A Simple Homey, Coconut-y Red Lentil Dal

Name: A Simple Homey, Coconut-y Red Lentil Dal
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 cup red lentils (masoor dal); 1 medium yellow or red onion, roughly chopped; 1 cup tomatoes, canned or fresh, finely chopped; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 tablespoon sea salt; 2 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds; 1/2 medium red or yellow onion, finely chopped; 15 fresh or frozen curry leaves (optional but worth seeking out, up to 20 to taste); 1 14-oz can coconut milk

Instructions

Adapted from Anupy Singla's The Indian Slow Cooker. I've adapted the recipe for the stove, since red lentils cook so quickly. But if you want to use a slow cooker, Singla recommends cooking the lentils on low for 5 1/2 hours and then for another 30 minutes after adding the coconut milk. Also: 1) I've dialed down the spice; free free to add a couple of finely chopped serrano chiles at the beginning. 2) If you don't have curry leaves, don't worry -- it still tastes wonderful. And it freezes beautifully.

Updated at: Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:12:41 GMT