Vegan Red Lentil Dal
Submitted by Linda Oxford
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon refined or virgin coconut oil or a neutral-flavored oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh turmeric or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1-2 serrano peppers diced (see recipe note below on spice level)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon Indian red chili powder if you only have regular chili powder, which is a blend, use 1 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Kosher salt or sea salt to taste I use about 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 cup red lentils or split red lentils (the split variety will cook a bit quicker)
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 to 1½ cups almond milk
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened creamy almond butter
- 1/2 a small lemon juiced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- For serving: Basmati or Jasmine rice and Indian flatbread such as roti, paratha, or naan
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear.
- Heat a large, deep skillet or large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric (if using), and Serrano pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent garlic from burning.
- Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper to taste, and cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, tossing frequently to prevent burning. If using ground turmeric instead of fresh turmeric, add the ground turmeric now, along with the rest of the spices.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add in the lentils and the crushed tomatoes and mix well. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through and have mostly softened. If you find that the lentils are not quite soft after 25 minutes, add a few spoons more of broth or water and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in the almond milk, almond butter, along with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking on low heat, uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, until the curry has thickened and is creamy. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro and turn off the heat. Garnish with additional cilantro. Refrigerate leftovers.
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