This Red Lentil Dal is a comforting, Indian-inspired dish made with warming spices and protein-rich lentils. Naturally vegan and gluten-free, it’s a simple, nourishing meal that works just as well for busy weeknights as it does for meal prep — with stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker options included.
Here's my opinion:
When it comes to tasty, nourishing, plant-based recipes that you should keep in your back pocket, a good lentil dal has got to be top of the list. It's cozy, it's comforting, and it's packed with satisfying plant-based protein.
This is my official opinion as an internet Nutrition Lady and as a busy mom who is up to her eyeballs in hockey practices. I love this recipe because it can be made multiple ways, so depending on how my week is going, I may simmer it on the stovetop, throw it into the Instant Pot, or do my future self a favor and set the slow cooker on low while I go about my day.
Also, despite how the ingredient list might look, an easy lentil dal is simple to make. I've tested this recipe many, many times, and I must say it's one of my favorites. It's a great weeknight dinner, perfect for meal prep, and it's freezer-friendly to boot.
About the lentils: I like to use a mix of lentils in this recipe because I think it keeps the texture interesting, but if you can’t find urid dal, you can use split mung beans, split chickpeas, split yellow peas, or more red lentils in its place.
Ok, friend. Let's do this!
Mung Bean and Coconut Curry
Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry
Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup with Red Lentils
Red Lentil Stew
Let's make red lentil dal together!
You'll find detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post — by all means, use the "jump" button to skip right down there. Or, join me for a bit of a scroll, and we'll walk through it step-by-step together.
Step 1: toast the spices
Combine the cumin seeds, brown mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds in a small, dry frying pan. You can also add the cardamom pods and bay leaf to the pan if you wish.
Place over medium heat and, stirring often, toast the seeds for a few minutes, until you can begin to smell their fragrance. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 2: rinse the lentils
Place the lentils in a mesh strainer and rinse well until the water runs clear. You can do this while the seeds are toasting.
Step 3: sauté
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and sauté until translucent – about 2-3 minutes.
Note! If you’re using the Instant Pot either as a pressure cooker or a slow cooker, you can do this step right in the IP using the sauté function.
Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute, then add the turmeric, toasted seeds, and salt and pepper.
Step 4: add the liquids & lentils
Add the canned tomatoes to the spice mixture and stir to combine. Add the rinsed lentils and vegetable broth, and stir to make sure there are no lentils sticking to the bottom.
Now you're going to set your slow cooker on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or LOW for 8-10 hours. Or, seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes.
For stovetop, you'll simply simmer the dal until the lentils are tender.
Step 5: serve!
I love to serve warm bowls of vegan red lentil dal with brown rice and some naan on the side. So, so good!
Red Lentil Dal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup red lentils
- ¾ cup urid dal or yellow split peas, split mung beans, or just use all red lentils
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water
- 14 oz diced tomatoes 400g can
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral flavoured oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 green cardamom pods crushed / split open
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin, mustard, fennel, coriander and fenugreek seeds to the pan. Shake or stir the seeds frequently. When they smell fragrant, remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 3 green cardamom pods
- Place red lentils and urid dal into a fine mesh strainer, and rinse well until the water runs clear.¾ cup red lentils, ¾ cup urid dal
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and sauté until translucent – about 2-3 minutes.1 Tablespoon avocado oil, 1 medium yellow onion
- Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté for another minute. Then add the turmeric, toasted seeds, and salt and pepper.2 cloves garlic , 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger, 1 ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 bay leaf
- Note! If you’re using the Instant Pot either as a pressure cooker or a slow cooker, you can do this step right in the IP using the sauté function.
To Make Slow Cooker Lentil Dal
- Scrape the onions and spices and everything else out of the pan and into your slow cooker. Add the rinsed lentils, canned tomatoes, and vegetable broth.¾ cup red lentils, 3 cups vegetable broth or water, 14 oz diced tomatoes, ¾ cup urid dal
- Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Place lid on slow cooker and let cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove lid after cooking time and stir. If the lentils are not fully cooked, replace the lid and cook for another 30-60 minutes, if needed.
