This vegan lentil dal is hearty, delicious, and nutritious. I make a big batch of it once or twice a month, then reheat it for lunches or dinners throughout the week.
Here in the UK, we often rely on restaurants and takeaways to provide us with our curry fix. This recipe gives you a way to make a much cheaper and healthier version right in your very own kitchen.
If you love curry, but are never quite sure about making it yourself, give this a go. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, try pairing it with some homemade pilau rice.
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Making curry at home
I wish I'd got into making my own curries sooner. I remember thinking that it was such a mystical, unknown form of cooking, and that the only way to get a decent one was in a restaurant or from a takeaway.
While our beloved local establishments are still experts at what they do, I guarantee that you can reach similar levels of success all by yourself.
Not surprisingly, making your own curry means having a good selection of spices in your kitchen. You should look at your spice collection as something to invest in, and I'd recommend buying in bulk from an Asian/international supermarket if possible. (See The Vegan Kitchen - My Top 10 Tips for more info).
Is homemade curry healthy?
While curry from restaurants or takeaways is undoubtedly delicious, it's often very high in fat since it's cooked in copious amounts of oil or ghee (clarified butter).
I'm no health freak, and I love a takeaway as much as the next vegan food blogger, but it's nice to have some control sometimes. It's also a lot cheaper to make your own.
Side note: ghee isn't vegan, so if you want your takeaway or restaurant meal to be vegan then you'll need to check that dishes can be cooked in some form of vegetable oil instead. Given the rise in both veganism and lactose intolerance among the population, I've found that most UK establishments are more than happy to cater for this.
Are red lentils good for you?
Lentils are nutritional powerhouses packed full of protein, carbohydrates, and fibre. Cheap and widely available, they make up an important part of the cuisine for many people on the planet.
There are many different lentils out there, but red split lentils tend to cook more quickly and break down into more of a mush. This is perfect for a dal.
For more delicious red lentil recipes, take a look at these:
- Smoky mushroom and red lentil pâté
- Red pepper and lentil soup
- Scottish potato stew a.k.a. easy vegan stovies
- Vegan Scotch broth
Want to learn more about lentils, beans, and chickpeas? Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Pulses.
How to make vegan lentil dal
While this dal doesn't involve whole or tempered spices, it offers a reliable go-to recipe that'll do the job time and time again. It's a cheap, easy, delicious, and nutritious way to feed many mouths (or one mouth many times).
Kick things off by frying the onion, followed by the garlic, ginger, and chilli.
Once they've softened, add the ground spices. Allow these to cook for a minute or so to release the flavours and let everything mix together.
Then it's in with the lentils, water/veg stock, and cardamom pods.
Allow the lentils to cook for a while, before adding the tomatoes and coconut milk.
Once the tomatoes have broken up, I like to throw in some spinach. Frozen spinach gives you a lot more bang for your buck, and stores for a long time in the freezer.
And there you have it – delicious vegan lentil dal!
Serving suggestions for vegan lentil dal
- Boiled basmati/white rice
- Pilau rice
- Naan bread / puri / chapati
- Poppadoms
- Roasted cauliflower
- Baked potato
- Crispy baked potato wedges
- Plant-based yoghurt or creme fraiche
- Homemade cashew cream
- Fresh coriander
Variations and tips
- Quantity: You can easily make this dal stretch further with more lentils (+ more water), an extra tin of tomatoes, or more coconut milk. If you want to scale it down, just remember to also scale down the aromatics, spices, and seasoning.
- Veg: Feel free to throw in other veg to this to mix it up. I like sliced mushrooms, kale, and mixed peppers.
- Make it healthier: If you're looking to minimise the fat in your diet, you can swap the coconut oil for another cooking oil, and swap the coconut milk for approx. 300 ml extra water/veg stock.
- Gluten-free: If you need to ensure that this recipe is 100% gluten-free, use a vegan stock that is certified or labelled as such.
How to store lentil dal
Refrigerate: Like many curries, this lentil dal gets even better after a day or two in the fridge. Refrigerate for up to four days. Simply reheat in the microwave or in a pan with a splash of water to loosen it up.
Freeze: You can freeze lentil dal in sealed containers or resealable bags for up to six months, making this a great meal to prepare in advance.
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More vegan recipe ideas
If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:
- Spicy Tofu Jalfrezi
- Easy Vegan Chana Masala
- Creamy Black Bean Curry
- Vegan Rajma Masala
- Creamy Jackfruit Curry
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chilli
- Quinoa Stew with Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Lime
- Lemony Butter Bean Stew
Easy Vegan Lentil Dal (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or other cooking oil)
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Approx. 2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 2-3 rocket chillies, thinly sliced (more or less depending on how you like your heat)
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 cardamom pods (remember to remove these at end)
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional, but I like the smoky flavour)
- 400-500 g dried red split lentils (approx. 2-3 cups)
- 1.5 litres water or vegan stock (approx. 5-6 cups, plus more if needed)
- 1x 400 g tin whole plum tomatoes
- 1x 400 ml tin light coconut milk (solids and liquids - all of it)
- 150 g frozen spinach (you can also use fresh, but it won't need to go in until the very end of cooking)
- Small bunch coriander, chopped
Instructions
- Heat some of the coconut oil in a large pan and add the chopped onions. Cook on a medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until soft.
- Add in the salt, chopped garlic, ginger, and chilli, and cook for a further few minutes.
- Once they've softened, add a touch more oil followed by the cardamom pods, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, and smoked paprika. Mix well and allow to cook for a minute or so.
- Add the lentils and most of the water/veg stock. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and stir regularly for 15 minutes. Add more water if it seems too thick, but bear in mind there's more liquid to come from the tomatoes and coconut milk.
- After 15 minutes, add the tinned tomatoes and coconut milk. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon.
- Cook for another 5-10 minutes, before adding the frozen spinach. (If using fresh spinach, save this until the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time).
- After another 5-10 minutes, the lentils should be soft and the spinach mixed through evenly.
- Check for seasoning and remove the cardamom pods. No worries if you can't find them, just try to avoid eating them whole as they can be quite strong.
- Serve with boiled rice or pilau rice and top with freshly chopped coriander.
Notes
- Spicy Tofu Jalfrezi
- Easy Vegan Chana Masala
- Creamy Black Bean Curry
- Vegan Rajma Masala
- Creamy Jackfruit Curry
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chilli
- Quinoa Stew with Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Lime
- Lemony Butter Bean Stew
Nutrition
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Cathy
This is something I would definitely make, as I love curry so much! Lentils are one of my favorite go-to’s as well! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I think I am making this in the next few days! 🤩🤩
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear - let me know how it goes and if you add in anything else!
Chris
This is by far my favourite recipe on here to date. Made it twice now. So tasty!
The Pesky Vegan
That right there is a man who loves his dal!
Dave
This was great and even better the next day!
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Dave, definitely agree about curry being better the next day!
Vicky
So easy and tasty - great to make a big batch for the week!
The Pesky Vegan
Agreed!
Amber
Omgosh! This recipe is amazing, it's replaced our old dhal recipe and we make this so so often! It's our new favourite staple!!!! 😀
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the rave review, great to hear it's taken top spot in your kitchen!
Helen
Delicious! Made it this afternoon, and added mushrooms and Kalletes (A sort of open purple Brussels sprout, that is quite like baby kale, only better)
As per your recommendation, I accompanied the dal with roast cauliflower with cumin. Also delicious!
Thank you for two great recipes.
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear you enjoyed both of these recipes, thanks very much for the review!