Description

Introducing this easy vegan dal makhani. This dish is a combo of brown lentils and kidney beans, which are simmered in tons of aromatics, spices, tomatoes, and sweet coconut milk. It’s creamy, comforting, and the coziest dish to make during winter.

Ingredients

Scale

Lentils & Beans

1 cup brown lentils, soaked overnight*
1 can (13.5oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Aromatics & Spices

4 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
½ medium white onion, finely chopped**
5 garlic cloves, finely grated
2” piece ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves

Other Ingredients

1 (14oz/400g) can crushed tomatoes***
1 (13.5oz/425ml) can coconut milk****

Garnish

½ cup freshly chopped cilantro
1–2 tbsp lemon juice

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Instructions

Rinse the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear. Then soak overnight or at least for 6 hours. This will help the lentils cook faster and help improve the absorption of important nutrients.*
Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and add in the avocado oil or olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the onion, and saute until translucent. Next, add in the garlic, ginger, and tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning.
Add in the coconut sugar, kosher salt, cumin seeds, coriander, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. Cook the spices for 30-60 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Finally, add in the lentils, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and coconut milk, and mix well. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pan with a lid. Simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through and have mostly softened. Make sure to stir the dal every 8-10 minutes to ensure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once cooked, the curry will thicken and become super creamy. If you find that the lentils are not quite soft after 30 minutes, add a few spoons of water and cook for another 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and using an immersion blender, blitz the dal 3-4 times. This will make the dal slightly thicker, and creamier. Finally, stir in the cilantro and lemon juice and adjust the salt as needed.
Serve the dal with rice/flatbread/pita/even sourdough bread and garnish with additional cilantro. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Notes

*I always soak the lentils overnight and then rinse them thoroughly before cooking. 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. Keep in mind that 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.

**While it is traditional to use onions in this dal makhani, I’ve made it several times without, and you can’t even tell the difference. So if you feel like frying onions, go for it, if not, it won’t make a big difference if you leave it out.

***I like to puree the tomatoes with an immersion blender, that way there aren’t large chunks of tomato in the dal makhani.

****Instead of coconut milk, you can use cashew cream. Simply blend 1 ½ cups of water with ½ cup of raw cashews until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. It’ll add the same richness and creaminess to the dal. Tbh, the cashew cream tastes even better than the coconut milk, as it replicates the texture of heavy cream.