Red Lentil Dahl with Tomato Ginger Relish

Everyone needs a dahl in their recipe repertoire. It makes a satisfying winter warmer, it has bright, fresh flavours and lots of herbs so it’s great in summer too, and the cold leftovers make a fabulous lunch the next day. 

A few tips and tricks that make this dahl extra special : 

1. Using a food processor to chop the vegetables brings a rich, meaty texture. Isn’t it ironic that calling a vegan dish meaty is such a high compliment. But that’s what it does, it makes it meaty. (I do this for vegetables wherever I can and I swear it works magic on the texture of any dish. Sometimes it's not so much what, it's how).

2. Serve it with Shira Bocar’s amazing tomato ginger relish – it’s like a veg-packed version of a tarka (spices tempered in oil used as a dahl topping) that makes every bite fresh and juicy. Shira did a YouTube series for Martha Stewart several years ago that I LOVED. If there is any leftover it is delicious with a fried egg on toast for breakfast the next day. 

3. A few spoonfuls of almond butter or tahini at the end make it rich and satisfying. Kind of like how in some sauces you may add a pat of butter at the end for richness. 

4. Soak the lentils before you cook them. It removes anti-nutrients such as phytic acid, makes the vitamins and minerals more bio-available for your body, and, ahem, in my own personal experience it means they don’t give you flatulence.

Ingredients

For the dahl : 

250g red lentils 

1 tbsp olive or coconut oil

1 medium white onion 

5 cloves garlic 

1 green chili 

2 stalks lemongrass 

1 inch piece ginger 

2 medium carrots 

2 parsnips 

1 red bell pepper 

1 orange bell pepper 

1 tsp each of – ground cumin, garam masala, black mustard seeds, turmeric 

1 400g tin tomatoes 

1 400g tin coconut milk 

400ml vegetable stock 

2 tbsp smooth natural nut butter or tahini

For the tomato ginger relish:

1 tbsp coconut oil 

1 tsp whole cumin seeds 

3 shallots 

2cm piece ginger 

4 cloves garlic

500g fresh cherry tomatoes

30g each fresh mint and coriander, for serving 

Brown rice, naan bread, or roast vegetables (like sweet potatoes) to serve

Directions

Soak the lentils in filtered water for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

In a food processor pulse the aromatics – the onion, garlic, chili, lemongrass and ginger until all is finely chopped. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the chopped aromatics, with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often for 7-8 minutes, until all has softened and turned translucent.

Meanwhile peel the carrots and parsnips, remove the white pith and seeds from the peppers and pulse in the food processor, until all is roughly chopped. 

Add the spices to the pan, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the roughly chopped vegetables, tomatoes, coconut milk and vegetable stock. Drain the lentils and add to the pot. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until creamy and tender. Stir in the tahini or nut butter, and adjust seasoning to taste. 

While the dahl is simmering make the relish. Peel the ginger, and finely chop. Slice the tomatoes in two. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan and add the cumin seeds. Allow to sizzle until fragrant. Then add the ginger and tomatoes, and cook until the tomatoes have released some of their juices but still have their shape. 

Serve the dahl in bowls, topped with the ginger and tomato relish and garnished with fresh mint and coriander. Serve with rice, naan bread, or your favourite roasted vegetables, if desired.