Looking for a quick, flavourful, healthy meal that takes less than 15 minutes of your day to cook? Maybe even something pre-prepped and ready to simply heat? I've got you covered with this simple red lentil dahl recipe without coconut milk.
What is a Dhal (Dal)?
Dal (also spelt Dahl) is essentially dried split pulses (like lentils, peas, beans) that do not need to be soaked before cooking. The term Dahl is also used for soup-style dishes using these pulses.
Dahl is a popular dish in India and Pakistan, usually containing spices such as cumin, cayenne, garlic, and garam masala and made into a thick soup-like consistency.
These dishes are packed with carbohydrates and protein macronutrients and are super simple to make.
Types of Dahl?
There are many! But here are some of the most popular:
Masoor Dahl - Red Lentil (similar to this post's recipe)
Panchranta Dahl - Using a variety of pulses
Urad Dahl - Black Gram
Chana Dahl - Chickpeas
Tips For Making A Simple Dahl
Prep in advance - You can pop all the ingredients in an air-tight jar ready for use on a day you need something easy with no prep required. This was a great tip I picked up from Dr Rupy (Doctor's Kitchen). I use my pre-prepped Dahl's when I get in after a long night at work.
Cooked dahl keeps well in the fridge - You can store cooked dahl (once cooled) in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and simply reheat. Weekly meal prep, let's go!
Cooked dahl is freezable - yep dahl is suitable for home freezing too, be sure to defrost before reheating.
The perfect consistency - What you're looking for is a soft thick soup still with the lentils mostly intact. Try to avoid overcooking into a mushy consistency.
I've got this spice rack in my cupboard under my hobs, and I love how easy it is to grab and throw in what I need for this dahl recipe.
A few mason jars in my cupboard come in handy to contain this dahl recipe pre-prepped, or store some of my homemade granola or overnight oats.
This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Recipe:
Simple Red Lentil Dahl Without Coconut Milk Recipe UK
Inspired by the original from Dr Rupy (Doctor's Kitchen)
Makes 2 servings
15 minutes
Super-easy
Ingredients
200g red lentils
800ml veg stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin ground
1 tsp coriander ground
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garlic granules
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
Method
Throw all ingredients together in a pan and simmer for 12 minutes
Remove bay leaf and leave to stand for 3 minutes
Serve
I like to serve it with some toasted wholemeal pitta or make a batch of chapatis. Ocado also offer some yummy chapatis if you want to keep things simple!
Will You Be Adding This Simple Red Lentil Dahl To Your Recipe Repertoire?
You can experiment with this recipe very easily, change up the spice ratio, or add coconut milk for a creamier texture and reduce the stock.
Garam masala is one of my favourite spices, or should I say, blend of spices, so when I'm short of one or two spices in my rack, most times, as long as I have garam masala in the recipe, the dahl still tastes banging!
Feel free to share your variations on this red lentil dahl recipe with me and my food-based Instagram profile: @foodwholefood.
Happy cooking!
Jen - Author
P.S. I really recommend 3-2-1, Dr Rupy's cookbook,
the one that inspired this recipe. Check it out!
This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
References