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An over-head photo of red lentil dhal in a pot.

Red Lentil Dhal Recipe

This is one of the tastiest lentil recipes you will ever have. So flavoursome, so full of life and so easy to make. 

Course Comfort Food
Cuisine Indian
Keyword dhal recipe, Lentil dhal, Red lentil dhal
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 403 kcal
Author Nicolas

Ingredients

  • 400 g of split red lentils
  • cups of vegetable stock
  • tsp of turmeric powder
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of ghee (use grapeseed oil if you're vegan)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
  • 1 onion peeled and sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
  • 1 handful of coriander roughly chopped for garnish

Instructions

  1. Put your red lentils, vegetable stock, turmeric and a pinch of salt in a pot, then bring to a boil. Once the stock is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer.

  2. Simmer the dhal for about 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally. If the dhal sticks to the bottom of the pot, you can take the pot off the heat, give it a quick stir and then put it back over the heat.

  3. Meanwhile, preheat a small pot over medium-high flame. When the pot is nice and hot, add your ghee. Once the ghee is melted, add your cumin seeds and mustard seeds then cover with a lid. You should hear the seeds start to pop. 

  4. Once the popping has stopped take the lid off and then add your onion, garlic, and chilli flakes. Fry for a couple of minutes until the onions are nice and translucent.

  5. Once the dhal has simmered for about 20-25 minutes, turn the heat off, add the onion-spice mixture and stir it through.

  6. Garnish the dhal with your chopped coriander, then serve with rice, chapati, roti, naan bread or any other kind of flatbread.

Recipe Notes

  • This is a vegetarian recipe, but if you want to make it vegan, all you have to do is replace the ghee with a light oil such as vegetable oil. 
  • If the lentil dhal seems too mild or too spicy, don't be afraid to add more or fewer chilli flakes.
  • Remember, this dish pairs really nicely with steamed rice or chapatis. 
  • Lentil dhal also makes for great leftovers. So if you are someone who is big on meal prep, this is a definitely a recipe to consider trying. 
Nutrition Facts
Red Lentil Dhal Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 403 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 2.1g13%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 415mg18%
Potassium 163mg5%
Carbohydrates 67.9g23%
Fiber 18g75%
Sugar 7.1g8%
Protein 25.5g51%
Calcium 100mg10%
Iron 8.1mg45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.