Hearty Easy Indian Lentil Curry
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Looking for a tasty, frugal meal that's a snap to make? One taste of these Easy Indian Lentils and you'll be surprised at how satisfying and delicious lentils can be.
This savory lentil dahl recipe is a vegan stew that is rich, hearty, and delicious, but also super simple and inexpensive to make.
Our family loves curry.
Anything curry.
In fact, though we like experimenting with cuisine from all cultures, I would say that Indian is one of our favorites.
Now, before I go on, let me say that this lentil recipe isn't an intense, hot and spicy curry – so please don't run away if you're not a curry fan.
Most people who don't like curry don't like it due to its being spicy. This dish is not spicy at all, and in fact, it feels like a real comfort food to me. It's the same thing with this Pakistani Keema recipe that is literally my most requested recipe. Curry, but universally appealing.
So really, even if you don't think you like curry, try both recipes.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Super Easy Indian Food
So you love Indian food like I do, right? However, we all know that making Indian cuisine can be quite time consuming. So when I can get the taste of Indian spices in a fast, one pot meal, then I get the best of both worlds.
I can have my cake curry and eat it too.
‘Cause these days, who has a lot of time to spend in the kitchen working on seemingly endless elaborate steps? I have many other things that need to be done.
Like photo albums. Those need to be done. Please don't ask how many years behind I am. I need to start a support group for moms with empty photo albums :-). Care to join me?
Anyhow, back to the recipe.
This recipe is adapted from a dish simply called “Red Lentils” by Southern Living.
It's a pretty “Blah” name for a truly amazing dish.
It's quick on its own, but really lickety-split in my pressure cooker. If you don't have one of these yet, put it on your Christmas list now.
I know, I should get better at planning meals, but it sure is nice to not have any idea what you are going to have for dinner at 5:30 and have dinner on the table at 6:15.
Well, with this recipe, you can get it done. You can literally have an amazingly delicious meal on the table–without resorting to packages filled with preservatives and who knows what else.
Done. In a fast 30 minutes on the stove top, or 9 minutes in the pressure cooker.
Mom is happy that she didn't resort to serving boxed cereal (that might have paint thinner in it) and toast, and the family is happy because they aren't having popcorn, carrot sticks, and hard-boiled eggs (or sardines for my egg-allergic son) again because mom forgot to plan.
Yes, I know, you all are wondering why we don't just order a pizza, right? We're all gluten-free and oldest is also deathly allergic to dairy, so that's why….
What is Indian Dahl
Daal (which can also be spelled Dal/Dahl/Dhal) is a stew of lentils, cooked with delectable spices. Most dahls are made with red lentils or yellow lentils. The red lentils interestingly turn yellow when cooked, and dahls are typically served with Naan. Naan is a popular soft Indian flatbread that you will have had if you’ve ever been to an Indian restaurant.
They taste amazing together.
Our family is gluten-free, so traditional Naan isn't ever on our table, but I plan on developing a gluten-free or grain-free Naan, and in the meantime, as mentioned below, the flax bread on my blog tastes great with this. You could even wrap these Indian Lentils in these Buckwheat Galettes as well.
More Quick and Easy Recipes
Here are some other of my super fast recipes that are “go to's” when I'm short on time.
Ways to Serve Curry Lentils
- Rice: This dish tastes great served over rice (which, by the way, I can cook in 20 minutes flat in my pressure cooker. Woo-hoo!) I always use brown rice due to its higher nutritive qualities. There is some concern about arsenic in brown rice so source carefully or eat white rice if you prefer.
- Pasta: This dish would be fabulous over gluten-free pasta or spiralized veggie noodles too.
- Naan: Naan is the perfect accompaniment for this Indian Lentil recipe. If you're avoiding gluten, you can make or purchase a gluten-free naan or make this Focaccia Flax Bread for a gluten-free flatbread option.
- Cauliflower Rice: Cauli rice is the perfect low carb / grain-free option and is what is pictured in the images on this post.
- Add-Ins: You can add so many things to this dish. Beef, chicken, and lamb would all be great options. I think that sauteing small chunks of chicken in coconut oil and this Homemade All-Purpose Seasoning would be a wonderful addition. This Chaat Masala spice mix tastes great on this dish. We have this on our table at all times and put it on everything. Except desserts, of course.
Benefits of Lentils
Lentils are not only an inexpensive meal, they are full of nutrition as well.
Lentils are low in calories, rich in fiber and protein, as well as in iron and folate. Of courses, their iron source is non heme, which isn't as well absorbed as the heme counterpart, but you can add vitamin C (like the tomatoes in this dish) to help with iron absorption.
Additionally, lentils are also full of polyphenols which are overall viewed to be very beneficial for health (source),
Recipe Notes for Indian Lentils
- Onion Options: Instead of fresh onion, you can use 2 tablespoons minced onion plus a bit of water to reconstitute.
- Basil Options: You can use fresh or dried basil, but fresh will yield a more dramatic flavor and presentation.
