This easy red lentil dahl recipe requires no chopping and takes just 15 minutes. It is made entirely from long-life pantry staples so it makes the perfect quick weekday dinner. Not only is it quick, but it’s also extremely tasty.
I resisted making this vegan lentil dahl for about a decade because I thought it was going to taste boring. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The first time I made this great recipe I was blown away by the depth of flavor. I can’t believe I waited so long because I’m such a fan of Indian food.
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes because it’s so quick and easy. The main dish requires no chopping at all, and you can add whichever side dishes you like to it. It’s quite a thick stew and needs to be served alongside something. So I paired the dahl with some white rice and a great addition is a simple side salad.
Not only is this dish a staple dish and one of my favourite recipes in my house, but it’s also my go-to emergency meal because it is made up entirely from long-life storecupboard ingredients. I adore the Indian flavors from the Indian spices. Making any type of Indian curry is always a winner in my book.
I usually meal prep a big batch of this in advance because it freezes very well in an airtight container.
Video Demonstration
If you’d like to see how easy it is to throw all this together, check out my video where I walk you through the recipe step by step. Click here to subscribe to my Youtube channel.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe and all recipes on my website are suitable for the special diets, vegan, plant based, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, free from refined sugar, and vegetarian
- This recipe contains 395.6 calories per serving
- This recipe contains 17.6g protein per serving
- This recipe contains 67.2mg of Calcium per serving
- This recipe contains 7.7g of fiber per serving.
- This recipe is made from a combination of vegan protein, whole food sources of carbohydrates, vegetables, essential fats, and ingredients that make the dish extremely tasty.
- This recipe takes 5 minutes of active preparation time and 15 minutes of cooking time. You can use the cooking time to get on with other things.
- This recipe is made extra tasty by the addition of my homemade curry powder and vegetable stock powder.
- I have simplified this recipe by limiting the number of ingredients and using everyday ingredients such as garlic, ginger, tomatoes and coconut milk.
The Structure Of A Plant Based Plate
Each of the recipes I create fits into my Plant Plate System. This system incorporates 5 food groups into every meal.
The 5 food groups are 1) Plant Protein, 2), Leaves, Fruit, And Veg, 3) Aesthetic Additions, 4) Nutrient Packed Carbohydrates, and 5) Taste
This recipe is a complete meal because it contains all 5 components of my Plant Plate and contains around 400 calories per meal.
The diagram below helps you see the 5 different components of a Plant-Based Plate.
Click here to discover more about my Plant Plate System and some of the benefits of eating this way.
Plant-Based Protein
- Red lentils
Leaves, Fruit & Veg
- Chopped tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Tomato
Aesthetic Additions
- Soya yogurt
- Ground black pepper
- White sesame seeds, black sesame seeds or nigella seeds
- Cilantro or coriander
Nutritious Carbs
- White rice
Taste
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Tamari
- Curry powder
- Coconut milk
- Vegetable stock powder
- Lemon juice
- Cilantro or coriander
- Pickled onion
Recommended Equipment
Non-Stick Pan
I highly suggest you use a non-stick pan for the vegetable and sauce part of this recipe. In a non-stick pan, this recipe cooks like a dream, with minimal stirring needed.
You can get the large pan that I use by clicking here. Please note, I bought the largest size.
You can get the 10-piece cookware set that I have by clicking here. Please note, this set contains a smaller version of the large deep pan that I bought separately.
How To Make This Recipe
- Add all of the ingredients to a pan.
- Cook until the lentils are soft.
- Serve with your chosen side dish.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Dry red lentils: Red lentils are the main ingredient but you can replace them with any type of lentils of your choice. You can use 500g of cooked lentils, but omit the water from the recipe.
- Basil/Cilantro/other fresh leaves: You can omit the fresh herbs or replace them with any fresh or dried herbs of your choice.
- Garlic: You can omit the garlic or replace it with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Vegetable stock powder: You can replace it with a different stock powder or stock cube of your choice.
- Cucumber: Replace the cucumber with any vegetable of your choice except potato.
