Dal is an Indian lentil stew that is delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Dal has an extensive history as a staple food in Indian and South Asian diets. I love dal as a comforting and hearty stew with lots of warming spices. It works well as a main course for breakfast or a side dish for lunch or dinner along with basmati or cauliflower rice.
Dal also has some amazing health benefits! The split peas are a heart healthy source of fiber and the spices (turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, and fennel) are anti-inflammatory and support healthy digestion.
I hope you enjoy my take on this wonderful dish!
Serves 4-6
- 1 cup yellow split peas
- 5 cups water
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 small red potatoes, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 Tbs organic unrefined coconut oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
- 1 tsp whole fennel seeds
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 handfuls of baby spinach
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 small tomatoes, diced
- Juice of ½ lemon
Bring the water, split peas, and turmeric to a boil in a large stock pot. Once it’s come to a rolling boil, turn down the heat and cover. Allow the split peas to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft but not falling apart.
In the mean time, heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Sauté the onion, cumin seed, fennel seed, and ginger for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the potato and carrot, salt and pepper, ground spices, and the onion/spice mixture to the pot of lentils and simmer 20 minutes more. Add the spinach and cook about 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Garnish each serving with chopped tomatoes and cilantro, and serve warm.
Dr. Cori Burke 