A quick & easy Red Lentil Dal that is as soul warming as it is delicious. It's super creamy thanks to the melty red lentils & rich coconut milk. Perfect served over rice for an easy meal!
Hello creamy soft red lentils bathed in coconut milk and spices ❤️I'm looking at you Red Lentil Dal.
It's so incredibly yummy, and when the nights start drawing in and temperatures begin to drop, it's nice to have some good ol' comfort food recipes on standby. And it doesn't get any more cozy and comforting than this warming and super easy to make meal.
Something totally magical happens when you combine the red lentils, spices, tomatoes and coconut milk, then simmer them all together. It doesn't take long at all for it to turn into a thick, creamy delicious smelling pot of goodness.
What is Dal?
Wondering what Dal actually is? I like Cooking Light's description of it.
They say "Dal or dhal, just like posole (or pozole) is both an ingredient and a dish: it refers to a type of dried split pea or lentil and the deeply spiced stew made from simmering the split peas until nicely broken down".
Read more about it on their site here.
How to make Red Lentil Dal
For detailed measurements and instructions, scroll to my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page or click the "jump to recipe" button at the top of the page.
Gather up your ingredients and lets get to it!
Here is what's joining the Dal party today:
And here's what we're doing with them:
Step 1- Sauté the onions, garlic and ginger then add the spices and cook them out a little.
Step 2 - Add the lentils and allow to toast for a few minutes then add the fresh tomatoes.
Step 3 - Add the water and coconut milk and simmer until the lentils are thickened and tender.
How to serve
This red lentil dal recipe is perfect for when you want something fresh, cozy, healthy and yummy on the table pretty fast.
Try serving it with:
- My Easy Flatbread Recipe
- Fluffy rice
- Quinoa
- Cauliflower rice
- Naan bread
- Poppadoms
- The lentil slaw from my Enchilada Lentil Tacos recipe
- Green Sauce
- Oven Baked Garlic Mushroom Rice
As a garnish try adding a sprinkling of cilantro, some fresh chopped tomato and a few chopped peanuts or cashews (like in my pics). This really takes it from mid-week dinner to restaurant kind of quality appearance. Perfect if you are wanting to impress someone/company or just treat yourself to some prettiness!
Ways you can adapt this recipe
You can throw just about any vegetable into this vegan red lentil dal (spinach, kale or diced potatoes work particularly well!) so it's a great meal for clearing out the fridge and using up what you have around.
- Add more or less red chili pepper flakes depending on how hot you like your Dal.
- Add a diced fresh chili instead of chili flakes (add while sautéing the onions).
- If you're short on spices use a tablespoon of curry powder or garam masala instead.
- Throw in a can of chickpeas for some extra texture and protein.
- Omit the fresh tomatoes or add a small can of diced canned tomatoes instead.
- Add some fresh cauliflower florets in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Cook it in the Instant Pot. See my very slightly adapted recipe here.
Storage, freezing and reheating tips
This Red Lentil Dal with coconut milk for richness is lots of things: creamy, gently spicy (although you could make it more so), full of protein, very filling, pretty budget friendly assuming you have a supply of spices in your pantry already, and the leftovers are even better than the main event.
The flavours really develop in the fridge over a couple of days which means you can really look forward to tucking into the leftovers.
It's great for meal prep too! Divide it between single serving sized containers with or without rice and you have easy dinners all ready in the fridge for days to come. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Got an Instant Pot?
If you have an Instant Pot and want to make this recipe, hop on over to my Instant Pot Lentil Dal. It's been adapted very slightly so that it works perfectly and it is just as delish!
Hungry for more?
Save this easy dal recipe, memorize it, pin it, or whatever you need to, but be sure to make it soon because it is super-duper yummy and you will love it!
If you are love lentils, you might also enjoy my:
Subscribe to my email list for a fabulous FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. Being on the list means you will be first to see my new recipes and you’ll be kept in the loop on all things new and exciting too. Also be sure to check out my cookbook Vegan Comfort Cooking for even more recipes!
Creamy Red Lentil Dal
Ingredients
- 1 large onion , chopped finely
- 4 large garlic cloves , chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger , finely chopped or grated
- 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes , add up to a teaspoon extra if you like it a spicy. You can use 1 fresh small red chili if you prefer
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 slightly heaping teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds , see recipe notes for substitution
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds , see recipe notes for substitution
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander , see recipe notes for substitution
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper , add more to taste if necessary at the end
- 2 teaspoons salt , add more to taste if necessary at the end
- 400g / 2 cups split red lentils , dried. (No need to soak)
- 3 large tomatoes , chopped into small chunks
- 1 can / 400 mls / a little under 1¾ cup coconut milk , full fat or light
- 840mls / 3½ cups water , plus a 3 - 4 tablespoons for sautéing the onion and garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add 3 tablespoons of water (or 1 tablespoon of oil if you prefer) to a large pan and place over a medium heat. Once the pan is hot add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 - 10 minutes until translucent. Stir frequently and add a drop or two of water as you need to to stop them sticking.
