• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Learn how food affects your body. Get Free Nutrition Info Today

the-lean-green-bean-logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Kids
  • Resources
    • Ebooks
    • Food Prep
    • Videos
    • Snack Round-Ups
    • Gift Guides
  • About
    • Become An RD
    • Work With Me
  • Search
the-lean-green-bean-logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Kids
  • Resources
    • Ebooks
    • Food Prep
    • Videos
    • Snack Round-Ups
    • Gift Guides
  • About
    • Become An RD
    • Work With Me
  • Search

Red Lentil Dal {Instant Pot / Stove Top}

January 17, 2025 by Lindsay Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe

This Instant Pot red lentil dal can also be made on the stovetop. It’s an easy vegan dinner recipe that’s full of flavor. Serve with a side of rice, naan, and a side salad!

red lentil dal recipe

Hi friends!

I’ve got a warm and comforting vegan recipe to share with you today! It’s made with simple ingredients but packed with flavor thanks to all of the spices.

Added bonus- the flavor develops as it sits, making it perfect for leftovers.

What Is Red Lentil Dal?

Red lentils are also known as masoor dal. Red lentils are split and have their outer skin removed which means they cook very quickly and don’t need to be soaked prior to cooking.

The term dal is typically used when lentils are split and when they are turned into a soup or stew.

Red Lentil Dal Nutrition // Red Lentil Dal Health Benefits

Red lentils are a great source of plant-based protein. They’re also high in fiber and can help you meet your daily fiber goals. In addition, lentils are a good source of iron, potassium, and manganese.

Red Lentil Dal Water Ratio

The typical ratio for cooking red lentils is 1 cup lentils to 3 cups water or broth.


instant pot red lentil dal

Red Lentil Dal Variations

Red Lentil Dal No Coconut Milk

Can you make this recipe without coconut milk? Yes! If you’re not a fan of coconut milk, you can leave it out. You’ll just need to add some more broth until you achieve your desired consistency.

Red Lentil Dal with Vegetables

I make this recipe with carrots and tomatoes, but the beauty of this recipe is that it’s super flexible. You could easily add more vegetables like cabbage, peas, green beans etc if you want to!

Spicy Red Lentil Dal

To make this lentil dish spicier, feel free to add some cayenne pepper, a diced jalapeno or serrano pepper, or even some dried red chili peppers.

Red Lentil Dal Ingredient Substitutions

If you don’t like spinach, you can leave it out or try substituting kale. If you don’t have garam marsala, try curry powder. If you don’t have turmeric, you can add a little extra cumin as well as some paprika or sub-curry powder.


vegan red lentil dal

How To Cook Red Lentil Dal

Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal

This recipe works really well in the Instant Pot. Just use the saute function initially, then add the bulk of the ingredients and cook for 10 minutes, and then release the pressure after 5 minutes and add the remaining ingredients.

Stove Top Red Lentil Dal

You can also easily make this recipe in a Dutch oven on the stovetop, and it cooks in about the same amount of time.

Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dal

Personally, I don’t think this recipe works great in the slow cooker. I prefer it to have a little texture and have found if it cooks too long, the lentils totally break down, and it becomes more like a soup.

You could try it if you want to, but you may need to keep an eye on it the first time you cook it to make sure it doesn’t require any extra liquid. You would need to cook on low for 6 hours or so, and I would add the coconut milk at the beginning instead of the end.


Vegan Red Lentil Dal Ingredients

This recipe is really simple and requires just a few pantry ingredients. The only thing you may need to do is stock your spice cabinet if you don’t frequently cook Indian cuisine. You’ll need:

  • Red Lentils – Their red color makes these easy to find at most grocery stores.
  • Garlic and onion – Add tons of flavor
  • Fresh ginger – Peel the skin off and finely mince just like garlic. Or use garlic paste.
  • Broth – I use vegetable broth for this recipe
  • Carrots- Dice them fairly small, so they cook along with the lentils. They help add some texture to the dish.
  • Coconut milk –
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Baby spinach – stir this into the hot dish a few minutes before serving and the heat from the dish will help it wilt

How To Make Red Lentil Dal

To make the red lentil dal, you’re going to saute the garlic, onions, carrots, and ginger with spices for a few minutes, then add the lentils and broth.

Bring to a boil and let simmer or cook in the instant pot. After the lentils are cooked, stir in the tomatoes, spinach, salt and sugar.

Serve over rice with some naan! Delicious!


Best Simple Red Lentil Dal Recipe

Print

Red Lentil Dal {Instant Pot/Stove Top}

easy red lentil dal recipe
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This Instant pot red lentil dal can also be made on the stove top. It’s an easy vegan dinner recipe that’s full of flavor. Serve with a side of rice, naan and a side salad!

  • Author: Lindsay

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1 c diced onion
  • 1.5 cup finely diced carrots
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp garam marsala
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne, optional to taste
  • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt, more to taste
  • 5 to 10 oz fresh baby spinach, half to full bag depending on preference

Instructions

Instant Pot:

  1. Set Instant pot to saute and add oil, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger and spices (except salt and sugar).
  2. Saute for 5 minutes
  3. Add red lentils and broth.
  4. Use manual cook button to set time to 5 minutes.
  5. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then release manually.
  6. Stir in tomatoes, coconut milk, lemon juice, salt, sugar and spinach and let simmer 5 minutes.
  7. Serve!

Stove top:

  1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, carrot, ginger and spices (except salt and sugar) amd saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  2. Add lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and cook 5 more minutes.
  4. Serve!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @theleangreenbean on Instagram


Easy Vegan Red Lentil Dal FAQs

How to store red lentil dal?

Cool and store in a glass container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

What’s the best way to reheat red lentil dal?

You can reheat your dal in a pan on the stovetop or microwave.

Can you freeze red lentil dal?

Yes! Cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container like Souper Cubes and freeze (affiliate link). You can defrost it in the microwave, on the stove, or in the refrigerator.

Want more lentil recipes? Try:

  • Vegan Red Lentil Curry
  • Instant Pot Lentil Taco Salad
  • 20+ Healthy Green Lentil Recipe
  • 15+ Easy Red Lentil Recipe
  • Red Lentil Pancakes

Easy Vegan Red Lentil Dal

This Instant pot red lentil dal can also be made on the stove top. It's an easy vegan dinner recipe that's full of flavor. Serve with a side of rice, naan and a side salad!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

table talk series
LEARN HOW FOOD AFFECTS YOUR BODY.

Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!

Enter your email here ...

Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten-Free, Instant Pot Tagged With: Carrot, Coconut Milk, Garlic, Lentils, Onion, Rice, Spinach

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Primary Sidebar

Lindsay Livingston The Lean Green Bean Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

I'm a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

Learn More →

Questions? Comments? Email me: [email protected]

The Lean Green Bean Facebook The Lean Green Bean Instagram The Lean Green Bean Pinterest The Lean Green Bean Twitter The Lean Green Bean Feed
footer-logo
The Lean Green Bean Facebook The Lean Green Bean Instagram The Lean Green Bean Pinterest The Lean Green Bean Twitter The Lean Green Bean Feed
Recipes

Breakfast
Dinner
Snack
Slow Cooker

Kids

Cooking With Kids
Favorite Gifts
Toddler Meals
Indoor Activities

Resources

Easy Packed Lunches for Kids
Dinner Spark
Snack Spark
Ultimate Guide to Food Prep

About

Meet Lindsay
Become an RD
Work with Me

The Lean Green Bean is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Read the full privacy and disclosure policy here.

Copyright © 2022 · The Lean Green Bean

table talk series

Learn how food affects your body.

Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!

[email protected]