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Super Simple Dhal

by Roxy, So Vegan July 7, 2017December 31, 2022
July 7, 2017December 31, 2022
Vegan Dhal Recipe

This low-calorie lentil curry can be enjoyed all on its own or you can pair it with rice and bread for a more filling evening meal.

  • Dhal is a traditional curry from the Indian subcontinent, which is made by cooking split-lentils until they become thick and combining them with delicious spices.
  • You can make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer for 2-3 months.
  • You can substitute red lentils with other lentils, however the cooking times will vary so it’s worth reading the packet instructions to get an idea of how long you’ll need to cook the curry until the lentils are soft.
Vegan Dhal Recipe

Super Simple Dhal

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes 25 minutes
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed under cold water
  • vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, peeled + diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled + diced
  • 1 thumb of fresh ginger, peeled + diced
  • 4 green chilies, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 4 large tomatoes, diced
  • 1 handful of fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped
  • salt + pepper

Method

  1. Put the lentils into a large saucepan along with 1.5 litres (6 cups) of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes until cooked. Skim off the foam as it gathers at the top.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies to the pan along with the spices and fry for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the tomatoes and fry for another 2 minutes.
  5. Once the lentils are done, transfer the onion mixture to the saucepan of lentils and simmer for 10 minutes. If the dhal is too dry, add a splash more water. If it's too wet, continue cooking for a few more minutes.
  6. To finish, stir the coriander into the dhal along with generous pinches of salt and pepper, then serve. Yum!
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46 Comments
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46 Comments

Abdul khayum July 11, 2017 - 10:44 am

What are the macros for this dhall dish please

Reply
Justine September 16, 2021 - 6:16 pm

Have ended up with really watery dhal as didn’t drain water from lentils as didn’t specify they were cooked and was still lots of liquid left.

Reply
Teddo May 9, 2022 - 1:01 pm

You don’t need to drain the lentils, it sounds like you used too much water, didn’t cook it down long enough or both. Step 5 says if it’s too wet, cook it a bit longer. Hope that helps!

Reply
Alli July 12, 2017 - 8:54 pm

Hi! Thanks for the awesome recipe!

The ingredient list says “lentils, rinsed, drained” but the directions don’t specify draining the lentils before adding the veggie mixture– could you clarify for me? 🙂

Ty!

Reply
So Vegan July 12, 2017 - 10:38 pm

Thanks Alli! Sorry for the confusion. There’s no need to drain the lentils after you cook them because nearly all the moisture will have evaporated. Hope that make sense, thanks! (Ben)

Reply
Alli July 12, 2017 - 11:53 pm

Thanks, Ben!

I did see that once I put it into action lol thanks for the quick reply!!! I love your recipes so far!! Big fan! 🙂

Reply
Helen October 1, 2017 - 5:31 pm

could you please tell us 1cup= ? gr or ml. tks

Reply
John April 22, 2018 - 12:48 pm

Please inform me about vegan Indian dishes

Reply
Pam July 3, 2018 - 11:49 pm

Hi, great recipe! Is there a print option? I can’t seem to find it. Thank you!

Reply
Karen Romano August 19, 2018 - 11:40 pm

I just tried making this dish, it tastes great but there is more than I can eat anytime soon. Any tips for freezing and re-heating?

Reply
Mick Brehaut January 3, 2019 - 6:09 am

Too much turmeric in my opinion.
Made the taste too bitter and overpowering.

Reply
Jacqui January 8, 2019 - 4:13 am

You might have burnt the turmeric. It wouldn’t be bitter otherwise.

Reply
Melissa August 29, 2019 - 11:59 am

If I don’t have cumin seeds, can you recommend an amount of ground cumin that would work? Or just to taste?

Reply
Alex March 2, 2019 - 5:29 pm

Hi Ben
What kind of cooking oil iand Garam masala are best please?

Reply
Louis June 25, 2019 - 3:54 pm

My this spicy bastard last night and my arse was running all night. I’d only put a couple chillis in, nice though

Reply
Roxy, So Vegan June 30, 2019 - 6:31 pm

Oh no hehe! Hope you feel better now! X

Reply
Benita Rodrigues July 26, 2019 - 1:23 pm

Hallo..would also like to know if 1 cup equals 250ml or 250gr? Keep safe. Benita.