To make Instant Pot Dal
- Add the canned tomatoes to the spice mixture and stir to combine. Add the rinsed lentils and vegetable broth, and stir to make sure there are no lentils sticking to the bottom.¾ cup red lentils, 3 cups vegetable broth or water, 14 oz diced tomatoes, ¾ cup urid dal
- Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes. When the
pressure cooking cycle is done you can either use a quick release or let it release naturally.
To Serve
- Serve the dal over hot brown rice or quinoa, or serve with a bit of bread to sop it up. I like to add red pepper flakes, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, and some fresh cilantro leaves.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- I like to keep my lentil dal pretty mild so I can serve it to my kids, but by all means throw in some cayenne pepper or a pinch of chili flakes to spice things up.
- Dal is one of those recipes that only improves with time, so by all means include a big batch in your weekly meal prep or batch cooking. You can even double the recipe if your slow cooker or Instant Pot is big enough.
- You can keep a batch of dal for 3-5 days in the fridge, or freeze for up to three months.
carolyn says
Should you cook the Red Lentil Dal before freezing or add liquid and lentils, freeze then thaw and cook at a later time.
Katie Trant says
I recommend you cook the recipe as directed, then let it cool, transfer to food storage containers, and freeze.
Patrick says
Made this in slow cooker recently, beautiful recipe really enjoyed It but it wasn’t very kind to my acid reflux.
Thanks for the recipes.
Nicola Beach says
please please consider a darker type face for your site. It is really difficult to read!! or even see what the hell I am typing so don't want to come to your delicious site because of this. Thank you
Katie Trant says
Maybe you should shoot me an email with screenshots so I can see what you're seeing? The main typeface is black so it should be easy to read.
Agatha says
This might be a silly question. But do you keep all the spices whole in the dal when serving. I’ve just put in the slow cooker and wondering if they will just disintegrate with time, I hate the feeling of biting into a spice pod.
Thanks x
Katie Trant says
They don't disintegrate, but they do soften with time. I never notice them when eating this dal!
Sureena says
I can’t remember if I already made a comment but this is my favourite dish, so easy and tons of flavour!
Maja says
So delicious!!! I replaced the red lentils with moong beans and it was one of the slow cooker recipes I’ve ever had. Thanks for sharing 💚😊😍
Rick Fonda says
Qs:
1) which oil to use and how much?
2) Also, I have fenugreek leaves but not seeds; any suggestions as to how to substitute?
thanks; planning on making tomorrow
Katie Trant says
Hi Rick, whoops, have updated the recipe to include the oil. I use 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, but any neutral-flavoured oil is fine. Reguarding the fenugreek leaves, I'm not sure to be honest. I believe they have a similar flavour to the seeds, but perhaps a bit more potent? I'd suggest stirring in a small amount towards the end of the cook time, tasting, and adding more as needed.
Rick Fonda says
Thanks Katie for the prompt reply. I did not have avocado oil so I used EVOO. Also I did not have cardamom pods but only an old jar of cardamom powder so I added a tsp of that. Then at the end I took your suggestion and added roughly 1 & 1/2 tsp of the fenugreek leaves along with 1 tsp of dried cilantro. Finally, because we like a little heat, I added 1/4 tsp ea of red pepper flakes and cayenne. It turned out great- best dal I've ever made! Thanks for the recipe; it's a keeper.
Allison A. Davis says
I am amazed how good this was and how easy to make. I have a Breville risotto maker so I can saute right there, and put in the onions, garlic and ginger, roasted those seeds (and SO good for you), had home grown bay leaves, home canned tomatoes, and cheated and used some chicken bone broth I had just made, and turned it on slow and went to bed. I had a delicious lunch today. Thank you. Great recipe. You made it very easy. I want to cook more South Asian food...
Carla @ Foodie Digital says
Hands down the best dal recipe. The spice combo is perfect and toasting them separately first is something I never take the time to do, but so glad I did this time. I pureed a portion for my 5 year old (who is picky about tomato chunks!) and she gobbled it right up. To the rest of the pan I added chilli flakes for some heat. Yum!
