Quick & Easy Red Lentil Dal

This easy red lentil dhal recipe with optional leafy greens is perfect comfort food and the ultimate one pot dish. Ready in just 25 minutes, it is supremely comforting, like a hug in a bowl. Vegan and naturally gluten free. 

Red Lentil Dhal 

A portion of comforting dhal (or dal or daal!) is like a hug in a bowl. It is one of my favourite comfort food dishes, easy to make, nutritious and warming. It is a perfect after-work meal, soothing and simple after a busy day or even the evening after the night before.

I love the simplicity of these wholesome dishes, the absence of anything processed or packaged.

This staple of Southern Asian home cooking is as flexible as you could wish. Make your dal as thick or thin as you like, scooping thick dhal with roti, chapattis or naan. Thin it to make a sauce for vegetables or rice dishes or add more stock to make dhal soup.  

This dhal is made with red lentils. It is pared down to the minimum to make the most of the flavour of the lentils, simple and delicious. Serve on its own with bread or rice, or as part of an Indian  feast. Leftovers can be easily frozen or turned into soup.  

Dal, Dhal or Daal?

The Hindi word dhal refers both to various types of hulled split peas or lentils and to the stews and sauces in which they feature. As often happens with transliteration from one script to another, there are different spellings. It doesn’t matter which you choose.

The red lentils I have used here are also known as masoor dhal. I suppose it may be redundant to say lentil dhal – like saying spicy spice or lentily lentils. I have, however, decided to go all belt and braces in naming this red lentil dhal recipe. At least you know what I mean! 

Why You Will Love This Red Lentil Dhal Recipe

• It is delicious. That’s the most important thing, right? 
• It is incredibly easy. I’ve pared the recipe down to the bare minimum and I promise, there is no fuss.  
• It is supremely nourishing and comforting.  
• It is frugal – cheaper than chips.
• This recipe is very adaptable, so you can vary the veg and the spicing to suit your taste.
• It’s perfect for batch cooking. Make a huge pot and freeze for those nights when you don’t want to cook. 
• At less than 250 calories per portion, it’s very light. 
• It’s so easy to add those all-important extra veg too!

This recipe won The Guardian readers’ recipe swap for homemade remedies way back in 2013, with Felicity Cloake describing my dal (made with kale)

Helen Best-Shaw’s quick and easy dal won my heart – both spicy enough to cut through a cold, and healthy enough to feel medicinal

Felicity Cloake, 2013

How to make Red Lentil Dhal, Step by Step

This is an easy recipe, so it is perfect for those who aren’t yet confident in the kitchen. Be bold and try it! Grab your ingredients. Check you’ve got everything before you start. 

Step One – Peel and chop the onion. Put the oil in a pan and set on a medium heat. Fry the onion until it is translucent. 

Step Two – Add the spices and fry for a minute, until fragrant. Stir in the lentils, coating them with the spice mixture. 

Step Three – Pour over the stock and add some salt and pepper. Cover the pan and turn the heat right down, using a diffuser ring if necessary. Stir from time to time to prevent the lentils catching on the bottom of the pan.  

Step Four – Add the green vegetables. Stir spinach straight in, but blanch kale or spring greens before adding. Add some more liquid at this stage if you prefer a thinner dhal or want to use it as a sauce over other veg, rice or meat. 

How to blanch leafy greens

Chop or shred the greens, removing any thick tough stalks. Place in a sieve and pour a kettle of boiling water over to wilt. 

Step Five – Add a squeeze of lemon juice. This lifts the entire dish, so don’t skip this stage. It’s ready to serve, either in a bowl as is, or with banana chutney, and a coconut roti to scoop it up with.

Keep your red lentil dhal in a covered pot in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze leftovers for those can’t-be-bothered days.

Hints, Tips & Variations 

I love this dish as it is, perfectly comforting, pared back and oh so easy. 

• Vary the spices. Swap the curry powder for garam masala.
• Grate garlic and ginger in when you are frying the spices. 
• Make a tarka dhal – after cooking the onion and spice set to one side and use to top the lentil mixture. 
• Add different vegetables. Try my courgette dal. 
• Add extra stock to make a lentil soup. 
• Pack leftovers into airtight pots and freeze. 
• Don’t skip the lemon juice. You can’t taste it but it makes a massive difference to the final dish. If you have leftover lemons, juice them, pour the juice into an ice cube tray and freeze.  Then just drop a frozen cube in when cooking daal. 

Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in July 2012, but was rewritten and republished with step by step instructions, new images and hints & tips in March 2020.