Daal Recipe
This flavorful Daal Recipe is loaded with immune-boosting spices like turmeric, ginger, and garlic. Cozy, comforting, and packed with goodness!
Servings: 2 servings
Cost: $6.23
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion 1 medium onion
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 4 cloves
- 2 teaspoons finely minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup red lentils see note 1
- 1-1/2 cups vegetable stock I love Swanson
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk see note 2
- Cooked basmati rice for serving, see note 3
- Serving suggestions see note 4
Instructions
- Add melted coconut oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add in diced onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden, 6–8 minutes. Add in garlic, ginger, tomato paste, seasonings, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper). Add optional 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper here if you like some heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and tomato paste begins to darken, 3–4 minutes. Reduce heat or add a tiny splash of water if needed—nothing should be burning; we are looking for everything to get very fragrant.
- Pour in vegetable stock and scrape the bottom of the pan. Rinse lentils in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water until water runs clear. Add lentils and the coconut milk. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom until lentils are tender to desired preference, 25–35 minutes (see note 5).
- Remove from heat. Add in 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice (if using). Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt if needed. Serve over rice garnished with fresh cilantro and toasted coconut flakes if desired. Enjoy immediately!
Video
Notes
Note 1: You’ll want to use dried red lentils for this recipe—I don’t recommend any other kind. Quickly sort through the lentils for any debris or rocks and thoroughly rinse them off. Rinse right before adding to the pot or they will start to thicken and stick together. Fresher dried lentils will cook quicker than older lentils.
Note 2: Look for shelf-stable, unrefrigerated cans of coconut milk. You’ll find canned coconut milk on the international aisle. I use Thai Kitchen® or Imperial Dragon®. I highly recommend full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture. (Lite coconut milk also doesn’t thicken as nicely.)
Note 3: Here’s the quickest/easiest way to get perfect basmati rice (must use basmati for this to work!)
- Fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
- Once water is at a rolling boil, generously salt the water and add rice.
- Cook without reducing the heat for 6 minutes (Taste test to ensure it is tender.), then drain and fluff with a fork. Easy!
- Raita: If you’d like a creamy sauce, I recommend this quick cucumber raita: Add the following ingredients to a medium bowl: 1/2 cup plain, full-fat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup finely chopped English or Persian cucumber, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 2 teaspoons chopped green onions, 1/4 teaspoon each: cumin, coriander, and fine sea salt. Stir until combined and refrigerate. Stir before adding.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 871kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 49g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 1584mg | Fiber: 30g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 406IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 14mg