Easy Red Lentil Dal Recipe (2024)

By: Denise Bustard55 Comments
Posted: 12/15/21Updated: 12/15/21

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This red lentil dal recipe is thick, creamy, and full of Indian spices. The ultimate vegan comfort food, made in one pot using pantry staples, and ready in 40 minutes! Gluten-free, vegan, and meal prep friendly.

When it comes to comfort food, you can’t go wrong with a bowl of crockpot chicken noodle soup, a bowl of white chicken chili, or a big bowl of red lentil dal served with rice and naan bread!

This protein-packed vegan red lentil dal recipe is so creamy, rich, and delicious. It’s packed with warming spices and flavor, making it the ultimate nourishing and vegan comfort food. Cook it up on the stovetop in one pot in just 40 minutes, or pressure cook using our Instant Pot dal recipe!

It's packed with plant-based protein and works great for both meal prep and easy weeknight dinners. Portion out leftovers for easy reheat meals, or freeze for later. This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and made with healthy, wholesome ingredients that you likely already have on hand in your pantry.

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s bursting with flavors from the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric and other spices
It’s so nourishing and wholesome - the ultimate healthy vegan comfort food
it's made in just one pot, with ingredients easily found in North America
it's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and meal prep friendly

Recipe Video

Watch the video below to see how this easy red lentil dal recipe comes together (it's so simple!)You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

What Is Dal

Dal is an Indian soup made from split pulses (lentils, peas or beans), and varies greatly by region. I was introduced to it when I visited Nepal, and it was love at first bite: rich, thick, and full of spices!

While there are a million ways to cook it, we wanted to share our method, which is simple and made with pantry staples that are easy to find in North America. For a truly authentic version, check out Manali's Dal Tadka.

ingredient notes

red lentils- which are cost effective, shelf stable, and a staple in our pantry
Spices - curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, ground coriander and salt
Aromatics - finely chopped onion, minced garlic and finely grated ginger
tomatoes- one 15 oz can (juices included)
stock- vegetable stock for vegetarians, homemade bone broth if you are not. Using stock infuses even more flavor into the lentils as they cook!

Step By Step Directions

Sautée

Heat oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until soft.

Make a space in the onion and add the minced garlic and ginger. Add a bit of extra oil if needed. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

add spices

Add all the spices: curry powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and salt. Stir to coat onions and cook for 1-2 minutes, until spices are fragrant. Be careful not to burn: stir occasionally and keep an eye on them.

Combine

Add around 1 cup of stock, and use a spatula to scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the stock, the lentils, and diced tomatoes.

Simmer

Stir, cover, bring to a simmer, then cook (covered), for 30 minutes. You will want to stir occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serve

Serve with rice and naan bread.

Tips for Building Layers Of Flavor

There are two very important steps for building flavors in this dal recipe:

sautéeing our aromatics- we start by sautéeing an onion, and then add in garlic and ginger at the end so they don't burn
sautéeing our spices- this is key to building flavor in this dal recipe! Toasting your spices for a few minutes really helps to enhance the flavors

FAQ

Can I use green lentils or another type of pulse in this recipe?

Traditionally, dal is made with many different types of split pulses, however this recipe was specifically developed for red lentils and has not been tested with other types.

Can I cook this dal in an Instant Pot?

Yes, you can! See our recipe for Instant Pot dal for the details on how to cook this in the Instant Pot.

Is it spicy?

This recipe is not spicy at all and is kid-friendly; we used a medium curry powder. You could make it spicy by adding in a chile when you add the stock; alternatively, you could play around with cayenne to add some spice (not traditional, but I find it easier to control spice levels with cayenne versus fresh chiles.

Can dal be frozen?

YES! It freeze/thaws great and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Here are two ways you could freeze your dal.
• portion out with rice and freeze in these 2 cup meal prep containers
• freeze big batches in these reusable plastic freezer jars

Serve it With

Naan
Rice - Instant Pot basmati rice or cilantro lime rice would be delicious!
Cilantro

Storage + Meal Prep

Red lentil dal stores great, and works well for meal prep! Here are a few options for storing and reheating:

Favorite Freezer Containers

Our top picks for the best freezer containers to help your food stay fresh and free from freezer burn!From bags to soup storage to meal prep containers and more.

