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1-Pot Lentil Dal | creamy, healthy, vegan recipe

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This healthy 1-pot lentil dal is creamy, satisfying and a great vegan comfort meal. The recipe is prepared in one pot and is very easy to make.

vegan lentil dal with carrots and rice on a plate with a ladleOne Pot Lentil Dal with carrots

Some people call it dal, dhal, dahl or daal. To me the name isn’t important, I just love this delicious creamy dish. If you often crave comfort meals, then you should give this lentil dal a try. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, healthy, and satisfying. And the best thing is that it’s cooked in one pot!

healthy lentil dal with carrots in a potSo creamy and flavorful

This easy to make lentil dal is very creamy because it contains coconut milk which makes it rich and tasty. Of course, you could use any other plant-based milk or cream, however, in my opinion, it just won’t taste as good.

The flavorful spices will turn your kitchen into an Indian bazaar because of all the wonderful aromas. Seriously, I just love Indian spices, especially turmeric and cumin. They are so healthy and important for a good dal or curry.

one pot lentil dal with carrots in a pot with a ladle1-pot lentil dal with carrots in a pot close-upHealthy Lentil Dal

I am sure you know how healthy turmeric is. It’s an incredible superfood with absolutely amazing health properties. It contains high levels of a powerful antioxidant called curcumin. Curcumin is activated by black pepper to increase its bioavailability and balance inflammation throughout the body. That’s why it’s important to not only consume turmeric on its own but always add some black pepper!

The best solution would be to use Sunfood’s Super Blend which not only contains black pepper, but also other spices like ginger root, cinnamon, cardamom, and a few other complementary ingredients like Boswellia, stevia, maca, and goji berry.

I love to make Golden Milk with this healthy Super Blend, but very often I also add it to curries and dal, like today.

lentil dal with carrots in a pot with Sunfood Golden Milk Super Blendlentil dal with rice on a plate with Sunfood Golden Milk Super BlendThis lentil dal is:

  • Healthy
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
  • High in antioxidants
  • Plant-based
  • Easy to make
  • Cooked in 1 pot

lentil dal with carrots and rice on a plateGreat for lunch, dinner or meal prep

This lentil dal is seriously a great comfort food and I eat it quite often for dinner. However, it’s also great as meal prep and I love how versatile it is. You can eat it with (basmati) rice, potatoes or flatbread and it never gets boring.

easy lentil dal with rice on a plate with naanIf you make this lentil dal and maybe even take a photo of it, then I would love to see it. You can DM it to me on Instagram. Don’t forget to tag me in your Insta caption + photo with @elavegan and use the hashtag #elavegan and I will gladly check out your post.

vegan lentil dal with carrots and rice on a plate healthy recipe

1-Pot-Lentil Dal

Michaela Vais
This healthy 1-pot lentil dal is creamy, satisfying and a great vegan comfort meal. The recipe is cooked in one pot and is very easy to make. Double the recipe if you want to eat leftovers on the second day.
5 from 30 votes
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 347 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup dry lentils, (*see recipe notes) (190 g)
  • 1 large finely diced carrot (*see recipe notes) (about 200 g)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 red or green chili pepper, seeds removed
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • 3 cups vegetable broth (720 ml)
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk (*see recipe notes) (240 ml)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp Sunfood's Golden Milk Super Blend (*see recipe notes)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Rinse lentils under running water. I prefer to soak the lentils for about 10-15 minutes in lukewarm water because they are better digested this way (this step is optional). Drain the water afterwards.
  • Meanwhile, chop the onion, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, and carrot (*see recipe notes below). Heat oil in a pot, stir in the onion and fry for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add soy sauce, carrot, garlic, ginger, chili and reduce the heat to low.
  • Now add all spices (ground cumin, ground turmeric, ground coriander), red pepper flakes (optional), the lentils and 3 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
  • Finally, add coconut milk and cook for a further 10 minute or until the desired thickness of the lentil dal is reached. Season with black pepper, salt, and Sunfood's Golden Milk Super Blend (*see recipe notes). Taste and adjust the seasonings as to your preference.
  • Serve warm with basmati rice, potatoes or flatbread, garnish with fresh herbs.

