Sweet Potato Dal with Lime (GF)

Sweet potato dal is the vegan curry recipe of your dreams (unless you dislike nice things and/or are prone to nightmares involving red lentils). One of my favourite dishes to batch-cook at home, it'll provide a healthy and satisfying meal that's delicious, nutritious, vegan, and gluten-free.

The hearty sweet potato chunks make this a great one-pot meal, with the vibrant flavours of lime zest and juice bringing it all to life. For extra flavour points, throw the grated lime halves into the pan once they've been juiced.

If you like what's going on in this recipe, you might also be interested in this sweet potato and black bean chilli and red lentil and spinach dal.

What is sweet potato dal?

'Dal' refers to any dried split pulses that cook quickly and break down to create a hearty and healthy meal. Lentils – and in particular red split lentils – are commonly used since they're affordable and widely available.

Sweet potato dal simply builds on this lentil base to create a dish that's even more filling and more nutritious. If you want to learn more about the world of lentils and other legumes, see my beginner's guide to pulses.

Is it healthy?

The two key ingredients in this sweet potato and red lentil curry are nutritional powerhouses full of fibre, plant-based protein, vitamins, and minerals. The lentils in particular are rich in polyphenols, which are known to have strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects.

In one serving of this vegan dal recipe, you'll find:

• Calories: 411 kcal
• Protein: 17 g (34% of RDA)
• Fibre: 21 g (88% of RDA)
• Vitamin C: 41 mg (50% of RDA)
• Iron: 8 mg (44% of RDA)

(Figures from a third-party nutrition calculator.)

For more healthy meals that use these main ingredients, check out my recipes for vegan stovies, sweet potato and black bean chilli, quinoa and sweet potato stew, and red pepper and lentil soup.

What you'll need

There are quite a few ingredients needed to make this curry, but it's well worth making the effort to throw them in. These include:

• Red split lentils to break down and create the dal base
• Sweet potatoes for flavour, texture, and bulk
• Spices in the form of cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, coriander, and cardamom
• Lime zest and juice to lift all the flavours up to another level

How to make sweet potato dal

Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat and add the chopped onions. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 5-6 minutes or until starting to soften, stirring regularly (1).

Stir in the sweet potato cubes (2), then add the chopped garlic, ginger, and chilli (3). Cook for a couple of minutes until the aromatics start to soften.

Bash the cardamom pods gently with the flat of your knife and add to the pan along with the ground cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, ground coriander, and bay leaves (4). Mix well and cook for a minute.

Give the lentils a quick rinse in a colander (optional) and add to the pan (5) along with the water/stock and tinned tomatoes (6). Cover with a lid, bring to a gentle simmer, then turn down the heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.

After 15 minutes, add the coconut milk, lime zest, and lime juice (7). For more flavour, stir in the squeezed lime halves and chopped coriander stems.

Continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the lentils and sweet potato cubes are cooked through (8).

During this time, add a little extra liquid if necessary to prevent the curry from catching on the bottom of the pan.

Once the lentils and sweet potato cubes are soft and cooked through, stir in the garam masala (9) and most of the chopped coriander leaves (not pictured here because someone in my house doesn't like coriander...). Cook for another couple of minutes.

Remove the lime halves from the dal (10), adjust the seasoning to taste, and serve.

Serving suggestions

Enjoy the curry as a one-pot meal or serve with boiled rice or homemade pilau rice. Finish off with toppings such as fresh coriander, chilli, sliced spring onions, and vegan cucumber raita.

You could also serve with roasted cauliflower, baked potatoes, potato wedges, or bread such as naan or chapati (gluten-free if necessary).

Variations and tips for sweet potato dal

• Other additions: Feel free to add in ingredients such as spinach, kale, peppers, or mushrooms.
• Chilli: The heat level will depend on the variety and quantity of chilli you use. If in doubt, start small and add more to taste.

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

You can also find me and let me know on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @thepeskyvegan 🌿

Keep in touch

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More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Creamy Jackfruit Curry
• Easy Chana Masala
• Spicy Tofu Jalfrezi
• Vegan Rajma Masala
• Aloo Palak (Potato Spinach Curry)
• Black Bean Curry with Cashew Cream
• Red Lentil and Spinach Dal
• Chickpea Stir-Fry

You can also check out my full list of vegan mains.