Creamy red lentil dal with coconut spinach

Creamy red lentil dal with coconut spinach: a spiced, satisfying comfort dish with red lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, baby spinach and aromatic spices.

At a glance

• Serves 4
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 20 min
• Total time: 30 min
• Calories: 360 kcal per serving
• Protein: 18 g
• Fat: 12 g
• Carbs: 42 g

Ingredients

• 250 g lentils
• 400 g tomatoes
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 100 g baby spinach
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 piece of ginger (about 2 cm)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 handful of coriander

Method

You’ll need: saucepan · chopping board · knife · mixing bowl · sieve · grater · wooden spoon · ladle

1. Rinse the red lentils thoroughly in a sieve. Finely chop or grate the onion, garlic and ginger.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a large pan and gently sweat the onion, garlic and ginger until everything is soft and fragrant. Toast the garam masala, turmeric and cumin briefly with them.
3. Add the lentils and pour in the vegetable stock and tomatoes. Bring everything to the boil, then simmer over a low heat until the lentils are soft and the dal turns creamy.
4. Stir in the coconut milk and heat the dal briefly once more. Season to taste with salt, chilli flakes and a little lime juice.
5. Fold in the baby spinach and let it wilt in the hot dal. Leave to rest briefly so the flavours come together.
6. Serve with fresh coriander. Rice goes well with it, or simply eat it by the spoonful straight from the bowl.

Good to know

For me, a dal like this is a real end-of-the-day meal: warm, soft, spiced and on the table without much effort. It's pure comfort, it's satisfying and it's wonderful spooned straight from the pot.

Swaps

Baby spinach → kale (more vitamin K and a bit more bite); coconut milk → cashew butter plus water (a little more protein, less saturated fat); red lentils → yellow lentils (similar protein content, often a little milder)

Allergens

The dish is naturally gluten-free, but depending on the vegetable stock it may contain traces of gluten; coconut isn't always classed as a classic allergen but some people react to it, and for children or during pregnancy it's best to keep the amount of chilli mild.

Dairy-free recipes