Cozy Coconut Dal

This cozy coconut dal has been a family favorite of ours for years – it’s super creamy, comforting, and whips up pretty quick! 

This coconut milk dal is possibly my simplest recipe (which, coming from me, means a lot), it uses just a few pantry staples like red lentils (obviously), canned coconut milk, tomato paste, and a few spices. 

And beyond simplicity, it saves super well – it tastes even better the next day when the aromatics and lentils have had time to mingle together.

Coconut Dal Ingredients

• Red lentils
• Full-fat coconut milk
• Olive oil: Feel free to use avocado oil or ghee if you prefer.
• Tomato paste: I used Bionaturae tomato paste for this dish – they’re my go-to brand for tomato paste (not sponsored).
• Garlic cloves
• Fresno peppers: If you’re sensitive to spice, omit these.
• Spices: Including ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, and ground turmeric.
• Cilantro
• Lemon
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Method Behind This Coconut Dal

Soak the lentils. Soak the lentils overnight, submerged in a bowl of water. Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear and drain before cooking.

Prep the Fresno peppers – try to get them as finely minced as possible. And gather the remaining ingredients (spices, coconut milk, and water). Mise en place is your best friend with a dish like this, where the frying process happens fairly quickly.

To a large deep pan or pot (for reference, I used my 3.5 QT Le Creuset braiser), drizzle in the olive oil, along with the tomato paste, garlic, and minced fresno pepper. Sauté over medium heat until the garlic begins to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle in the spices, and let them bloom for 15 seconds, no more. Then add in the lentils, coconut milk, and water, along with a generous amount of kosher salt (~2 tsp). Stir well.

Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let the lentils simmer and cook down for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The dal is done once all the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils have broken down – the dal will look similar to oatmeal.

Sprinkle the dal with minced cilantro. I love pairing this dal with keema and either white rice or roti. Other ways to serve this dal is to scoop it up with heavily buttered sourdough bread or garlic naan.

Why I Soak the Lentils

I always soak the lentils overnight and then rinse them thoroughly before cooking with them. Not only does it help speed up the cooking process, it also reduces the phytic acid content in the lentils. And less phytic acid equals increased nutrient bioavailability, specifically for zinc and iron. Quick note that hulled lentils have a lot less phytic acid than unhulled lentils, even if you don’t soak them overnight.

That said, you don’t have to soak red lentils – they’re a hulled lentil and already cook up super fast. I like soaking them overnight for the health benefits!

Serving Suggestions & Reheating

We (and by we, I mean my family and I) love pairing this dal with keema and either white rice or roti. Sidenote: keema is a spiced minced beef with flavors that borrow from Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Other ways to serve this dal are to scoop it up with toasty, heavily buttered sourdough bread or garlic naan.

However you serve this dal, make sure to top each bowl with an excessive amount of minced cilantro and a small squeeze of lemon.

When you reheat the dal, I recommend heating it over medium-low heat with a splash of water (or coconut milk if you have it on hand). The dal thickens as it sits overnight and needs a little liquid to loosen up again.

So excited for you to make this coconut dal – it’s been a family favorite for decades! Don’t forget to leave a starred rating and review – love hearing your feedback!

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