This creamy and delicious green lentil dahl is packed with flavour and nutritious too. It freezes really well, so is ideal for batch cooking.
🍴 Why you will love this recipe
We eat dahl at least once a week in our house - it is cheap, easy to make, nutritious and most importantly really delicious too. What's not to love?
Green lentils don't turn mushy like red lentils do in dahl - they keep their shape and a bit of 'bite'. This green lentil dahl is so creamy with coconut milk and gentle spices. It is finished with a kick of lemon and added goodness from spinach or kale.
High in fibre, a good source of protein and packed with vitamins and minerals, lentils are really good for you, (find out why in this BBC article). This green lentil dahl goes down a treat with children and adults alike, (I leave out the chilli if making it for kids, though it is fairly mild anyway).
I usually serve it with rice and green vegetables, and it is also delicious scooped up in a naan or homemade flatbread.
📝 What you need
Ingredients
Dried green lentils are cheap, nutritious and easy to find in supermarkets.
Coconut milk Either full-fat or reduced-fat coconut milk is fine - it must be tinned coconut milk, not from a carton.
Ginger and garlic Fresh ginger and garlic give a delicious savoury base to the dahl, but if you're in a hurry you can use ginger and garlic paste from a jar instead for a shortcut.
Equipment
A good, sturdy casserole dish with a lid is ideal for this green lentil dahl. My trusty Le Creuset casserole gets used almost every day in our house, and fourteen years later (it was a wedding present!), it looks just the same as it did the day we got it. (Can't say the same about me or Mr F, sadly!!).
👩🏽🍳 How to make your Green Lentil Dahl
For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page 👇🏼 .
Peel and finely slice a red onion and fry gently. Add garlic, ginger, chilli and spices.
Add dried lentils, coconut milk and vegetable stock and simmer gently for 45-50 minutes. Stir through roughly chopped spinach or kale, a little more coconut milk and lemon juice and zest.
🔪 Top Tips & FAQs
Adjust the consistency of your dahl before serving - if it has become too thick add a splash of water to the pan. If it is too runny keep simmering without the lid for a further 2-3 minutes.
If you want to use red lentils instead of green, reduce the quantity of vegetable stock to 400ml.
Yes, this dahl freezes really well so is perfect to batch-cook and stock up the freezer. I use old takeaway tubs or margarine tubs to freeze individual portions, which can be reheated in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
No, this recipe assumes that you haven't soaked them in advance - but you can soak them overnight in cold water, which will cut down the cooking time by up to 20 minutes.
Yes, green lentils take longer to cook than red lentils - around 45-50 minutes. They keep their shape and some 'bite', compared to red lentils which quickly turn to mush when cooked.
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Green Lentil Dahl
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon rapeseed or sunflower oil
- 1 red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- thumb-sized piece fresh ginger
- 1 green chilli
- 2.5 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- pinch chilli flakes
- 200 g dried green lentils
- 400 ml coconut milk from a tin
- 550 ml vegetable stock
- handful baby spinach or curly kale
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a deep, lidded frying pan or casserole dish.
- Peel and finely slice the red onion and fry gently for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger, cook for a further minute. De-seed and slice the chilli and add to the pan along with the garam masala, turmeric and chilli flakes.
- Rinse the green lentils until the water runs clear, then add to the pan. Add most of the coconut milk, (keep back just a few tablespoons in the bottom of the tin), and vegetable stock. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover with the lid, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to stop the lentils sticking on the bottom. Remove the lid and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the lentils are cooked through and the dahl is thick.
- Roughly chop the spinach or kale and stir through the dahl for the final minute of cooking time.
- Add the juice and zest of the lemon and the remaining coconut milk and stir through the dahl. Taste and adjust seasoning as required, then serve.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Juliet Vines says
How long will this keep in the fridge?
Kate Ford says
Hi Juliet, this will last 2-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It also freezes really well.
Val says
Hi Kate could I check the garam masala spice to see if it is 2 and a half teaspoons which I have used or is it half a teaspoon. I was not very sure. Thank you
Kate Ford says
Hi Val, it should be 2.5 teaspoons, but do adjust to your own taste. Kate
Crystal says
This dish was so easy to make and so so flavourful. It will be on heavy rotation in our house now!
Kate Ford says
That's great to hear - thanks Crystal!
Zoe Laskowski says
I don't always find internet recipes to be that satisfying so was pleasantly surprised to stumble across this one. Full of rich, warmth and creamy flavour. I deviated slightly using coconut cream (already opened and needed using) but otherwise stuck to recipe - a nourishing and fulfilling meal! Thank you Kate x
Kate Ford says
That's lovely to hear, thanks Zoe!
Nick T says
That was incredible. I used tinned lentils, so added less water, maybe 300ml and cut cooking time by 20 mins.
The lemon was the best touch! So tasty
Kate Ford says
That's great to hear, thanks Nick.
Steve says
Very tasty, lovely recipe.
I'll be trying rhe other dishes
Kate Ford says
That's great to hear, thanks Steve!
Adele Irwin says
My husband said ‘It tastes better than it looks!’ We both really enjoyed this for dinner tonight, nice spicy flavour without being too overpowering. Definitely needed the splash of water towards the end of cooking. Thank you for another great recipe!
Kate Ford says
Thanks Adele! Xx
nancy says
what a cozy Creamy Green Lentil Dahl recipe. i like the balance of the spices you used!
Jacque says
This was amazing and super authentic. I can't wait to make this dish again. Thank you for sharing!
Nikki says
This looks incredible. Hearty, comforting and flavorful. Will be making this ASAP!
Elaine says
Did someone say green lentil dahl? Yes please! This is exactly what I need to make this week!
Gina says
I need to start making this more because it really is so amazing! My whole family enjoyed it. Thanks for the great recipe!