Quick and Damn Tasty Dahl

5 from 3 votes

Preferably you’ll need a heavy-based pan with a lid. But any big pan will do. No lid, no problem. The dahl will survive.

Cuisine:Vegan

Diet: dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:15

Total Time:35

Servings:2 nice bowls

Calories:459kcal

Ingredients

⅓ cup basmati rice
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 bell pepper, red (or yellow)
½ inch ginger, fresh (powder is also fine)
¾ cup red lentils, dried (¾ cup = 140g)
2 cups vegetable broth (2 cups = 480ml)
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick)
1 handful cilantro/coriander, fresh (or parsley)
1 handful mint, fresh
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp soy yogurt

Instructions

Prepare the rice per packet instructions
⅓ cup basmati rice
Chop the onion, garlic, fresh ginger and bell pepper.
1 small onion, 1 bell pepper, red, ½ inch ginger, fresh, 1 clove garlic
When using dried lentils, wash them! A good washing will give the lentils better texture and non-washed lentils can give off a mealy taste.
¾ cup red lentils, dried
When using canned lentils, drain them.
Heat up the oil in a soup pan, on medium heat.
2 tsp olive oil
Add onion, fresh ginger and your bell pepper, put the lid on, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes on low heat. Stir occasionally.
(Do you feel like your veggies are sticking to the bottom of the pan already? Just add a tablespoon of broth, or a bit more if you need it.)
Add garlic, curry powder, and cinnamon powder and stir for another 30 seconds.
2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp cinnamon
Add the tomato paste and the lentils while stirring.
2 tsp tomato paste
In comes the broth.
2 cups vegetable broth
Bring to a boil, put the lid back on, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
In the meantime, chop up the mint and the parsley/cilantro.
1 handful mint, fresh, 1 handful cilantro/coriander, fresh
After 20 minutes, make sure to taste whether the lentils are cooked well enough. If you think they need some more cooking time, just add some more broth and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Put in the mint and cilantro/parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice and some yogurt. Receive compliments.
Salt and pepper to taste, 2 tbsp soy yogurt

NOTES

Make-ahead? Yes, prep the night before. It can be reheated.

Freezable? Yes, but add the yoghurt fresh.

Pro Tips:

Fancy some spice?

Use 1 tsp cayenne pepper powder.
Chop a red pepper and cook it together with the onion.
Slice a red pepper across (leave the green stem on) and put it in the dahl when it starts to boil. The red pepper will give off a nice spicy flavour without the risk of you biting into one of those devilish little red pieces (just make sure to remove the red pepper once the dahl’s finished – this is where leaving the stem comes in handy. You can pluck it right out of the pan).

Even more flavour/texture?

Use 1 tsp garam masala.
Add ground cumin, ground cilantro seeds and/or kurkuma to the spice mix.
Like it creamier? Add some coconut milk.
Like it sweeter? Add pan-grilled grated coconut (2 tbsp) or coconut flakes (3 tbsp) at the end.
Top the dahl with some pan-grilled almond slivers (2 tbsp).
Ready-made tofu bits are an excellent addition.
Prefer it as a soup? Throw it in the blender together with the remaining cup (250 ml) of vegetable stock and/or some extra water.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Quick and Damn Tasty Dahl

Amount per Serving

Calories

459

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

Polyunsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated Fat

Sodium

1292

Potassium

1037

Carbohydrates

Fiber

104

Sugar

Protein

Vitamin A

2725

Vitamin C

105

Calcium

111

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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