Notes

  • I typically use brown lentils which cook in about 20-25 minutes.
  • You can also use sweet potato instead of carrot.
  • It's possible to use any plant-based cream (like soy cream, oat cream etc) instead of canned coconut milk. However, in my opinion, this lentil dal tastes best with coconut milk.
  • Sunfood's Super Blend is an amazing product on its own to make healthy Golden Milk but I also love adding it to Dal and Curries. It contains turmeric, black pepper, ginger, maca, goji berry, Boswellia, cinnamon, cardamom, and stevia. When I run out, I use 1 tsp of Sunfood's turmeric powder with a pinch of black pepper and 1/2 tsp of coconut sugar.
  • Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition Facts
1-Pot-Lentil Dal
Amount Per Serving
Calories 347 Calories from Fat 132
% Daily Value*
Fat 14.7g23%
Carbohydrates 36g12%
Fiber 7.5g30%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 14g28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jackie van der Meer-Cairncross

    I selected this recipe for my husband to make and it was delicious. He tends to follow recipes very precisely and the flavour combinations that resulted were spot on. Definitely one that we will make again.

    Reply

  2. Sally B.

    Hello, I made this last night and it tastes even better in the AM. I made mine in an INSTANT POT because why not? Lol. Anyway, I followed all of the ingredients except the sunfood’s super blend. I just used the suggested additional turmeric, black pepper and coconut sugar. I also adjusted the liquids because with an instant pot you dont need so many liquids. I used the whole can of coconut milk and 2 cups of vegetable broth instead of the 3 cups. In hindsight I could have used maybe 1.5 cups so it was less liquidy but overall it was still great because it thickens when it cools. Also, I added some diced potatoes with the carrots. I cooked it on high pressure for 8 minutes and did a quick release. I probably could have cooked it a little longer but I was afraid the carrot and potato would get too mushy. Some of the lentils didn’t cook all the way but it just added some perfect al denteness to the whole dish.

    Reply

  9. Francesca

    My husband, who up until last week wouldn’t go near dal or any kind of lentil dish, has just had a second helping of this dish. Thank you, Ela, for another wonderful recipe to add to my repertoire.

    Reply

  10. Monica

    When I made this the first time, I made 2 batches and it was absolutely delicious! I had to substitute the Sunfood Golden milk with basically what I had in my spice rack with the ingredients given.

    Is there a way I can put this in an Insta Pot? If so, do you know what setting and how long?

    Thank you for the amazing recipes! I love your instagram posts and have made almost everything that you have made when I am not lazy to cook lol

    Reply

    • Ela

      That’s awesome, Monica! Thanks for your lovely feedback. Unfortunately, I cannot answer the Instant Pot question, as I haven’t tried this recipe in an IP yet. 🙂

      Reply

  14. CLAUDIA

    Hello Ela, I love your recipes. For this one, you mention you usually use brown lentils. I tend to use brown lentils for really “earthy” meals like pasta sauce or lentil loaf or veggie burgers, so for something like this I’d think of green lentils. But that said, I usually use yellow split peas for dal, or red lentils, would these work as well? TIA!

    Reply

  15. Rachel

    I have tried making lentil dhals from other blogs and found them bland and tasteless. This recipe was the opposite- it was delicious and full of flavour! Plus it was really easy to make which is a bigger bonus! 🙂

    Reply

  16. Lene Andersen

    This looks delicious! Would it be possible for you to please add a suggested alternative to the Sunfood Golden Milk for those of us who are allergic o nuts and peanuts?

    Reply

  17. Gosia

    I love your food. You are inspiring me every day. I love cooking but very often have no time to design anything new.. now i found you and everything it’s easier ???

    Reply

  19. Mari

    I absolutely love this recipe. I’ve made it over and over again and love it more each time. I don’t use the Goldenmilk superblend, but use a mix of spices similar instead and it’s delicious. I’ve been serving it over spaghetti squash and it’s super good! Thanks for sharing this. It’s basically a fave and a staple in our household now.

