Quick & Easy Red Lentil Dahl
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
Ready in 30 minutes or less, this Indian Red Lentil Dahl is easy to make and full of flavor. Serve with rice and vegan naan for an incredible feast!
Made in 1 pot in under 30 minutes, Red Lentil Dahl is so incredible you will have trouble stopping at 1 bowl! Budget friendly red lentils are the star of this Indian dish, full of plant protein and fiber.
I threw in some spinach just because I love greens. Serve with rice for a complete meal!
Some dahl recipes require cooking the lentils separately before adding to the fragrant sauce, but I wanted to keep the recipe as easy as possible. It all cooks just fine in 1 pot, and if you want it to be thinner in consistency (more soupy), simply add more broth or water. Easy peasy.
Instant Pot Red Lentil Dahl
You can make this in an Instant Pot. Use the Sauté feature and cook the onion, then garlic and ginger. Add the spices, stir, then add the lentils, coconut milk, tomatoes and broth. Seal, and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Do a quick release, then add the lemon juice and stir in the spinach.
Want more Indian-inspired vegan recipes?
- Quick & Easy Vegetable Korma
- Vegan Tikka Masala
- Vegan Butter Chicken
- 20 Minute Chickpea Curry
- Cauliflower Sweet Potato Curry Soup
Quick & Easy Red Lentil Dahl
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped small
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
- 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- half a lemon, juiced
- 3-4 cups baby spinach
For serving
- 4 cups cooked brown or white rice
- Vegan Naan
Instructions
- In a large pot or pan over medium heat, sauté the chopped onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 more minute, until fragrant.
- Add the garam masala, turmeric and red pepper flakes to the pan and stir into the onion mixture. Add a few tablespoons of water if the mixture is too dry.
- Now add the dried lentils, canned tomatoes and their juices, coconut milk and vegetable broth to the pan. Stir well and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and soft. Stir occasionally.
- Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, and stir in the spinach as well until wilted. Add salt to taste. I used 1 teaspoon.
- Serve with brown or white rice and Vegan Naan. Enjoy!
Notes
- Leftover dahl will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days in a covered container. It also freezes well.
- May use light coconut milk if desired, it simply won't be as creamy. If you can't have coconut, you may substitute Cashew Cream instead. Unsweetened almond/cashew/soy milk may work as well.
- To make it in the Instant Pot: Use the sauté feature to cook the onions, then the garlic and ginger. Add spices and stir. Turn off the Instant Pot for a moment, and add the lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk and broth. Seal and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Do a quick release, then add the lemon juice and stir in the spinach until wilted. Serve.
- Nutritional information is an estimate only and does not include rice or naan.
Nutrition
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Read my full disclosure here
155 Comments on “Quick & Easy Red Lentil Dahl”
This is a delicious recipe and really quick and easy! Thank you!
Absolutely incredible! So quick, so flagrant it was lovely.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you loved it!
Actually, it really was absolutely delicious and will from now on be my favourite dahl recipe. Thank you.
Hi Cariola. I am thrilled that you love the dahl! Thank you for your kind words and wonderful review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Delicious!! I didn’t have garam masala so I substituted with a curry powder and it came out so yummy!!
I’m so glad the dahl campout delicious for you! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
This was amazing, thank you Nora. I topped it off with a dollop of your vegan sour cream and it made it extra delicious.
You are welcome! I also love this recipe! It’s so good with naan! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
You don’t say how much lentils to use, it says the lentils. It would be helpful if you told us how much dried to use. 😳 embarrassing, the main ingredient and you miss out the amount.
Hi Rachel, the lentils are listed in the ingredients list (1 1/2 cups), right under the red chili flakes.
Could I substitute yellow split peas for the red lentils? If so, would I use the same proportions? Thank you so enjoy your recipes!
Hi Marylou. Yes, you can use yellow split peas, same amount. I hope this helps!
Oh wow! This Dhal is DELICIOUS!!Â
Just happened upon this recipe and by freak accident had all the ingredients in the house so gave it a go. Big hit with my whole family 🙂 we served with chapatti and some turmeric roasted cauliflower.Â
This will become a regular in our house – so affordable too!Â
Hi Katy…whoo whoo! I’m so glad you loved the dahl! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! I’m thrilled this will be part of your meal rotation! Wishing you happy cooking!
Hi 2 questions please
1. Can you leave out the milk altogether
2. How do you make the dhal into Tadka Dhal
ThanksÂ
The coconut milk does add a nice creamy element and cools the spice level, but you can leave it out if you want. This recipe is quite different from Dal Tadka and I don’t believe it can be changed so easily, sorry!
This dish is incredible! Such simple, affordable ingredients combine to make a delicious meal. I could easily see myself making this a regular in my meal rotation.
Hi Nicolette. I’m thrilled you’re considering this as part of your meal rotation! This is a great addition! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
Planning to try this out tomorrow night.. Is it possible to use green lentils instead of red?Â
Red or split yellow lentils are best in dahls because they melt into the sauce. Green lentils hold their shape too well and just won’t give you the same results.