This spiced tomato dal is one of my simpler lentil recipes, but it’s so good! It’s an iteration of a dish my mom would make for us but with a few tweaks and flavor boosters.
The base is just what you think: lots of tomatoes and lentils, along with standard aromatics like garlic and ginger and warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. For an added flavor booster, I like to top this dal with spiced butter (tadka).
Serve this with a drizzle of yogurt or tahini, alongside flatbread or white rice. Best of all, this dish stores really well in the fridge – it gets better the longer it sits.
Quick note on inspiration behind the spices in this dish: I wanted to make this dish extra cozy so took inspiration from the Ethiopian spice blend, Berbere.
Ingredients for this Spiced Tomato Dal
Everything you’ll need for this spiced tomato dal.
- Red lentils: While it’s not necessary, I do like to soak the lentils overnight. Not only does it help speed up the cooking process, but it also reduces the phytic acid content in the lentils. And less phytic acid equals increased nutrient bioavailability, specifically for zinc and iron. The lentils absorb a ton of water when they soak overnight, so if you don’t soak them overnight, you’ll need to add 1 cup of water (plus more as needed) to the curry.
- Crushed tomatoes: Used Bionaturae crushed tomatoes!
- Tomato paste: Again, I used Bionaturae tomato paste for this dish – they’re my go-to brand for canned/jarred tomatoes.
- Avocado oil
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Spices: Including sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, coriander, cardamom, Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Kosher salt
And here’s what you’ll need for the spiced butter (tadka). A quick note on tadka; tadka refers to a method of blooming spices in oil or ghee to create a super flavor-packed sauce – typically poured over dal to build layers of flavor and richness.
- Butter or vegan butter
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Fenugreek leaves or seeds: Quick note, fenugreek has a super intense aroma, so if you’re sensitive to smells, I’d omit this.
- Ground turmeric
Serving, Storing, Reheating
Serve this with a drizzle of yogurt or tahini, alongside flatbread or white rice. Best of all, this dish stores really well in the fridge—it gets better the longer it sits.
When reheating this dal, add a splash of water (about 3-4 tbsp) to help it along. It thickens a lot when it sits in the fridge. Heat the dal in a pot over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until hot. If you’re reheating the dal after freezing it, let it thaw first, then reheat it in a pot.
And that’s all for this dal. It’s a simple tomato lentil recipe that hits all the marks and is super easy to whip up. Can’t wait for you to make this! Don’t forget to leave a starred rating and review.
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Spiced Tomato Dal
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Indian, Ethiopian
Description
This spiced tomato dal combines loads of tomatoes, with warming spices like cinnamon and cloves, aromatics like ginger and garlic, along with a spiced butter for added flavor. It’s the perfect simple dal for any occasion!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils, soaked overnight
- Avocado oil, for frying
- 1” piece of ginger, finely grated
- 4–5 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth (or any broth you want to use)
Tadka aka Spiced Butter
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (sub with fenugreek seeds)
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- Fry the aromatics. Add the oil to a deep skillet and heat on medium heat until shimmering, then add in the ginger, garlic, and tomato spice. Fry off for 2-3 minutes until the garlic and ginger are fragrant. Then add in the spices and fry for an additional 30-60 seconds – powdered spices burn very quickly so be careful. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan and scrape up any browned bits.
- Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Lastly, add in the tomatoes, water, and red lentils, and stir well to incorporate. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the lentils simmer until cooked, about 25 minutes.
- Make the spiced butter. To a saucepan, add in the butter and heat on medium until melted, then add in the spices and let cook until they sputter, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately.
- Finish and serve. Once the lentils are done, spoon over the tadka/spiced butter, and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve the lentils with creamy yogurt/tahini and flatbread/sourdough/rice.
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