Reply
Marnie August 11, 2019 - 6:11 pm

Hi do you know roughly how many calories are in their per portion thanks

Reply
Roxy, So Vegan August 21, 2019 - 4:20 pm

Hi Marnie, unfortunately we haven’t calculated the calorie count for this recipe. We haven’t had the time to do it. There are websites online where you can input all the ingredients and it will calculate it for you. Hope this helps, Roxy

Reply
Joe August 22, 2019 - 4:06 pm

Hi is this freezable?

Reply
Roxy, So Vegan September 3, 2019 - 9:54 am

Yes definitely! Roxy

Reply
Hungry commuter September 18, 2019 - 9:04 pm

Excellent base recipe for dahl. I omitted the chillies to avoid feeling delicate on tomorrow’s commute and subbed for chaat masala and some curry powder. Upped the veggies by chucking in some diced carrots with the lentils whilst they cooked and stirred in a bag of spinach at the end. Delicious.

Reply
L March 21, 2020 - 3:15 am

whoa- great ideas- I found this to have waaaay too much water in it- had to keep putting more lentisl in… but will put veggies in!

Reply
Sidrah Naz October 31, 2019 - 10:56 am

Fantastic recipe. Very nice and easy. Love this website and cannot wait to try more recipes.
Sidrah

Reply
Fatiema January 23, 2020 - 2:00 pm

Is it canned lentils?

Reply
Ben, So Vegan January 28, 2020 - 11:53 am

Nope these are raw red split lentils.

Reply
Fatiema January 23, 2020 - 2:04 pm

Do you have to soak the lentil before and for how long

Reply
Ben, So Vegan January 28, 2020 - 11:53 am

Hey Fatiema. No it’s not necessary to soak red split lentils before cooking them.

Reply
Stephanie February 6, 2020 - 3:52 pm

What kind of chutney do you serve this with?

Reply
Roxy, So Vegan March 16, 2020 - 11:50 am

Hi Stephanie, we love mango chutney with this recipe 🙂 Hope this helps, Roxy

Reply
LEONIE JEFFREY February 9, 2020 - 12:08 am

Does it make any difference if you use the canned lentils and not the dried lentils?

Reply
Roxy, So Vegan March 16, 2020 - 11:51 am

Hi Leonie, yes the canned lentils wont need cooking so you wont need to cook them for as long. Whereas the dry lentils will need to be cooked as per our recipes. Hope this helps, Roxy

Reply
Iwona March 5, 2020 - 12:48 pm

What type of Chiles can I use?

Reply
Roxy, So Vegan March 16, 2020 - 11:54 am

Hi Iwona, a green chilli with a low / medium heat will do. Hope this helps, Roxy

Reply
Roxy, So Vegan March 16, 2020 - 11:54 am

Hi Iwona, a green chilli with a low / medium heat will do. Hope this helps, Roxy

Reply
Alex April 15, 2020 - 4:19 am

Are the lentils boiled covered or uncovered? So far I have lots of hot water
with some lentils in the bottom.

Reply
Ros @ ZenHealth May 6, 2020 - 7:36 pm

It’s fascinating what dhal means in different parts of the world. Here in the Caribbean we use yellow split peas, garlic and cumin (for the most part). Tomatoes and ginger are not usually used. Still, it’s such an interesting recipe I’ll definitely try the next time I make the dish. xo

Reply
Tracey October 18, 2020 - 10:29 am

Do you have to boil the lentils

Reply
Thembani November 15, 2020 - 2:58 pm

Please add me to your list

Reply
Thembani November 15, 2020 - 2:59 pm

I like your recipes please add me to your list

Reply
Janine Barclay September 8, 2021 - 5:37 pm

There are canned green chilis in the supermarket can I use them? Just can’t cook spicy things because of my partner. Are there any subs for this or can I leave it out?

Reply
Chris December 16, 2021 - 5:18 am

Hi, a few people have asked how much is a cup? I would also like to know please

Reply
Scotsteve March 8, 2022 - 9:25 pm

One cup is 240ml so I’ve used a cup measure and measured out the lentils using that. Hope that helps, i also found there is too much water left after cooking the lentils but i have just continued simmering it down.

Reply
Century Foods April 21, 2022 - 10:03 am

Loved your recipe instructions on the super simple dhal recipe. Thanks for such amazing words.

Reply
Joey May 26, 2022 - 12:44 pm

I have just made it. It came out perfect and delicious. The kids could not stop eating. I left out the chillies for their sake.. Thanks for the recipe.

Reply
Veganuary : 10 idées de repas à base de plantes du personnel de Greenpeace June 13, 2022 - 10:40 pm

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