Calling all Indian-food lovers! Meet your new favourite recipe -- a make-it-all in one pot, plant-based bowl of goodness: A red lentil dal spiked with cumin seeds and hot pepper flakes, and fragrant with onions, ginger, and garlic.
For a memorable weeknight meal serve this spicy dal with a dollop of cooling yogurt and a tower of naan all buttered up with our Garlicky Chimichurri. Or up the ante and make a feast out of it by serving alongside our popular Indian-Inspired Spinach (Saag) and our Indian-Inspired Cashew Sauce.
What is Dal?
In Indian cuisine, dal means both pulses (lentils, peas, and beans) and the stews or soups that are made with them. You might also see dal spelled daal, dhal, or dahl. This recipe is made with split red lentils.
The Ingredients
This recipe uses split red lentils, fresh tomatoes, onion, ginger, and garlic, along with dried spices: cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, and coriander powder. Fresh cilantro is added at the end.
About Red Lentils
Split red lentils are actually orange-ish brown in colour when uncooked and turn more golden when cooked.
Split red lentils don’t require any soaking. The only preparation required is to rinse the lentils in water and remove any stones or debris that you see.
Do I need to use red lentils?
We’ve only tested this recipe with split red lentils. Other colours of lentils may work but the cooking time may vary and you may need to soak them beforehand. Read your package instructions if you’re planning on substituting.
Tips: Preparing + Cooking Split Red Lentils
Rinse and remove stones or debris - no soaking required!
Fresher lentils cook faster, older ones take longer.
Don't add salt until the lentils are cooked. Adding salt or acidic ingredients (such as tomatoes) during cooking makes for tough lentils.
Split red lentils don't hold their shape when cooked. To avoid overly mushy lentils, don't boil them continuously, let them simmer.
P.S: Lentils are an excellent source of protein. To learn more, check out Where do I get my protein?
This recipe has 2 stages: the first stage is where the flavour is built and the second is when the lentils are cooked. Building flavour only takes about 10 minutes, so don’t rush this step. This is where the spices – cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, and coriander powder are tempered in oil, and fried until golden brown with our favourite flavour trifecta: onions, ginger, and garlic. (If you’ve made our popular Indian-Spiced Spinach recipe, aka Saag, you know the drill.)
Visual Overview: Making 1-Pot Indian Red Lentils
Heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds and red pepper flakes and fry for 1-2 minutes.
Add the onion, ginger, garlic, and coriander powder, and fry stirring occasionally. Add a tablespoon or two of water as needed to prevent sticking.
After 7-10 minutes, the seasonings will be a rich golden brown and your kitchen will smell amazing.
Now that we’ve developed some amazing flavours, it’s time to add the lentils. Stir them into the seasoning mixture until well-combined.
Kale, Apple, Walnut Salad
Add water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the lentils for about 15 minutes until they are soft and the water is absorbed.
Kale, Apple, Walnut Salad
Add the salt and tomatoes and simmer just long enough to break the tomatoes down a bit. You can leave this on the back burner on low or serve immediately.
Kale, Apple, Walnut Salad
Just before serving, stir in the cilantro.
Kale, Apple, Walnut Salad
Serving Ideas
For a simple meal, serve the lentils with naan bread buttered with our Garlicky Chimichurri – although this might sound like an unusual combo, the garlic, cilantro, and red pepper flakes in the chimichurri pair beautifully with the lentils.
If you want to make an Indian-themed feast, try our Indian-Spiced Spinach (Saag) recipe and our Indian-inspired Cashew Sauce.
Recipe Card
1-Pot Indian Red Lentils (Dal)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup ginger, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 1/2 cup red lentils
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups tomatoes, chopped (substitute with canned diced tomatoes if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cilantro, minced
Optional, for serving
- plain yogurt
- cilantro
- handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
Recommended Preparation
- You have to pay fairly close attention during the initial cooking stages so have your onions, ginger, and garlic diced and ready to go. Additionally, measure out the spices, lentils, and water, and set aside. Once you've done this you can start making the dish. While the lentils are cooking, you can chop the tomatoes and cilantro.
Making the Dish
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil and then add the cumin seeds and red pepper flakes. Fry on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Turn the heat down slightly and add the onion, ginger, garlic, and coriander powder. Fry for 7-10 minutes, until the seasonings are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add a tablespoon of water if needed to prevent burning or sticking. We added 2 tablespoons of water toward the end of cooking.
- Stir the red lentils into the seasoning mixture, making sure they are well mixed. Add the water, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15* minutes, until the water is absorbed and the lentils are soft. (*Read your package instructions, some lentils will cook faster.)
- Stir in the tomatoes and salt. Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes break down a bit.
- Just before serving, stir in the cilantro.
Optionally, for serving
- Garnish with yogurt, cilantro, and halved cherry tomatoes.
Hey Sylvia! I made this recipe last weekend and it was soo delicious. Easy too! Definitely going to make it again. Hope all is well with you!
Hi Karen! Thank you! Happy to hear you enjoyed it!