    Reply

  21. Tammy

    Made this for lunch today. It was excellent. Only change I made was I just used the whole can of coconut milk and it came out fine. Totally a keeper. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  22. Amanda

    This is Ahmazing!! It is my new favourite supper!! My family (3 boys) LOVED it. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe 🙂

    Reply

  24. Goldie

    This recipe is delicious. Never thought Indian spices would bring such comfort to someone living in a cold climate. What a great find!

    Reply

  25. Julija

    Ela, thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s so easy to make, but yet it’s delicious 🙂 definitely will make it again!

    Reply

    • Ela

      So glad you liked it! I don’t know the calorie count for one serving but you could check out cronometer.com and enter all ingredients to calculate it.
      Much love, Ela 🙂

      Reply

  28. Trisha

    I made this soup and it’s amazing!! I made it 3 times because everyone loved it!!! Do you have the nutritional information?

    Reply

  29. Nellie Dee

    I’m confused about the golden milk directions for making it or substituting the teaspoon of it. The directions to make your own uses a cup of coconut milk but you only need a teaspoon for the dal once it’s made, correct?
    So, it sounds like it would be simpler just to add the spices (1 teaspoon of tumeric, the pinch of black pepper and the 1:2 teaspoon of coconut sugar) to the pot? Especially if I’d have almost whole cup of milk left over?
    Is this correct?

    Reply

    • Ela

      Hello, you need to make the recipe as stated, WITH the 1 cup of coconut milk. However, instead of the teaspoon of Sunfood’s blend, you add 1 teaspoon of turmeric, the pinch of black pepper and 1/2 tsp of coconut sugar (or regular sugar). Hope this helps.

      Reply

      • Nellie Dee

        Thank you for your quick response. I tried this recipe tonight for family supperand followed it as written. Hubby and I tasted it before we added the coconut milk and determined that it would be spicy enough as it was, so we didn’t add the additional tumeric,pepper and coconut sugar.
        We served it over brown rice and it was wonderful. This is one recipe we will continue to use on a regular basis. The kids enjoyed it too! Many thanks!

        Reply

  30. Tanisha

    Going to try this out tonight – so excited I found this recipe! Wondering if I can use Toor Dal (yellow pigeon peas) instead of brown lentils, and if so, do I need to adjust the cooking time? Hope to hear back soon, thanks!!!

    Reply

    • Ela

      Hello Tanisha! I have never used Toor Dal so I don’t know how long they need to cook. I would recommend to check out the packaging and see which cooking time it shows. 🙂

      Reply

  31. Holly

    I’m so excited about this! It’s a cool, windy fall day here in Maine and I think this will be so warm and filling before my husband heads out for the night shift! Can not wait for dinner!

    Reply

  33. Laurence

    Hello!
    I tried my first Vegan recipe and It’s successful 😀 This recipe is veeeeeeery good! Even my BF enjoyed. Really tasteful :))
    Thanks a lot for this meal!
    I’ll try some more!

    Reply

  34. Jen

    Do I need to double the spices since I can’t find Sunfoods Golden Milk Blend? What would you recommend?
    Thanks so much!! Can’t wait to try!!
    Jen

    Reply

    • Ela

      Hi Jen, it’s actually mentioned in the recipe notes: You can use 1 tsp of turmeric powder with a pinch of black pepper and 1/2 tsp of coconut sugar. 🙂

      Reply

  35. Jodie

    This was my first time making a lentil Dahl and I absolutely love this recipe. Super easy and delicious! After discovering this dish in India, I’ve nefn trying to find one that lives up to the standard back here in the U.K. and this is miles better than any of the ones provided by the indian restaurants here. Very happy! Thank you!!

    Reply

  36. Erika

    Everyone here at home loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing! My 16 month-old girl were asking for more! She had a lot and really enjoyed! ????

    Reply

  37. Daniela

    Hi! Could you tell me how to prepare de golden milk myself? We don’t have that here in Spain I think, but I’ll check online anyway… that you very much ????

    Reply

    • Ela

      Hello Daniela, I would suggest adding the following ingredients into a small saucepan: About 1 cup of coconut milk (or almond milk), 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, a pinch each of black pepper, cardamom, ground ginger, and cinnamon. You can add a sweetener to taste (e.g. maple syrup). Whisk to combine and heat until warm/hot (but not boiling). Enjoy!

      Reply

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