One Pot Indian Lentil Dal

It took me a while to appreciate new flavors. As a kid, maybe like most kids, I stuck to the familiar comfort foods I was raised on. I was not an adventurous eater. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate different flavors from around the world. Now I enjoy spicy foods and foods prepared with various spices!

I believe that regularly introducing new flavors as a family is beneficial for expanding palettes and acceptance of new foods for both kids and adults. Adopting meal themes like New Flavor Friday, is a fun way for families to learn about different cultures through food.

I chose to feature this Indian Lentil Dal because it incorporates a lot of different spices and aromatics, and is so easy to make. Growing up, I spent a lot of time over at my best friend’s house. Her mom, Bella, is an incredible cook and would always have food prepared for us. She graciously shared her lentil dal recipe which she has been cooking by heart for many years. Her version of dal is from Northern India and does not use coconut milk. Southern Indian dal will use coconut milk. I’ve included options to prepare both versions, as I found they are both delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lentils (preferably yellow moong dal, red lentils work too), soaked for 2 hr

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil

  • 1 tbsp butter or vegan butter

  • 1 clove of garlic, minced 

  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced 

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 

  • 1 large tomato, chopped or 1 can of diced tomatoes

  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped 

  • 2 tsp ground turmeric

  • 2 tsp paprika

  • ½ tsp ground cumin 

  • 2 tsp garam masala 

  • ½ tsp salt 

  • 3-4 cups of water or broth 

OR

  • 1 can of full-fat coconut milk + 2-3 cups of water or broth

Instructions

  1. Soak dal for 2 hours 

  2. Chop ginger, garlic, onion, tomato.

  3. Heat oil and butter in a large pot to first sautee onions until becoming translucent, then ginger and garlic until they start to brown. Then add turmeric, paprika and cumin to cook together for a few minutes.

  4. Add tomatoes, dal and liquids- broth, water and/or coconut milk.

  5. Turn heat to high to bring to a boil for 20 minutes uncovered.

  6. Add salt and garam masala a few minutes before it's done.

  7. Top with chopped cilantro. Serve with naan or over cooked Basmati rice.

Original recipe by Bella Singh

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