- Tomato: Replace the tomato with any vegetable of your choice except potato.
- soya yogurt: Replace the soy yogurt with any plant yogurt of your choice or remove it entirely.
- Ground black pepper: Replace the ground black pepper with any herbs or spice blend of your choice.
- White sesame seeds, black sesame seeds or nigella seeds. Replace this sprinkle with any seeds or your choice, or remove it entirely.
- White rice: Replace this with any of the nutritious carbs of your choice.
- Ginger: Replace ginger with dried ginger or remove completely.
- Tamari: Replace this with sea salt or vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- Curry powder: Replace this with your own curry powder or favorite spice blend.
- Coconut milk: Replace this with coconut milk from a carton for less fat and a lighter sauce.
- Lemon juice: Replace this with lime juice or remove it completely.
- Pickled onion: Replace this with any pickled vegetable of your choice or remove it completely.
- Chopped tomatoes: You can substitute chopped tomatoes with fresh tomatoes that you have blended, or passata.
Side Dishes
Serve this recipe with one serving of any of the following side dishes per person:
- Mashed potatoes
- Cornbread
- Boiled baby potatoes in skins
- Boiled large white potatoes without skins
- White potato fries
- Sweet potato fries
- Baked white potato
- Baked sweet potato
- White rice
For more options, see all of my best vegan, gluten-free carbs side dishes.
How To Reduce The Calories
If you’d like to reduce the calories of this recipe even further, I suggest replacing the canned coconut milk with coconut milk/drink from a carton. To keep the calories low I have omitted olive oil from this recipe.
How To Increase The Calories
If you would like to increase the calories for anybody who is going to be eating a serving of this recipe, I suggest you serve them a bigger portion of a side dish.
Storage
Red Lentil Dal keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge in an air-tight container. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Defrost it before using it. Reheat it by warming it up gently in a pan.
More Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes
If you’re looking for easy, no-fail vegan dinners, check out some of my other recipes:
- Quick Red Lentil Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
- One Pot Smoky Vegan Sausage Casserole
- Easy No Cook Marinara Sauce For Pizza And Pasta
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Recipe
Creamy Vegan Red Lentil Dahl Recipe
Equipment
- Large Non-Stick Deep Pan
Ingredients
- 190g (1 Cup) Dry Red Lentils
- 2 Teaspoons (2 Cloves) Minced Fresh Garlic
- 2 Teaspoons (1 Inch) Minced Ginger
- 2 Tablespoons Tamari
- 2 Teaspoons Of My Homemade Curry Powder Or 2 Teaspoons Of Any Curry Powder Spice Mix
- 1 400g (15 Oz) Can Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 400g (15 Oz) Can Light Coconut Milk Or 284ml Coconut Milk From A Carton
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 Teaspoons Of My Homemade Vegetable Stock Powder Or 2 Teaspoons Bouillon Powder Or 1 Stock Cube
- 3 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
- 30g Cilantro or Coriander (Save Some For A Garnish)
Serve With
- 2 Cups Cooked White Rice (½ Cup Cooked Rice Per Serving)
- 4 Tablespoons Of Pickled Onion (1 Tablespoon Per Serving)
- 1/2 Large Cucumber
- 1 Tomato
- 4 Tablespoons Soya Yogurt (Add 1 Tablespoon Per Serving)
Garnish With
- Ground Black Pepper
- White Sesame Seeds, Black Sesame Seeds Or Nigella Seeds
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro Or Coriander
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the red lentils. Add all of the red lentil dahl ingredients to a non-stick large saucepan or large pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Stir occasionally.
- While the dah is cooking, prepare some white rice, or other side carb of your choice.
- Slice the cucumber and tomato.
- Serve the dahl in pasta bowls. Add the rice to the side.
- If you want to add some extra taste and nutrients to the meal, some great additions are to add some pickled onion, cucumber, and tomato to the side. Top with plant-based yogurt. Sprinkle black pepper, white or black sesame seeds or nigella seeds on top, and top with the remaining coriander.
Video
Notes
Now it’s your turn to make magic with food.
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