder do you use? Mine came out too spicy for baby - whoops!
I have no idea which brand - I always decant into my spice jars!
hello! i don’t see when to add the curry paste. thanks!!
with the curry powder!