How healthy is red lentil dahl?

Not only is red lentil dahl extremely healthy, it is also very economical. Each serving has over 25 grams of fiber and 23 grams of protein, plus high amounts of essential vitamins and minerals. For a plant-based protein, it doesn't get much healthier than lentils.

Do you have to soak red lentils before cooking them?

It depends if you are using split red lentils or whole red lentils. Split red lentils have had their skins removed, allowing them to split in half and cook very quickly. There is no need to soak split red lentils. For whole red lentils, however, soaking them overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours, helps significantly with any digestive issues some people have when they eat lentils.

Red Lentil Dahl (Authentic Indian Recipe)

Name: Red Lentil Dahl
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 large onions, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon garam masala; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon paprika; 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth; 1 2/3 cups dry split red lentils; 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk; 2 roma tomatoes, diced; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 teaspoons brown sugar; Juice of 2 limes; 1 recipe coconut jasmine rice; 1 recipe cucumber raita; 1 recipe garlic naan

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 2/3 cups dry split red lentils

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Juice of 2 limes

Serve with:

1 recipe coconut jasmine rice

1 recipe cucumber raita

1 recipe garlic naan

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Instructions

Place lentils in a mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Set aside.
Place a pan over high heat and add olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until translucent and they soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the broth and lentils. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes, or until lentils have absorbed most of the liquid.
Add the coconut milk and tomatoes. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the dahl is thick. If it gets too thick, you can add more broth or coconut milk.
Season with kosher salt, pepper, brown sugar, and lime juice. Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.
Serve the dahl with coconut rice, cucumber raita, and garlic naan

Notes

This recipe creates a mild level of spice. You can eliminate or reduce the cayenne pepper if you don’t want any spice, or add more if you like it extra spicy.

Author: Carole Jones
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Indian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/8
Calories: 452
Sugar: 9 g
Sodium: 722 mg
Fat: 15 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 61 g
Fiber: 25 g
Protein: 23 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg