Creamy, healthy, and hearty, this easy vegan lentil dal is comforting and delicious. It’s also very easy and cheap to make too! What’s not to love…
This easy vegan yellow lentil dal offers a delicious and comforting bowl of Indian-inspired cuisine – perfect for those chilly winter days when you need a boost of healthy protein to get you through the week!
Serve it as is or alongside some freshly made basmati rice or garlic naan! Leftovers store really well which means that you can also make it ahead of time and freeze a batch for those busy days ahead.
What You’ll Need
As you’ll see below, the ingredients list for this vegan dal recipe is really simple, meaning this is a super cost-effective recipe to make at home. It’s also ideal for those days when you haven’t had time to do the vegetable shopping, as you’ll most likely have all these ingredients on hand already!
- Coconut oil
- Ground turmeric
- Yellow mustard seeds
- Salt & ground black pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Yellow onion
- Yellow split lentils
- Chilli
- Vegetable stock
- Coconut milk
To serve
- Garam masala
- Fresh parsley leaves
- Chilli flakes
How to Cook Dahl
Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the ground turmeric, mustard seeds, and salt & pepper. Stir for 2 minutes, or until the mustard seeds start to pop.
Add in the onion, garlic, and chili, and cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the yellow split lentils and vegetable stock. Then stir and cook gently for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add more water if needed.
Add 1/2 cup coconut milk just before serving, and stir through.
Garnish with a sprinkle of garam marsala, chili flakes, and fresh parsley.
How to Store any Leftover Vegan Lentil Dahl
This simple lentil dahl will store well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days when placed in an airtight container, once completely cool.
You also have the option of freezing this Indian lentil soup for up to 3 months, either in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag. When ready to serve, first thaw your frozen dahl in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat slowly on the stovetop till heated throughout.
If your lentil dahl has thickened while in storage, simply add in some extra broth while reheating in a pot till the desired consistency is achieved.
What to Serve with your Indian Lentil Soup
This lentil dal is delicious as is but you could also bulk up the meal by serving it alongside some pita bread, naan bread, or a side of rice.
Can you Make this Easy Vegan Lentil Dahl Recipe in an Instant Pot?
Absolutely! Making this Vegan lentil dahl in an Instant Pot will reduce the cook time to around 30 minutes which means that you can make it in half the time compared to the stovetop. You also have the added convenience of not having to keep as watchful of an eye when cooking with an Instant Pot compared to the stovetop cooking method for this dish.
If you’re interested in making this simple lentil dahl in your Instant Pot then simply follow these steps:
- Set your Instant Pot to saute and add the oil to warm for a few minutes before adding in the ground turmeric, salt and ground pepper and yellow mustard seeds. Leave to heat for 1-2 minutes or until the mustard seeds start to pop.
- Add chopped onion, garlic and sliced green chili and continue to cook till the onions are translucent.
- Add yellow split lentils and vegetable stock, close the lid and cancel the saute mode.
- Select the manual mode of the Instant Pot and cook on high for 10 minutes. followed by a natural release of 6-7 minutes. After this, allow for a quick release of any steam in the Instant Pot before removing the lid in preparation to serve this vegan lentil dahl.
Tips for Making the Best Ever Dahl
- I’ve used coconut oil in this dish but feel free to use avocado oil, or your favorite healthy oil instead.
- If you plan on serving this with rice, I recommend basmati rice. Just like a good Indian curry, this is the best type of rice to pair with lentil dal.
- To reduce the cooking time of this easy dahl recipe, soak the lentils for 8 hours prior to making this dish. The soaking also improves the lentil’s nutritional absorption!
Other Easy Vegan Dinner Ideas:
Easy Vegan Yellow Lentil Dal
Creamy, healthy, and hearty, this easy vegan lentil dal is comforting and delicious. It's also very easy and cheap to make!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cups yellow split lentils (dry)
- 1 green chili, sliced and seeds removed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
To Serve
- 1/s tsp garam marsala
- Fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the ground turmeric, mustard seeds, and salt & pepper. Stir for 2 minutes, or until the mustard seeds start to pop.
- Add in the onion, garlic, and chili, and cook until the onion is translucent.
- Add the yellow split lentils and vegetable stock. Then stir and cook gently for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add more water if needed.
- Add 1/2 cup coconut milk just before serving, and stir through.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of garam marsala, chili flakes, and fresh parsley.
Notes
To reduce overall cooking time, you can soak the lentils overnight/8 hours before starting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 992mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 9gSugar: 5gProtein: 11g
Nutrition information should be considered as an estimation only.