A Vegan Spicy Lentil Dahl Recipe to Impress Your Guests (2024)

Dahl (also spelled dhal, daal, and dal) is essentially a thick South Asian-inspired lentil stew that is often prepared with ghee or clarified butter. This red lentil recipe for the popular Indian dish uses a little sesame oil for depth and flavor in place of the traditional ghee, which makes it vegan.

There is actually a wide range of dahls made from many different types of lentils and other vegetables called "pulses." Dried and split, they are cooked with various spices, meats, and vegetables. Options include red and yellow lentils, mung beans, lobiya (black-eyed peas), and chickpeas, among others. It's easy to modify a dahl to make it mild or spicy or to create a full dahl-based meal or a side dish.

This simple dahl soup is a favorite go-to recipe. It is easy to prepare with pantry staples and quick to make in one pot. Double or triple the recipe when you have a lot of mouths to feed. Any leftovers make a great lunch when served with flatbread and tea.

A Vegan Spicy Lentil Dahl Recipe to Impress Your Guests (1)

What You'll Need to Make This Red Lentil Dahl Recipe

A Great Set of Measuring Spoons

A Fantastic Microplane

A Heavy Pot

"This dahl was delicious. The lentils had a nice texture, and the flavors were wonderful. Vegetable broth was an option, so that's what I used. It does have a bit of heat, so if you don’t like it very spicy, you could start with 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. We enjoyed it with some cilantro and naan bread." —Diana Rattray

A Vegan Spicy Lentil Dahl Recipe to Impress Your Guests (5)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sesame oil,or olive oil
1 cup white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
4 cups water, or vegetable broth
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon groundcardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Dairy-free soy yogurt, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
In a 3-quart stockpot or other medium-sized soup pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring often, until the chopped onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.
Stirring constantly, add the water or broth, lentils, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and salt. Bring to a low boil, then turn down the heat to low, cover and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are very tender.
Stir in the tomato paste until well combined. Cook several minutes more, or until the soup is at the desired temperature and consistency, adding more water to the dahl if needed.
Garnish with a dollop of dairy-free soy yogurt if desired. Serve hot and enjoy.

Tips

Unlike other dried legumes, there's no need to soak lentils because they're small and come out perfectly tender with short cook times.
Combine all the spices in a small dish while preparing the ingredients. This makes it easy to toss all of them into the pot when needed.
If you're serving a lot of guests, you can have red pepper flakes available so that everyone can control the heat of their own bowl.

Variations

Indian cuisine is known to be on the spicy side, but it doesn't have to be. To dial down the kick, use 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper, or just omit it.
Add green chiles without the seeds instead. This will enhance the flavor of the overall dish without adding much spice.
For a slight taste and color variation, use a finely chopped red onion.
To thicken the sauce slightly, mix 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and cold water into a smooth paste. Stir the slurry into the stew, bring it to a boil then down to a simmer until it's the desired thickness. This is not a good option if you want to freeze the dahl. The gelatin properties of the cornstarch will break down, and the dahl will be thin again once thawed.

How to Store and Freeze

Dahl will keep well in the refrigerator for up to two days in an airtight container. It can be frozen for up to six months. Let it cool down and consider putting it into the refrigerator before packaging for the freezer. Gradually reducing the temperature of bean dishes helps prevent spoilage and produces better results once thawed out. Reheat dahl gently in the microwave or on the stovetop.

What Is Good to Serve With Dahl?

While dahl can certainly be eaten alone, it's sometimes served with a hearty grain. Basmati rice and quinoa are the usual accompaniments, and you can simply add a scoop to the bowl before adding the dahl. Flatbread like roti and naan are also popular. They're useful as well because they can help mop up the flavorful sauce. For a bright finish, top the dahl with chopped fresh cilantro.

Helpful Links

How to Get Started Cooking Indian Food
How to Stock Your Vegetarian Pantry

The 8 Best Vegan Meal Delivery Services

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
142	Calories
4g	Fat
22g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	142
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g	5%
Saturated Fat 1g	3%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 666mg	29%
Total Carbohydrate 22g	8%
Dietary Fiber 6g	21%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 9mg	44%
Calcium 71mg	5%
Iron 3mg	17%
Potassium 407mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.