The Best Freezer Containers

More Indian Inspired Recipes

Easy chicken curry
Slow cooker chicken korma
Slow cooker butternut squash lentil curry
Instant Pot chicken tikka masala
Slow cooker butter chicken

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Easy Red Lentil Dal

4.92 from 24 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Print Rate

6 servings

Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
▢ 1 onion chopped
▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
▢ 1 tablespoons ginger minced
▢ 1 teaspoon curry powder
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
▢ ½ teaspoon garam masala
▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ 3 cups stock
▢ 1 ½ cups red lentils
▢ 15 oz can of diced tomatoes including juices

Instructions

Sautée - Heat oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until soft.
Make a space in the onion and add the minced garlic and ginger. Add a bit of extra oil if needed. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Add Spices - Add all the spices: curry powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and salt. Stir to coat onions and cook for 1-2 minutes, until spices are fragrant. Be careful not to burn: stir occasionally and keep an eye on them.
Combine - Add around 1 cup of stock, and use a spatula to scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the stock, the lentils and diced tomatoes.
Simmer - Stir, cover, bring to a simmer, then cook (covered), for 30 minutes. You will want to stir occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Serve - Serve with rice and naan bread.

Tips:

Serving size is a rough estimate and represents ⅙ of the batch.

Storage

Fridge- portion out with rice into2 cup meal prep containers. Store in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
Freezer- portion into reusableplastic freezer jars. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw- thaw completely in the fridge.
Reheat- reheat until steaming hot in the microwave. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 211kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 770mg, Potassium: 596mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 351IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 5mg

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Reader Interactions

Valerie says
Posted on 7/5/22 at Posted on 7/5/22

This is fantastic! Flavors were perfect. Will definitely make this again. Made exactly as written except added about 1/2 cup of plant milk at the end.
Reply
- Denise Bustard says
  Posted on 7/11/22 at Posted on 7/11/22
  Hi Valerie! So happy to hear this. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review, that's so helpful!
  Reply
SJ says
Posted on 5/31/22 at Posted on 5/31/22

Flavor was great, but I cooked the lentils for 25 mins and they were really mushy (although I’ve never had them before so I don’t quite know the right texture). Would definitely make again, but reducing the cook time.
Reply
- Denise Bustard says
  Posted on 6/15/22 at Posted on 6/15/22
  Hi SJ, thanks for reporting back! Appreciate your feedback on this recipe.
  Reply
Lorri says
Posted on 5/1/22 at Posted on 5/1/22
Can I do this in a crockpot? Not sure on times…
Reply
- Denise Bustard says
  Posted on 5/2/22 at Posted on 5/2/22
  Hi Lori, I have not tested this recipe in a crockpot, unfortunately.
  Reply
Sheryl says
Posted on 4/13/22 at Posted on 4/13/22

I made this as it was quick and I had the ingredients at hand. I was amazed at how delicious it was!! I'll be making this many many times. I added some turmeric paste to the rice I served it with.
Reply
- Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
  Posted on 4/13/22 at Posted on 4/13/22
  Hi Sheryl, so happy to hear that you enjoyed this easy red lentil dal! Thank you so much or taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review 🙂
  Reply
Carly says
Posted on 3/4/22 at Posted on 3/4/22

This was so yummy! I subbed the stock for 1 3/4 cup of vegetable broth + 1/4 cup water and it was declious. Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing!!!
Reply
- Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
  Posted on 3/4/22 at Posted on 3/4/22
  Hi Carly, so glad that you enjoyed this red lentil dal! It's one of my favorites as well. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, and leaving a rating and review!
  Reply
Daphne says
Posted on 1/10/22 at Posted on 1/10/22

Surprisingly good! I will definitely make it again.
Reply
- Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
  Posted on 1/10/22 at Posted on 1/10/22
  Hi Daphne, we're really glad that you enjoyed this red lentil dal - it's definitely a crowd-pleaser! Thanks for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review!
  Reply
Stanimira Licheva says
Posted on 2/21/21 at Posted on 2/21/21

This recipe is really one to die for. I tried it today. I used sweet onions and I added 2 tablespoons of butter. I cooked the lentils in a Wok and the Basmati rice in a rice cooker. Served it with Merlo wine. And I already have ideas of variations of the recipe: 1. serve it a s a side dish to a curried chicken; 2. add pieces of chicken breast ( after the onions are half cooked); 3. substitute part of the lentils for sweet con or quinoa; 4. use sour cream or yougurt instead of rice.
I normally don`t write reviews but this recipe inspired me.
Thank you for the recipe!
Reply
- Denise Bustard says
  Posted on 2/22/21 at Posted on 2/22/21
  Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave such a thoughtful review! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed, and appreciate your suggestions <3
  Reply
Becky says
Posted on 2/21/21 at Posted on 2/21/21

Easy and delicious! Made the kitchen smell so good and plenty of leftovers for another meal. Going into my regular rotation! Thank you!
Reply
- Denise Bustard says
  Posted on 2/22/21 at Posted on 2/22/21
  Hi Becky! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed. Thanks so much for reporting back!
  Reply

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