Katie Trant says
Thanks Carla! I also use the purée trick with my kids sometimes, and adding the chili flakes after is a must.
Doug Baker says
"big" Instapot fan. Not "bit". typo.
Doug Baker says
FWIW, I'm a guy - but don't hold that against me. This recipe is an absolute keeper. I've made dal lots in the past, but I think this is the best yet. Looooovved the spice mixture. Eating it I could close my eyes and easily imagine I was sitting in a good South Asian restaurant.
I'm a bit InstaPot fan, too, and this recipe is absolutely ideal for it. I made a couple small changes; I cooked the onion, ginger, and garlic on the "saute" mode WITH the spices. Not a purist approach, I know, but easy-peasy. Then added the tomatoes and the lentils, closed the lid, and VOILA! Dinner.
Kim says
Turned out excellent. I am SO happy you got an Instant Pot! I use mine almost everyday and can't wait to try your IP recipes!
Hanna says
This recipe looks sooo delicious and easy! Tho I don't have a slowcooker, so I was wondering if I can make it without one? 🙂
Katie Trant says
You definitely can! I haven't tested the exact timings, but I'd say you'd want to simmer on the stovetop for around 30 minutes. I'd cook the onions and spices first, add the lentils and liquid, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer.
Rebecca says
This recipe is delicious thanks! I ended up using toor Dahl because that's what I had and it still worked fine. I made curried cabbage and carrots to go with it and it as delicious. This seemed to get better the following days too.
Katie Trant says
You've gotta love a recipe that only gets better with time!
alice k mynett says
Katie, this red lentil dal is delicious! l like having portions of this tucked in my freezer as additions to a weekday meal that just needs something extra to round it out. The spice combo is perfect, and adds a nice zing.
Amy T says
Made this almost according to the recipe and LOVED IT. I left out the bay leaf, used all red lentils, and a bit of ginger powder instead of fresh. I added a cup of coconut milk and juice from one lemon. The flavor was to die for good, but a bit mild. I plan to make it again next week and will add just a pinch of cayenne. We ate this with both jasmine rice and fresh naan bread. So tasty!
Katie Trant says
Sounds like some super tasty modifications, Amy! Thanks for sharing 🙂
lynn @ the actor's diet says
Even though lentils don't take too long to cook I always get lazy and make them in the slow cooker. These look wonderful!
Katie Trant says
The slow cooker is a lazy cook's best friend, isn't it? Love it!
Tanja says
Loved how easy this was, I added some baby potatoes in the slow cooker to replace the need for rice or bread. Quick and easy thanks for sharing 😀
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen} says
Has the babe had hiccups yet? Thats always a fun time 😉 Hooray for daal, and hooray for slow cookers! I will definitely be giving this one a go 🙂
Katie Trant says
Yeah, the hiccups crack me up! I'm pretty much in love with my slow cooker these days, so if you've got any good recipes, let me know 🙂
molly says
Aww... I miss being pregnant so much. I have three boys and enjoyed having them to myself during those big belly months. Your blog is interesting and the services you provide intrigue me...although I can't afford them and since I cook for a family an individual dietary meal planning service is not that practical. thanks for sharing...and good luck on being a new mom. your live is almost about to be forever changed and will never be fully yours again. it sounds worse than it really is.
Katie Trant says
Hi Molly! I totally know what you mean about having them all to yourself! I honestly think I'll miss this feeling of him or her thumping around in there so much! I do meal planning for families and couples as well, but I do know that bespoke meal plans and dietary consultations are not cheap, so I'm also planning to expand to some non-bespoke plans as well down the road. On my to-do list for my maternity leave!
Linda @ Veganosity says
Hahaha! I remember those big kicks. I'll never forget watching a knee or elbow makes its way across my belly during the last few weeks. So amazing! This is such a great recipe, healthy and hearty.
Katie Trant says
I know, it's so amazing, and a bit creepy too!