Red lentil dal with coconut milk

Red lentil dal with coconut milk: a creamy, spiced comfort dish with red lentils, spinach, ginger, garlic and turmeric – easy and satisfying.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 20 min
• Total time: 30 min
• Calories: 410 kcal per serving
• Protein: 22 g
• Fat: 14 g
• Carbs: 45 g

Ingredients

• 200g red lentils
• 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
• 1 large onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 200ml full-fat coconut milk
• 400ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 tsp yellow curry powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Pepper
• A little lemon juice
• Salt
• 1 tsp turmeric

Method

You’ll need: saucepan · chopping board · knife · wooden spoon · ladle

1. Finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Heat the ghee in a pan and cook everything over a medium heat until soft and translucent.
2. Add the curry powder, cumin, turmeric and a little pepper. Toast briefly, stirring, until the spices smell fragrant.
3. Stir in the red lentils and pour in the vegetable stock and coconut milk. Mix everything well.
4. Simmer the dal gently over a low heat with the lid slightly ajar. Stir now and then until the lentils are soft and creamy.
5. Take the pan off the heat and fold in the baby spinach until it wilts. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
6. Spoon into bowls and serve straight away. It's good on its own or with naan bread.

Good to know

For me, a dal like this is honest everyday food: warm, soft, spiced. It's satisfying without feeling heavy, and it's usually on the table faster than you'd think.

Swaps

Full-fat coconut milk → unsweetened coconut milk with less fat, or cashew butter + water (less saturated fat, still creamy) Vegetable stock → homemade stock or hot water + herbs + salt (often fewer additives and easier to control the salt) Ghee → olive oil or avocado oil (more monounsaturated fats) 200 g red lentils → a mix of red and yellow lentils (a little more variety in texture and nutrients)

Allergens

With ghee the dish contains milk components, and with coconut milk it contains coconut. Usually well suited to children; during pregnancy, make sure the lentils are well cooked and the spinach is washed. Contains: milk (ghee).

Frequently asked questions

Where does the iron in this dal come from?

Lentils and spinach contain iron, though in plant form. The lemon juice adds freshness and a little vitamin C.

What's in coconut milk, nutritionally?

Coconut milk mainly provides fat, mostly saturated. It makes the dal creamy but contains hardly any protein.

How are red lentils different from other pulses?

They're hulled, so they soften faster and break down into a creamy texture. Some people are still sensitive to pulses; eating slowly and cooking the lentils well usually makes them more pleasant.

What do ginger, turmeric and cumin bring to the dish?

They contain various plant compounds and essential oils, which mainly shape the aroma and colour of the dal. Cumin brings an earthy warmth, turmeric the golden colour and ginger a fresh heat.

Is the spinach in this dish OK for children and pregnant women?

Freshly washed, well-heated spinach is usually no problem. Spinach provides folate and vitamin K, but also contains oxalic acid, which can matter in very large amounts.