Spiced Red Lentil Dal

Dal is one of the great foundational dishes — deeply spiced, warming, filling, and ready in 30 minutes. This version with coconut milk is silkier and richer than the restaurant standard. Once you cook it from scratch you understand why it has been feeding people for thousands of years.

What You Need

• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed until water runs clear
• 1 can (14 oz) full-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp cayenne
• Salt to taste
• Fresh cilantro and lime to serve

Method

1. Heat coconut oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook onion until soft and lightly golden — about 8 minutes.
2. Add garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add all spices and stir for 30 seconds — this blooms the spices in the fat.
4. Add lentils, coconut milk, and water. Stir and bring to a simmer.
5. Cover and cook 20–25 minutes until lentils are completely broken down.
6. Stir vigorously — the lentils will incorporate into the liquid to create a thick, creamy dal.
7. Season generously with salt. Serve over rice with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Tips & Notes

• Red lentils dissolve completely — they are the fastest-cooking pulse and need no soaking.
• Double the batch and freeze half. Dal reheats beautifully.

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