“Dal soup (Indian lentil dish)” by Pelican, CC BY-SA 2.0, Source – cropped and recompressed

Lentil Dal

Name: Lentil Dal
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 250 g red lentils; 1 onion; 3 cloves garlic; 20 g ginger; 2 tbsp rapeseed oil; 1 tsp cumin, ground; 1 tsp turmeric, ground; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 can chopped tomatoes, 400 g; 200 ml coconut milk; 600 ml vegetable stock; 150 g baby spinach; ½ tsp salt; 250 g basmati rice; 1 lime; ½ bunch coriander

with spinach and coconut milk

35 min (15 min active) · Easy

You'll need: Stovetop · One Pot

Text written with AI assistance and reviewed by our editors

Red lentils break down all by themselves into something velvety as they cook – all you have to do is stir and let the kitchen fill with the aroma. It tastes even better on the second day.

Ingredients for 4 servings

4 servings

Convert to grams

For the dal
250 gRed lentils
1Onion
3 clovesGarlic
20 gGinger
2 tbspRapeseed oil
1 tspCumin, ground
1 tspTurmeric, ground
1 tspGaram masala
1 canChopped tomatoes (canned), 400 g
200 mlCoconut milk
600 mlVegetable stock
150 gBaby spinach
½ tspSalt
To serve
250 gBasmati rice
1Lime
½ bunchCoriander

Contains: Celery

Method

Step 1: Rinse the lentils in a sieve until the water runs clear. Finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger.
Step 2: Bring the rice to the boil in 450 ml salted water, then cover and let it simmer gently over low heat for 12 minutes.
Timer: 12 min
Step 3: Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onion for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric and garam masala and toast for 1 minute until fragrant.
Timer: 4 min
Step 4: Add the lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk and stock, bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks.
Timer: 20 min
Step 5: Fold in the spinach and let it wilt for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and the juice of half a lime.
Timer: 2 min
Step 6: Serve the dal with the rice, chopped coriander and the remaining lime wedges.

Tips

Briefly toast the spices in oil before adding any liquid – only then do they release their full flavour.
Dal thickens as it stands. Simply add a little water when reheating.

Swaps

Instead of rice: warm naan or flatbread.
No garam masala at home? 1 tsp mild curry powder works too.

Storage

Keeps for 4 days in the fridge and freezes well in portions.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving
Calories	637 kcal
Protein	25 g
Carbohydrates	91 g
Fat	18 g

Approximate values per serving. Calculated with BLS 4.0.

All recipes in “Main dishes”

You'll also find this recipe in: Pumpkin & Co., Vegan, Without Compromise

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Image credits

Image credits:

Cover image: “Dal soup (Indian lentil dish)” by Pelican, CC BY-SA 2.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
Falafel bowl with hummus and herby tabbouleh: “Mixed Plate (3186676853)” by Charles Haynes from Hobart, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
Tray of roast vegetables and baby potatoes topped with golden chunks of feta and oregano: “Roasted Vegetables (2897937502)” by Mack Male from Edmonton, AB, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
Shakshuka with eggs, feta and coriander in a frying pan: “Shakshuka by Calliopejen1” by Calliopejen1, CC BY-SA 3.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
Spaghetti aglio e olio with chilli and parsley: “Spaghetti aglio e olio (La Mirada Restaurant Richardstraße Berlin)” by IgorCalzone1, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
Tagliatelle in a creamy mushroom sauce with thyme and Parmesan: “주식회사 엔아이에프앤씨 닐리 파스타 음식 사진2-Spaghetti ai funghi” by 최광모, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
Pumpkin curry with chickpeas and lime: “Pumpkin curry (1861461547)” by Upendra Kanda, CC BY 2.0, Source – cropped and recompressed

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