One pot · Tested twice

Coconut Lentil Dal

Name: Coconut Lentil Dal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed until the water runs clear; 1 (14-oz) can full-fat coconut milk; 3 cups vegetable stock or water; 1 onion, finely diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 2 tablespoons neutral oil; Salt, to taste; For the tempered oil: 3 tablespoons oil or ghee, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds, 2 dried chilies, 10 curry leaves if you have them; Lime and cilantro, to serve

Red lentils need no soaking and collapse into a thick, creamy pot in under half an hour. The spiced oil poured over at the end is not optional decoration — it is most of the flavour.

10 minHands-on

35 minTotal

6Serves

2 pansTo wash up

Front of the cardwhat you cook

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed until the water runs clear
1 (14-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons neutral oil
Salt, to taste
For the tempered oil: 3 tablespoons oil or ghee, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds, 2 dried chilies, 10 curry leaves if you have them
Lime and cilantro, to serve

Method

Cook the onion in the neutral oil over medium heat for 6 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and coriander for 1 minute.
Add the rinsed lentils, coconut milk and stock, and bring to a simmer.
Cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the base, until the lentils have broken down completely and the dal is thick enough to hold a spoon briefly.
Season with salt — it will take more than you expect — and loosen with water if it has gone past thick into stiff.
For the tempered oil, heat the oil in a small pan until shimmering, add the cumin and mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, about 30 seconds, then add the chilies and curry leaves for 10 seconds more.
Pour the hot spiced oil directly over the dal in the pot, stir half of it through, and serve with lime and cilantro.

Back of the cardwhat to know

Swap the lentilsYellow split peas work but need 45 to 55 minutes and more liquid. Brown lentils hold their shape and make a different, chunkier dish — not wrong, just not this.

Swap the coconut milkEvaporated milk or 1 cup of whole milk added at the end, though you lose the sweetness that balances the spices.

No curry leavesLeave them out rather than substituting. The dish is good without them; bay leaves are not a replacement and taste wrong here.

Keeps5 days refrigerated, and it thickens into a solid block — loosen with water when reheating.

FreezesYes, 3 months, which is the best reason to make the full batch. Freeze flat in bags and reheat from frozen over low heat.

What goes wrongSkipping the tempered oil. Dal without it tastes flat and one-note, and no amount of extra salt or spice stirred into the pot fixes it — the flavour comes from blooming whole spices in hot fat.

Serve withRice, flatbread, or a fried egg on top. A spoonful of yogurt if you are not keeping it vegan.

The bit that matters

Make the tempered oil. It takes ninety seconds, it uses one extra small pan, and it is the difference between a pleasant pot of lentils and the dish people ask you about.

*Approximately 380 calories per serving. Calories are an estimate from standard ingredient databases; actual values vary by brand and portion. See our disclaimer.