Dal with Basmati

A comforting and aromatic Indian lentil dish, simmered with warming spices and served with fluffy basmati rice and fresh spinach.

• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 20 min
• Total: 30 min
• Servings: 5
• Cuisine: Indian
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $1.81/serving

Dietary

• Vegetarian
• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Gluten-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Fiber
• High-Protein
• Pescatarian

Tags

• one-pot
• stir-fry
• quick
• healthy
• comfort food
• savory

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (medium, diced)
• 2 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 cup red lentils (rinsed)
• 3 cup vegetable broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
• 1.5 cup basmati rice (uncooked)
• 3 cup fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and grated fresh ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add the ground cumin, ground turmeric, and garam masala. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in the rinsed red lentils, vegetable broth, can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
4. While the dal is simmering, cook the basmati rice. Combine 1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice with 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-18 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.
5. Stir the fresh spinach into the simmering dal until wilted, about 2 minutes.
6. Serve the dal hot over the cooked basmati rice, garnished with fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

This dal thickens as it cools; add a splash of broth or water when reheating if preferred. Leftovers store well for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 445
• Protein: 22.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 76.5 g
• Fat: 6 g
• Fiber: 15.1 g
• Sodium: 590 mg
• Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
• Sugar: 5.4 g