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A creamy Red Lentil Dahl which is comforting, hearty, flavorful, and delicious. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, healthy, and easy to make. This Masoor dal curry is done in 30 minutes and therefore perfect as a weeknight dinner and meal prep.
Comforting Red Lentil Dahl
Comfort food is my absolute favorite and I can never say no to curry! Therefore, I created a new recipe for red lentil dahl (also known as Masoor dal curry). The recipe is creamy and rich because of the canned coconut milk, however, you can use any other plant-based milk for a low-fat/low-calorie version.
I love this dal because it is:
- A quick and easy vegan weeknight dinner
- Creamy, flavorful, and comforting
- Easy to make with simple wholesome ingredients
What Is Dal?
Dal (also spelled dhal, daal, dahl) is a term used for dried, split pulses. Dal also refers to Indian lentil soups which are important staple foods in South Asian countries, especially India. Masoor dal is actually a tiny red/orange lentil that cooks fast and doesn’t require any soaking.
How To Make Red Lentil Dahl?
This dal is super easy to make and doesn’t require a lot of effort. Check the video below to see all the instruction steps.
- Rinse lentils under running water.
- Chop the onion, garlic, ginger, bell pepper, and carrot.
- Heat oil in a pot and sauté onion for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper.
- Add all spices, sweetener, the lentils and 3 cups of vegetable broth or water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Finally, add coconut milk and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the desired thickness of the dahl is reached.
- Season with black pepper and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Serve warm with basmati rice, potatoes or flatbread and garnish with fresh herbs.
Add Veggies Of Choice
If you aren’t a fan of carrots, you can also use sweet potato or pumpkin. Other veggies that you could add to this curry are spinach, zucchini, eggplant or tomatoes.
I prefer using canned coconut milk, however, you could also use soy cream, oat cream or cashew cream to make the dal creamy, and flavorful.
Masoor Dal Curry With Simple Ingredients
This red lentil dahl contains only simple ingredients which are as follows:
- Dry red lentils
- Carrot
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh ginger
- Vegetable broth or water
- Canned coconut milk
- Ground cumin
- Curry powder
- Sweetener of choice
- Ground turmeric
- Paprika
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
Find the exact measurements below in the recipe card!
Health Benefits Of Curry
I found a great site that describes the health benefits of curry:
Turmeric is the spice that gives curry powder its yellow color and praised around the world for its medicinal qualities. The curcumin found in turmeric has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin also protects against heart disease and may prevent certain cancers.
Another primary ingredient of curry powder is ground-up coriander or cilantro seeds. Coriander seeds have blood sugar lowering effects and may help those with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels better. Coriander also acts as a digestive aid and is proven to aid those with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) lower the severity and frequency of their symptoms. It’s also shown to promote bone health and reduce cholesterol levels.
The other key component that makes up a large percentage of any curry powder recipe is cumin. Cumin, like coriander, promotes digestion and may help with diabetes. Cumin is also a rich source of plant-based iron.
To learn more about the health benefits of curry, visit this site.
This Red Lentil Dahl Is:
- Vegan (dairy-free)
- Naturally gluten-free
- Hearty
- Healthy
- Creamy
- Satisfying
- Flavorful
- Comforting
- A great weeknight dinner
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
Should you give this red lentil dahl a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! 🙂
If you like curry dishes, definitely also check out the following vegan recipes:
- 1-Pot Lentil Dal
- Sweet Potato Curry
- Chickpea Eggplant Curry
- Vegetable Curry With Coconut
- Vegan Gumbo
- Thai Coconut Curry Soup
Masoor Dal Tadka (Red Lentil Dahl)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) dry red lentils
- 1 (200 g) large finely diced carrot (*see recipe notes)
- 1 small bell pepper
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger minced
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup (240 ml) canned coconut milk (*see recipe notes)
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1/2 tbsp sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp paprika
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/3 tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Check the video above for easy visual instructions.
- Rinse lentils under running water. Chop the onion, garlic, ginger, bell pepper, and carrot.
- Heat oil in a pot and sauté onion for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper.
- Add all spices, sweetener, the lentils and 3 cups of vegetable broth or water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Finally, add coconut milk and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the desired thickness of the dahl is reached.
- Season with black pepper and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Serve warm with basmati rice, potatoes or flatbread and garnish with fresh herbs.
Video
Notes
- You can also use sweet potato or pumpkin instead of carrot.
- It's possible to use any plant-based cream (like soy cream, oat cream, etc) instead of canned coconut milk. You could also use plant-based milk (e.g. almond milk, cashew milk, etc.) for a low-fat/low-calorie version. In my opinion, this dal tastes best with coconut milk.
- The recipe serves 6. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition
If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
I made a batch of this today and it is utterly delicious! It was so easy, it’s definitely going to be a staple and it’s so versatile, I can pair it with anything. Thank you!
That’s awesome, Philippa! I am glad you enjoyed the Dahl. 🙂
Mine wasn’t as pretty as yours but it might have been because I used the brown lentils. It was still delicious!
I am glad it was delicious, Sylvia. 🙂
I just cooked it for the first time and it was delicious. Will definitely cook it again. Would be nice for entertaining friends on a winter night. Easy and thank you for this lovely recipe!
That’s awesome! I am glad you enjoyed the dish. 🙂
I just tried the recipe! It’s amazing! Everyone loved it. Thank you!!!!:)
Yay, I am so glad everyone loved it! Thanks for your feedback, Ingrid. 🙂
Having just arrived back from Sri Lanka I really had to give this recipe a try back in the UK . The staple breakfast , lunch and dinner all include this amazing dish . I have to say this recipe is an exact replica of the dish being produced to Sri Lankans and so if its good enough for them it,ll do me too . Its beautiful and extremely versatile too and will compliment just about anything you’ll care to add alongside it . If like me you are one of millions that are affected by variants of IBS then try this alongside rice for a week instead of potatoes and bread , No more bloating and squirming on your chair after eating !
