Red Lentil Dahl with Coconut Milk

This cozy, super-flavorful red lentil dahl with coconut milk makes a beautiful component of a meal bigger meal or a good-for-ya vegan, gluten-free dinner in its own right. The choice is yours.

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Why we love this recipe

This comforting recipe:

• Is bursting with Indian-inspired flavors
• Tastes like it simmered all day
• But thanks to the magic of red lentils, is ready in under an hour

Serve it as a vegan, gluten-free main dish with some simple basmati rice, or as a component of a bigger meal. (Might I interest you in a spoonful of chickpea curry?)

What you’ll need

Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. It looks like a lot, but you’ll likely find almost everything in your pantry and spice drawer.

• Red lentils (sometimes called masoor) are a wonderful, versatile ingredient. They’re small and quick-cooking, full of protein and complex carbs, and great at soaking up flavors. There are several varieties commonly sold in the U.S., some smaller and redder, some a little bigger and more peach-colored. You can use them interchangeably.
• Safflower oil is my high-smoke-point, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can substitute another oil that has similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend.
• Black mustard seed (sometimes called brown) is different from yellow mustard. It has a warmer, more complex flavor profile. Black mustard seed is a frequent ingredient in Indian cooking and is well worth buying if you don’t already have it on hand. (You can type “black mustard seed” into the search bar on this site for some more great ways to use it.)
• Use canned coconut milk, not the stuff in the refrigerator case (which is watered down like crazy). You’ll use the entire can, including the cream (which is solid at room temperature) and the liquid.

How to make it

Here’s what you’ll do to make a beautiful pot of red lentil dahl with coconut milk. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.

1. First, sauté the onion, ginger, and garlic in the oil.
2. Layer in the spices, cooking the whole seeds for a minute and then stirring in the ground ones.
3. Stir in the water, tomato paste, and coconut milk. Add the rinsed and drained lentils.
4. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Off the heat, stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Expert tips and FAQs

More favorite ways to use red lentils

• Carrot & lentil soup
• Cooked red lentils, Ottolenghi-style
• Spiced tomato soup
• Layla’s lentil soup

4.46 from 62 votes

Red Lentil Dahl with Coconut Milk

By Carolyn Gratzer Cope

This cozy dahl makes a healthful and flavorful component of a meal or a dinner in its own right.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• ▢ 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• ▢ 6 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• ▢ 2 green cardamom pods
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1 13.5- ounce can coconut milk
• ▢ 2 cups dry red lentils
• ▢ ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ▢ Juice of 1/2 lime

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Instructions 

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pan that has a lid.
• Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, sprinkle with the salt, and cook until the onion is softening and beginning to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the mustard and cumin seeds and cardamom pods and cook for one minute.
• Add the turmeric, coriander, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper and cook, stirring, constantly, for 30 seconds.
• Add the water, tomato paste, and coconut milk and stir to combine.
• Pour in the lentils.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cover the pan.
• Cook until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Off the heat, stir in the cilantro and lime juice.
• Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. Red lentils (sometimes called masoor) are a wonderful, versatile ingredient. They’re small and quick-cooking, full of protein and complex carbs, and great at soaking up flavors. There are several varieties commonly sold in the U.S., some smaller and redder, some a little bigger and more peach-colored. You can use them interchangeably.
2. Safflower oil is my high-smoke-point, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can substitute another oil that has similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend.
3. Black mustard seed (sometimes called brown) is different from yellow mustard. It has a warmer, more complex flavor profile. Black mustard seed is a frequent ingredient in Indian cooking and is well worth buying if you don’t already have it on hand. (You can type “black mustard seed” into the search bar on this site for some more great ways to use it.)
4. Use canned coconut milk, not the stuff in the refrigerator case (which is watered down like crazy). You’ll use the entire can, including the cream (which is solid at room temperature) and the liquid.
5. You can make this dish in advance — the flavors only get better as it sits. Make it any time during the week and reheat before serving.Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.You can freeze this meal for up to a year, but the coconut milk may separate slightly.

I first published this recipe in 2016. I’ve updated the post for clarity and also made a few tweaks to the recipe itself.

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal, Carbohydrates: 38.8g, Protein: 13.1g, Fat: 6.3g, Fiber: 6.5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Beans + Lentils

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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