Red Lentil Dahl
A household favourite, red lentil dahl is not only cheap at 47p per serving, but also packed full of flavour.
This recipe is actually the first recipe I ever uploaded onto my website, and is still one of my favourite go-to recipes for a vegan dinner that is incredibly easy but tastes amazing.
Dahl is a traditional South Asian dish made from lentils, cooked down with spices to create a thick, flavourful stew. It is a staple in Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi cuisine, known for being both nourishing and affordable.
This recipe is a very basic version of dahl for a reason, to make it easy for those of you looking for cheap and easy recipes that you can whip up without too much effort. I could call it my low effort dahl.
Lentils are an excellent source of plant-based protein, fibre, and essential nutrients like iron and folate, making this dish a nutritious option too. The combination of warming spices, garlic, and ginger are incredibly moreish but also provides anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits.
Perfect for meal prep, this dahl can be served with rice, flatbread, or on its own for a satisfying and well-balanced vegan dinner or lunch.
What you’ll need for your dahl:
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- The spices: turmeric, cumin, chilli, coriander, garam masala, cinnamon
- Chopped tomatoes
- Red lentils
- Vegetable stock
Served with
- Rice or naan
- Coconut yoghurt
- Coriander
- Lime or lemon juice
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
Onion & Garlic: Fresh is important here.
The spices: turmeric, cumin, chilli, coriander, garam masala, cinnamon: Although this dahl is relatively mild, if you like it even milder feel free to omit the chilli completely and reduce the other spices according to your spice tolerance.
Chopped tomatoes:
Red lentils: I used dry red lentils but you could also use yellow lentils which work in a similar way in that they beautifully soak up the sauce in a relatively quick amount of time.
Vegetable stock: Any stock will do, but I used vegan stock Bouillon.
How to serve Red Lentil Dahl
Rice: My favourite way to serve Dahl is with extra soft clouds of rice. Equally, you really can’t beat a fresh naan to scoop up the curry flavours.
Coconut yoghurt: Finish with a dollop of fresh coconut yoghurt. But you could also use any other plant based yoghurt. If you want to go the extra mile, that whip up some super easy Vegan Raita which goes perfectly with this dish.
Coriander: One of my favourite herbs and a must for any kind of curried dish. Use freshly chopped coriander to sprinkle over your vegan dahl.
Lime or lemon juice: A good squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice adds a bit of freshness
Fresh chilli’s: If you like it spicy or for an extra hit of spice, add some freshly chopped chilli’s on top.
How to make red lentil dahl
Start your dahl by blending the onion and garlic together in food processor or blender (this step is not essential and can be omitted if you do not own one). 
Next you can add the onion and garlic mixture with a splash of oil into a large pan on medium heat, and cook until transparent.
Then you can add all of the spices in with the onion and garlic mixture, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring everything through and adding a splash of water if needed. 
After this, pour in the chopped tomatoes, red lentils, stock and lemon juice, stirring everything together. It should smell fragrant and delicious.
Then bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. You can cook for up to 45 minutes if you have the time, as this will bring the flavours out even more. It is really as simple as that for a quick and easy at home dahl.
Serve with a swirl of coconut yoghurt, a sprinkling of coriander, some extra chillies, and a squeeze of lime. Tastes perfect accompanied with rice, naan or roasted green vegetables.
More curry recipes
- Roasted Aubergine Curry
- Tofu Satay Curry
- Mango & Coconut Chickpea Curry
- Lentil & Cauliflower Curry
- Easy Vegan Curry
Did you make this red lentil dahl recipe? Take a photo and hashtag it #MadeleineOlivia. I love seeing your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
And don’t forget to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you enjoyed them!
Red Lentil Dahl
Ingredients
- 1 onion (roughly chopped )
- 2 garlic cloves (roughly chopped )
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chilli
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 400 ml chopped tomatoes
- 350 g red lentils
- 900 ml vegetable stock
Serve with
- Rice or naan
- 1 lemon (juice of)
- Handful of coriander (finely chopped)
- Coconut yoghurt
- 1 Red chilli (finely sliced)
Instructions
- Blend the onion and garlic together in food processor or blender (this step is not essential and can be omitted if you do not own one).