Wow, thanks so much for your wonderful feedback, Nick! I really appreciate it a lot. 🙂
I just made this and it is delicious! I didn’t add any sweetener but it was so good. Thanks for the great recipe.
That’s awesome, Gina! I am glad it turned out yummy. 🙂
Looks very good if I add potatoes how would I add potatoes? Do I need to cook potatoes first since they need more time than carrots?
It depends on how small you chop the potatoes. If you chop them smaller than the carrots, you don’t need to cook them first. 🙂
Hi! This looks amazing – can it be frozen? I have sent a message to your insta for some freezer meal suggestions if you don’t mind letting me know what you think! Looking to cook in bulk and freeze for some easy weeknight meals!
Hi Lindsay! Yes, you can freeze the dahl. I sometimes include a note in my recipes if they can be frozen. Here are some examples:
https://elavegan.com/vegan-mushroom-bourguignon/
https://elavegan.com/german-schupfnudeln/
https://elavegan.com/easy-vegan-taquitos/
https://elavegan.com/vegan-scalloped-potatoes/
https://elavegan.com/sweet-potato-curry-vegan/
Just made this to go with a chickpea curry stew I always make. I made my own cashew creams with raw cashews soaked in water for a few hours then blended. I subbed zucchini for the bell pepper (because it’s what I had) and used agave nectar for the sweetener.. Oh, and I left out the oil, because I always do! My usual red lentil dal isn’t this creamy and it’s a great treat, and always good to switch things up once in a while.
This was my first recipe I tried from your site and I look forward to trying other things.
Wonderful! I am so glad you loved the recipe, Nathan and I hope you will try out more recipes soon. Thanks for your great feedback! 🙂
Just made for dinner and absolutely loved it. Thank you for this and so many other delish recipes.
You are very welcome, Rosmery! I am so glad you loved the recipe! 🙂
This was so yummy!!! Will definitely be making this again. 🙂 I didn’t have pepper so I used cauliflower. served with Basmati rice.
Sounds wonderful, Dawn! I am so glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
I made this 2 days ago and I LOVE it! I just wanted to thank you for sharing your incredible cooking with the world. I’m so grateful for you and to have stumbled upon you through instagram 🙂 Everything I have made from your page has blown my mind. Can’t wait to keep trying your wonderful recipes. Thank you so so much <3
Aww that’s so sweet of you to say, Emma!! I am glad you love my recipes. Thanks for your great feedback! 🙂
can’t wait to try this. I can’t eat red peppers could i just leave them out or sub for something else?
Hello! You can leave them out or use zucchini instead. 🙂
This dish is super easy and flavorful! I’ve cooked it several times and I’m still enjoying it.
That makes me so happy! I am glad you like the recipe, Adriana. 🙂
I’m literally eating it, as I type. It is SOOO good. It’s my first attempt at making curry, and I couldn’t be happier I bought a big bag of red lentils, and a year’s supply of curry powder. It’s. Sooooo. Good.
Wow, sounds amazing! Thanks so much for your great feedback, Elizabeth. 🙂
Love the flavor !! I didn’t any sweetener it’s perfect without .
So glad you liked it, Jane! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
I made this and it was so yummy!! Finally I feel truly proud of how a recipe turned out hehe I prepped it for the week with some brown rice and cannot wait to eat it! It was my first time cooking lentils and they took a little longer than I expected but it was no biggie! Thank you so much for sharing!
That’s awesome! I am glad you loved the recipe. 🙂
Made tonight, it is delicious! Smelled so amazing while cooking too. We just sampled it so far, but will serve later with rice and naan. Thank you!
That’s amazing, Kate! I am so glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Hi Ela,
As you know I make a lot of your amazing recipes! I made this for dinner tonight and it is so tasty!! Perfect for the fall weather and I served it with a side of Cauliflower rice pilaf.
That’s good to hear! Thanks for your great feedback, William. 🙂
Can you use any color lentils?
You can use brown lentils, for example, but they will need to cook longer. 🙂
Just made this tonight. I used sweet potato and egg plant in mine. Looks so yummy. I can’t wait to have It for supper tomorrow. I saved some in individual containers for the freezer too, not sure if it freezes well.
Sounds delicious with sweet potato. I never tried freezing the dish.
Another great recipe! It is so simple, quick and delicious. Thanks for sharing it 🙂
Thanks for your feedback, Gretchen! I am glad you liked the Dal. 🙂
Tried this out and loved it! So hearty & nourishing.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for your great feedback, Aishah. 🙂
Red lentil Dahl is one of my favourite Indian dishes and this one has such great ingredients in it!
Thanks so much, Jess. 🙂
Would this work using instant pot? It seems like it would, just wondering if you have any experience/ recs for pressure cooking time? Looks delicious! Thank you.
It should work, Julie! However, I have no experience regarding cooking time, unfortunately.
Thank you for sharing, I tried it today and it is delicious!!
Great! I am glad you liked this recipe, Appi. 🙂
Just made for dinner! So delicious and so easy! Thank you for sharing.
You are very welcome, Julie! I am glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Red lentil dal is one of my favorite comfort foods too! I absolutely love the Indian flavors, plus it’s easy to make in one pot and perfect for anytime! ? so excited to try your version soon! ??❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Bianca! I hope you will love it as much as I do. 🙂