- Lentil Options: Although this recipe was originally meant as a red lentil dish, you can use any kind of lentils and the main photos were taken of the dish made with traditional lentils. The glycemic index of red lentils is a higher so brown is a better choice if you're watching carb intake. The following image shows this dish made with red lentils.
- This Mild Curry Powder can be used instead of the turmeric, cumin, and pepper.
The cook time in the recipe card is how long it will take if you do not own a pressure cooker. If you do own one, the cook time will be around 15 minutes less, but you'll have a wait time of about 10 minutes since the pressure needs to go down.
The Pressure Cooker I Love
Kuhn Rikon is the pressure cooker line I've used for many years. They have a great 10 year warranty and 5 over-pressure safety system.
Hand down, they are the best.
Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker - 7.4-Qt,
Kuhn Rikon is the brand of pressure cooker I've trusted for many years.They're made of an 18/10 stainless steel solid aluminum sandwich in the bottom for even browning. With 5 over-pressure safety systems, malfunction is virtually impossible. It's not your grandma's pressure cooker!
Easy Indian Lentils
Ingredients
- 3-4 tablespoons coconut oil (or other healthy fat)
- 1 onion, diced (or 2 tablespoons minced onion)
- 8 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
- 28 ounces chicken broth (3 1/2 cups) (This Homemade Vegetable Broth is a good vegan option.)
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- 2 1/2 cups lentils (rinsed)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper (optional. Omit for a less spicy dish.)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil (or 2-3 tablespoons dried basil)
- salt (to taste. I use about 2 teaspoons.)
Instructions
- Melt oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic. Saute 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.
- Add broth and next 5 ingredients.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
If Using Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
- Add lentils and bring to a boil.
- Place the lid on the cooker and bring up to high pressure. Cook for 9 minutes on high (you may need a few more minutes since the tomatoes counteract the cooking of the lentils slightly. Conversely, you could add the tomatoes after cooking the beans and then let the resulting dish cook for a bit).
- Let pressure come down naturally. Remove lid carefully.
- Stir in basil and salt to taste.
If Using Regular Pot
- Add lentils, and then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. (Red lentils will cook quicker than brown or green.)
- Stir in basil and salt to taste.
Notes
- Curry Powder Option: You can substitute 2 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder for the turmeric, cumin, and pepper if desired.
- Onion Options: You can use 2 tablespoons minced onion plus a bit of water in place of the fresh onion.
- Lentil Options: You can use any kind of lentils for this dish, but the texture and appearance will change. Red lentils, for example, are much softer when cooked.
- Basil Options: You can use either fresh or dried basil, but fresh will yield a more dramatic flavor and presentation.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
Voila!
Wonderful, fast, savory Indian cuisine in no time!
I'd love to hear what you think about this lentil dish.
We just finished eating this for lunch – WOW! IT WAS AWESOME! I used palm oil for sauteing the onion and garlic; fresh tomatoes; I didn’t have tumeric, so I used cayenne pepper and ginger; I also added chicken. My (picky eaters) children devoured it!
OMG this recipe looks delish…
Looks fantastic. Love the print option. Thank you.
YUM! This sounds so delicious. I love Indian food too, but haven’t really tried cooking it myself. I think you may have just introduced me to a new cuisine … 🙂
Me too, I have also thrown frozen meat, veggies and wine in there and let ‘er rock. It works for me. This recipe looks great and is exactly what I was looking for, by the way.
This sounds similar to a recipe for Lentil Dal that my family loves. We found that we can add 1 cup of grated carrots to it and it’s even tastier, as well as having more vitamins and fiber!
All lentil lovers have to try Honey Baked Lentils! This amazing recipe does take an hour to bake, but it’s great for busy days because the prep time is very short (then it just bakes by itself–there’s a way to make it in a slow-cooker if you prefer) and it uses all shelf-stable ingredients that you can keep on hand.
I would be very interested in your recipe if you have it (the Dal one). I have not yet sorted out exactly what Dal means, but this for sure is close if not a “dal” itself. Thanks for stopping by.
I just posted our Dal recipe here. I’m also not certain exactly what makes an Indian lentil stuff Dal, but I have had Madras Dal in restaurants that had tomatoes in it like your recipe.
I love lentils. Thanks for this great recipe and for sharing it at Cast Party Wednesday.
See you next week!
I really need to give lentils a try. I think my boys would really like them.
Thanks for stopping by and linking up this meal time solution! I am going to share it on Facebook.
https://www.crystalandcomp.com/2011/08/the-mommy-club-share-your-resources-and-solutions-6/
Thanks, Crystal! I have another one or two lentil dishes that we like so I’ll share them as I have time :-).
We love lentils at our house! Can’t wait to try this version. Thanks for posting!
This is a great recipe idea! Thanks for the information on de-gassing beans, too! I don’t usually do lentils, but I like them in Indian dishes. Since lentils don’t need as much prep work, I might be experimenting with them more in the future!