- Add the chopped garlic & ginger to the pan and cook for about 1 minute longer.
- Add the chili and spices and cook them out for a minute or two then add the lentils. Toast the lentils gently for a few minutes, stirring frequently to stop them sticking.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, water and coconut milk, stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Turn down to medium low, and continue to simmer for around another 25-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the lentils are breaking down and the sauce is nice and thick.
NOTES
NUTRITION
LOOKING FOR MORE RECIPES?
Be sure to check out my recipe index where you can browse and filter recipes by meal type, category and dietary preference.
Originally published September 21st 2017. Updated and republished on April 26th 2020.
Amy says
Delicious!! My lentils took quite a bit longer to cook for some reason , but worth the wait!
Dawn Maddern says
Best dahl I have made. I love Indian food, and now I can make this at home. Even my husband loves it, and he can be picky.
Susan says
I just made it and loved it. I did add some garam masala as one of my favorite spice mixes. Also added garbanzo beans. Will definitely make it again.
Mona Guterman says
This is a great recipe and not difficult to make and tastes delicious too!
Linda says
Hi
Can I use diced tomato if I don't have fresh? If so, what amount would work? Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
You can or you can just omit them. If using canned diced tomatoes I'd probably use about 1 cup. It would be best to strain out as much of the juice as possible so that the dal doesn't end up too runny. To save wasting it freeze it to add to a soup or stew later. Or if you don't mind it being more soupy just add it. It's a pretty flexible recipe though so if you want to add more tomatoes to use up the whole can you can. And I'm very aware of how many times I've said can there and it's making me laugh ... Hope that helps!
Rose Plewman says
Why did I get a burn notice not once twice?!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm assuming you mean when cooking in an Instant Pot? This isn't an Instant Pot version of the recipe. Did you follow the directions here or the directions in my Instant Pot version? It's really important you follow the steps I give there of scraping the bottom of the pot very thoroughly when you add the water as the brown residue can trigger the burn warning, and to not stir the lentils and coconut milk etc in at all before putting the lid on and cooking.
I cook the Instant Pot version at least a couple times a month and never get the burn error when following those steps.
Hope that helps!
Pablo says
Fantastic as stated. I’ve made it with the addition of extra coconut milk, peas & chick peas...delicious !!
Julia says
Just made this (after reading about it at 11PM). It sounded that good! I made it with what I had around-- no fresh onion, garlic, or tomato. I used onion and garlic powder and tomato paste. I realized as I was adding the lentils that I only had 1.5 cups! I added in frozen cauliflower and peas. Mine is probably more soup like than others, but flavor is incredible! Moral of the story: recipe is pretty adaptable.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm glad you were able to make it work with what you had!
Diana says
Hi there, do i use split red lentils or just red lentils? Thank you
Yolande Labbe says
Hi! I have never seen red lentils other than split. Were to go to get red lentils that are not split? Thank You! Yolande L.
A Virtual Vegan says
Split are fine!
Erica says
Which milk would you recommend to replace the coconut milk? One of my kids cannot stand coconut. Thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
Any creamy milk. Cashew or almond would work well with the curry flavours. I'd use 1/2 a cup less water to make up for it being thinner than canned coconut milk. You can always add a drop of water towards the end if it gets a little thick.
Andrea says
Made this just now and it was amazing. Went and had seconds. Everyone else loved it too. Had it with coconut rice and they went really well together. Defiantly making this again. Made sure I've written recipe so I don't have to spend ages trying to find it again.
Lesley says
Can I freeze this?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it freezes really well.
Erika Strain says
This was fantastic! I made it in the instant pot, simmered everything then high pressure for 10 minutes natural release. I used canned diced tomatoes, a whole can, and it didn't affect the creaminess. Totally delish and ill be having this all week for my lunches over spinach.
Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it and that it worked ok in the IP. I haven't got around to trying it myself yet!
Sam says
Thank you for this recipe! It has become a staple in my household and I have made it for many many friends who love it. So simple, thank you very much. Kids love it too.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Sam. I'm so pleased you are all enjoying it!