- Add the onion and garlic mixture with a splash of oil into a large pan on medium heat, and cook until transparent. Keep adding water as needed.
- Add all of the spices and cook for a couple of minutes, again, adding water if needed.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes, red lentils, stock and lemon juice, stirring together.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Cook for up to 45 minutes if you have the time, as this will bring the flavours out even more.
- Tastes delicious served with rice/naan, a sprinkling of coriander, a drizzle of coconut yoghurt, chopped red chillies and a squeeze of lemon.
Video
Notes
- I usually serve red lentil dahl with a side of my favourite crunchy green vegetable: broccoli.
- I often like to add in some extra water or stock to the leftovers to make it into more of a lentil soup.
Nutrition
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29 comments
Christine
I absolutely looooove this recipe, learned it from your youtube-videos and we eat it at least twice a month now. Thank you Maddie!
Madeleine Olivia
Aww yay! Yes red lentil dahl is definitely one of my most popular recipes, with those who watch my videos, and in our house haha!
Linda
We absolutely love this dahl – even made it when we were on holiday xx
Madeleine OliviaAuthor
Very happy to hear Linda!
Kim
Just found you on YouTube AMAZING
Erin
I just made this Dahl from ingredients I already had. Thanks for sharing a ‘simple’ dahl recipe.
Cynthia
Just made this for myself as per your recipe and a seperate batch for my 6 month old baby (without garam masala, chilli, stock, lime or coriander) and we both really really enjoyed it 😊
Kate
Grate a carrot or two in for extra veg and almost no increase in price.
Jane
My favourite lentil dahl – so tasty!! Thank you 😀
Kerri
Delicious – needed a sprinkle of salt prior to serving.
Mattison
Oh my goodness!! I found your YouTube channel today through your vegan budget shopping trip. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Making it as we speak and had a taste while it is simmering….. delicious! I will have to buy your cookbook now. ❤️
Frederike
could I by any chance leave out the garam masala? I have every other spice on hand except that one ♡ would really appreciate an answer ❤
Andrew
30 minutes at high pressure in the instant pot was perfect for this recipe
Carrie Joyce
This is so simple and good…and cheap! I let it simmer for the full time and I think that is important for the flavor. I added coconut milk powder at the end, and that made it even more amazing.
Tabea
thanks so much for the recipe! I haven’t gotten a mixer or blender yet therefore I was wondering if its also somehow possible to do without? Thanks:)
Kim
Definitely! It is just a way to make chopping those things a bit easier, but you can easily chop them up yourself 😀
Lucy
This was such a hit with my family. So easy to make and even had some leftover which I had the next day on a jacket potato
Evie Clement
I added fresh ginger, coconut milk and sweet potato slices to mine and it was so so good !!!
Aa'ishah
This recipe was so easy to follow and absolutely delicious!!!! Thank you Madeleine!! <3
loes
This has been a favorite for months! I also like to add some chickpeas and broccoli and use Quinoa instead of rice to make it even healthier. Also ideal to have in the freezer or thin it and make soup out of it.
Noah
My go to Dahl! I sometimes add veggies that I need to use, like carrots.
Febe
Making this very often and freezing the leftovers for when I don’t have the time to cook. Always a meal to look forward to!
Linda
This is the best Dahl! Easy to make and incredibly delicious. We had it with Papadams and basmati rice for a dinner party and it went down a treat with everyone and it is a regular meal just for us too
Madeleine
Love the pairing ideas – it’s such an easy classic!
Robbie Spence
You don’t say if the 350g red lentils are dried or already soaked and cooked.
Madeleine OliviaAuthor
Dried lentils 🙂
Sal
Love this Dahl recipe. Put plenty of lemon in (a big lemon) for the perfect citrus lift.
Donald
This is my preferred Dahl recipe! Occasionally, I incorporate vegetables that I need to utilize, such as carrots.
Jordan
This recipe was so easy to follow and absolutely delicious!!!! Thank you Madeleine!! <3