Green Lentil Daal
  • CourseMain Dish, Side dish
  • CuisineBudget-friendly, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings Prep Time
4servings 15minutes
Cook Time
45minutes
Servings Prep Time
4servings 15minutes
Cook Time
45minutes
Ingredients
  • 16ounce green lentilsI used green lentils because I had them to use up, but any lentil can be used to make this dish. Just remember, red and yellow lentils will cook much faster (potentially with less liquid) than green or brown lentils.
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1each white or red onion, sliced julienne
  • 1tsp garlic, minced
  • 1tsp ginger, minced
  • 4each roma tomatoes, quartered
  • 2each chiles serranos, thinly sliced or mincedChili quantity is completely different for each person’s heat tolerance. I added two thinly sliced serranos (with the seeds) and also 2 whole Thai chilis. The resulting spice level was medium, but that could change with the chili (some are just spicier!). Removing the seeds from the Serranos and not including the whole Thai chilis will make the spice level of this dish mild.
  • 2each Thai chilis, whole
  • 1handful cilantro
  • 6cups vegetable stock
  • 1cup coconut milk
  • to taste saltwait until the end to season with salt
Spice Mixture
  • 1/4tsp cumin, ground
  • 2tsp turmeric, ground
  • 2tsp coriander, ground
  • 1.5tsp chili powder
  • 1.5tsp garam masala
  • 4each bay leaves
Instructions
  1. Soak your lentils for 30 minutes, rinse until water runs clear, and drain water thoroughly.
  2. Prepare your julienne sliced onions, quartered tomatoes, minced ginger, minced garlic, and thinly sliced chilis.
  3. Add coconut oil to a skillet over med-high heat.
  4. Sauté the onions until they begin to caramelize.
  5. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilis to the pan.
  6. Sauté until veggies begin to show color and break down. 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat.
  7. Add spices to the pan and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds. At this stage, you may wonder if there is too much of the spices in this recipe but trust the process. As the lentils cook, they will absorb all the spices and mellow.
  8. Add quartered tomatoes to the pan and sauté for an additional minute.
  9. Add lentils to the pan and stir to incorporate all ingredients.
  10. Add vegetable stock, stir, bring to a simmer, and cover.
  11. Cook lentils, stirring occasionally, for 30 – 45 minutes (this will differ slightly if you are using red or yellow lentils) or until lentils are tender. You can adjust the liquid to your preferred consistency. For example, if you are serving this dish over rice, you may want it to be saucier. You can add more vegetable stock or water to create a saucier consistency. As the lentils cook further in the liquid, they will begin to break down.
  12. Tomato Skins! Tomato skins are full of anti-inflammatory benefits and are a great source of antioxidants, calcium, zinc, and selenium. That said, as the dish cooks, you will notice that the tomato skins separate from the flesh. If you find them undesirable, feel free to remove them from the dish at this point. Most of the nutrients have already been cooked into the dish! Alternatively, if you wish to retain the nutritional benefits but dislike the texture of the skins, consider blending them separately and reintroducing the puree back into the dish.
  13. Add the coconut milk to the pan and stir to incorporate.
  14. Season to taste with salt. It is important to season with salt at this stage (the end) so that as the liquid evaporates through the cooking process, you don’t end up with a dish that is too salty.
  15. Top with lots (or little!) of fresh cilantro and eat as is or serve with your favorite additions! I had whole wheat pita to use up, but you may want to try it with rice or naan – or both! Or slather it all over some toasted baguette. It tastes great with all of the above!
Green Lentil Daal
Print Recipe
  • CourseMain Dish, Side dish
  • CuisineBudget-friendly, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
  • 16 ounce green lentils I used green lentils because I had them to use up, but any lentil can be used to make this dish. Just remember, red and yellow lentils will cook much faster (potentially with less liquid) than green or brown lentils.
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 each white or red onion, sliced julienne
  • 1 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger, minced
  • 4 each roma tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 each chiles serranos, thinly sliced or minced Chili quantity is completely different for each person's heat tolerance. I added two thinly sliced serranos (with the seeds) and also 2 whole Thai chilis. The resulting spice level was medium, but that could change with the chili (some are just spicier!). Removing the seeds from the Serranos and not including the whole Thai chilis will make the spice level of this dish mild.
  • 2 each Thai chilis, whole
  • 1 handful cilantro
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • to taste salt wait until the end to season with salt
Spice Mixture
  • 1/4 tsp cumin, ground
  • 2 tsp turmeric, ground
  • 2 tsp coriander, ground
  • 1.5 tsp chili powder
  • 1.5 tsp garam masala
  • 4 each bay leaves
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Soak your lentils for 30 minutes, rinse until water runs clear, and drain water thoroughly.
  2. Prepare your julienne sliced onions, quartered tomatoes, minced ginger, minced garlic, and thinly sliced chilis.
  3. Add coconut oil to a skillet over med-high heat.
  4. Sauté the onions until they begin to caramelize.
  5. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilis to the pan.
  6. Sauté until veggies begin to show color and break down. 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat.
  7. Add spices to the pan and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds. At this stage, you may wonder if there is too much of the spices in this recipe but trust the process. As the lentils cook, they will absorb all the spices and mellow.
  8. Add quartered tomatoes to the pan and sauté for an additional minute.
  9. Add lentils to the pan and stir to incorporate all ingredients.
  10. Add vegetable stock, stir, bring to a simmer, and cover.
  11. Cook lentils, stirring occasionally, for 30 - 45 minutes (this will differ slightly if you are using red or yellow lentils) or until lentils are tender. You can adjust the liquid to your preferred consistency. For example, if you are serving this dish over rice, you may want it to be saucier. You can add more vegetable stock or water to create a saucier consistency. As the lentils cook further in the liquid, they will begin to break down.
  12. Tomato Skins! Tomato skins are full of anti-inflammatory benefits and are a great source of antioxidants, calcium, zinc, and selenium. That said, as the dish cooks, you will notice that the tomato skins separate from the flesh. If you find them undesirable, feel free to remove them from the dish at this point. Most of the nutrients have already been cooked into the dish! Alternatively, if you wish to retain the nutritional benefits but dislike the texture of the skins, consider blending them separately and reintroducing the puree back into the dish.
  13. Add the coconut milk to the pan and stir to incorporate.
  14. Season to taste with salt. It is important to season with salt at this stage (the end) so that as the liquid evaporates through the cooking process, you don't end up with a dish that is too salty.
  15. Top with lots (or little!) of fresh cilantro and eat as is or serve with your favorite additions! I had whole wheat pita to use up, but you may want to try it with rice or naan - or both! Or slather it all over some toasted baguette. It tastes great with all of the above!
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