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    Home » Vegan Recipes » Vegan Main Courses » Creamy Green Lentil Dahl

    Creamy Green Lentil Dahl

    Published: Sep 26, 2022 · Modified: Sep 26, 2022 by Kate Ford · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Green Lentil Dahl
    JUMP TO RECIPE JUMP TO VIDEO
    Pinterest pin for green lentil dahl

    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.

    Jump to:
    • 🍴 Why you will love this recipe
    • 📝 What you need
    • 👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your Green Lentil Dahl
    • 🔪 Top Tips & FAQs
    • 🍽 If you liked that...
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments and Reviews

    📝 What you need

    Green Lentil Dahl Ingredients

    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 👇🏼 .

    slice onions and fry

    Peel and finely slice a red onion and fry gently. Add garlic, ginger, chilli and spices.

    ad coconut milk and simmer

    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.

    Green Lentil Dahl in pan
    Can I freeze my green lentil dahl?

    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.

    Do you need to soak green lentils?

    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.

    Do green lentils take longer to cook?

    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.

    🍽 If you liked that...

    .... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:

    • Dahl Soup
      Dahl Soup (Lentil Soup with turmeric & lemon)
    • lentil ragu
      Rich Lentil Ragù with red wine
    • Slow Cooker Dahl
      Butternut Slow Cooker Dahl
    • Yellow Split Pea Soup
      Yellow Split Pea Soup

    Loved this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a star rating below! 📸 Snap a photo of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram, tagging me @thevegspace or #thevegspace 📩 And get all my latest recipes in a weekly e-mail by subscribing to my newsletter.

    📖 Recipe

    Green Lentil Dahl

    Creamy Green Lentil Dahl

    Kate Ford | The Veg Space
    This creamy and delicious green lentil dahl is packed with flavour and nutritious too. It freezes really well, so is ideal for batch cooking.
    5 from 16 votes
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    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 55 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Main
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 350 kcal

    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.

    Video

    Notes

    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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 14gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 659mgPotassium: 574mgFiber: 18gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 317IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! Mention @thevegspace or #thevegspace
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    About Kate Ford

    Hi! I'm Kate, vegan home cook and blogger behind The Veg Space and author of Vegan in 15. I'm passionate about creating easy vegan recipes that even a first-time cook can follow.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Simon says

      September 04, 2024 at 1:20 pm

      My 2 boys regularly ask me to cook this. It's one of their faves.

      Reply
    2. Sharon Tyler says

      April 18, 2024 at 6:32 pm

      THE most delicious dhal and super easy to make

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        April 20, 2024 at 10:46 am

        That's so great to hear, thanks Sharon!

        Reply
    3. Anna says

      March 23, 2024 at 4:39 pm

      So tasty! I tried this recipe just to use up some green lentils, but now it’s become a regular. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        March 23, 2024 at 8:03 pm

        That's great to hear, thanks Anna!

        Reply
        • Kate Brown says

          July 06, 2024 at 3:11 pm

          Hi Kate -
          No idea what I did wrong as doubled re Joe as shown and used 2 tins of green lentils soaked and had to basically remove the 1-1 lye of fluid as just so runny ? Next time should I just not add the stock - so odd 🥲.
          Thanks
          Kate B

          Reply
          • Simon says

            September 04, 2024 at 1:22 pm

            Hi Kate,
            The recipe says to use dried lentils, so if using pre-saoked tinned lentils, best to reduce the stock a fair bit.

            Reply
    4. Iain says

      February 28, 2024 at 12:06 pm

      We absolutely love this one! Thank you 🙂

      Reply
    5. Niall Henderson says

      January 12, 2024 at 8:37 pm

      I have to say that this is the best dal recipe I have tried, a real win with friends and family - thanks for posting!

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        January 16, 2024 at 8:52 am

        That's great to hear, thanks Niall!

        Reply
    6. Allesa says

      November 28, 2023 at 7:45 am

      Great recipe! Very tasty.

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        December 10, 2023 at 9:23 pm

        Great to hear, thanks Allesa!

        Reply
    7. Juliet Vines says

      October 30, 2023 at 10:19 am

      How long will this keep in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        November 03, 2023 at 11:08 am

        Hi Juliet, this will last 2-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It also freezes really well.

        Reply
    8. Val says

      October 17, 2023 at 1:15 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        October 20, 2023 at 10:36 am

        Hi Val, it should be 2.5 teaspoons, but do adjust to your own taste. Kate

        Reply
    9. Crystal says

      October 03, 2023 at 4:12 pm

      This dish was so easy to make and so so flavourful. It will be on heavy rotation in our house now!

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        October 06, 2023 at 9:50 am

        That's great to hear - thanks Crystal!

        Reply
    10. Zoe Laskowski says

      July 23, 2023 at 12:03 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        August 04, 2023 at 7:25 am

        That's lovely to hear, thanks Zoe!

        Reply
    11. Nick T says

      June 06, 2023 at 6:59 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        June 11, 2023 at 10:26 am

        That's great to hear, thanks Nick.

        Reply
    12. Steve says

      March 31, 2023 at 11:03 pm

      Very tasty, lovely recipe.
      I'll be trying rhe other dishes

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        April 01, 2023 at 9:22 am

        That's great to hear, thanks Steve!

        Reply
    13. Adele Irwin says

      March 21, 2023 at 5:28 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        March 23, 2023 at 7:50 pm

        Thanks Adele! Xx

        Reply
    14. nancy says

      September 27, 2022 at 1:37 am

      what a cozy Creamy Green Lentil Dahl recipe. i like the balance of the spices you used!

      Reply
    15. Jacque says

      September 27, 2022 at 12:57 am

      This was amazing and super authentic. I can't wait to make this dish again. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    16. Nikki says

      September 27, 2022 at 12:44 am

      This looks incredible. Hearty, comforting and flavorful. Will be making this ASAP!

      Reply
    17. Elaine says

      September 26, 2022 at 10:36 pm

      Did someone say green lentil dahl? Yes please! This is exactly what I need to make this week!

      Reply
    18. Gina says

      September 26, 2022 at 8:41 pm

      I need to start making this more because it really is so amazing! My whole family enjoyed it. Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
    5 from 16 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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