Nourishing Red Lentil & Spinach Dahl

When you’re after something superbly hearty and nourishing-to-boot, look no further than dahl. Rooted in the rich culinary traditions of Indian and South Asian cuisines, this plant-based dish features simmered legumes, and has qualities akin to soup, stew and curry.

With recipes galore for dahl, here’s my take. It uses a nice blend of spices, gently tempered to enhance taste, and then sautéd with aromatics and tomatoes. The lentils are simmered in vegetable stock, infusing it with great flavour. To top it off, you mix in a mini mountain of spinach, which the Registered Nutritionist in me loves, because #vegetables.

Best yet, if you’re after quick heathy ideas for dinner, this red lentil dahl (no coconut milk) is great to bulk-cook and freeze for speedy heat-and-eat meals. Future you will be very happy👌.

Gather Ingredients

• Dried red split lentils. Our legume pick-of-the-bunch. Red lentils soften and break down when cooked, resulting in a creamy porridge-like texture. Find them in the soup, canned goods or bulk bin aisle at the supermarket.
• Vegetable stock. Use whatever’s on hand, whether homemade, store-bought, fresh, or a dried stock powder.
• Spices. We’re using a blend of whole cumin and mustard seeds, as well as ground turmeric and chilli flakes.
• Canned tomatoes. For a lovely tomatoey flavour base.
• Fresh baby spinach. For a nutritious boost. Baby spinach is easy to throw in the pot as is, but you can also use larger spinach leaves, cut smaller.

You’ll also need the basics: aromatics, like onion, garlic and ginger; oil to fry; lemon juice to brighten; and salt to season it all to perfection. While this is a vegan dahl, you can sub the oil for ghee (clarified butter) and enjoy a vegetarian dahl instead.

Step-by-Step: Lentil & Spinach Dahl

Kitchen Tips

• ‘Thar she blows!’ (aka watch the steam). Keep an eye on the lentils as they cook. Excess steam can cause pressure build up and the contents of the pot to spill over. To avoid, set the lid slightly off-centre to allow a small gap for steam to escape, and stir occasionally.
• Sauté low and slow. Taking extra time to sauté the onions, garlic and ginger allows for the development of deeper, more complex, flavours. So worth it!
• Be the master of your tastebuds. Once the dahl has finished cooking, taste test, and adjust the salt, lemon juice and chilli flakes to your preference.

Serving & Storage

Serve over rice, or enjoy with Indian flatbreads like roti or naan – the bread can be used to scoop up the dahl. A garnish of fresh coriander, cashew nuts and a sprinkle of chilli flakes takes it up a notch.

This healthy dahl recipe is delicious freshly made and hot off the stove, but it’s also great prepped ahead and frozen until ready to heat-and-eat.

If you have a little extra prep time up your sleeve, serve with homemade mint and cucumber yoghurt raita for a cool and refreshing addition🥒.

Nutrition Q&A

What are the nutritional benefits of lentils? Known for their affordability, lentils pack a mighty nutritional punch, making them an excellent addition to your mealtime rotation. Cooked lentils offer:

• A rich source of plant-based protein. A cup provides an impressive 17.9g of protein. Incorporating lentils into meals, especially plant-based ones, will help create a more nutritionally well-rounded dish.
• High in dietary fibre. Lentils are a fabulous source of gut-loving fibre, boasting 15.6g per cup. Fibre is cornerstone to digestive health and creating a sense of fullness.
• Polyphenols galore. Lentils are rich in health-promoting polyphenols, known for their strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the body (1).

Thanks for reading! Are you looking for more plant-based meal ideas? Try this Mexican-Inspired Chili Sin Carne with Dark Chocolate.