Spiced Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) | Nigella Lawson

Gloriously hued food is good for you, so I think. Those anti-oxidants nutrients are ever present in brightly colored foodstuffs. Nothing more brightly than a vibrantly orange dal, a red lentil stew spiced with turmeric, chili and ginger, and colored with butternut squash (or sweet potatoes) and tomatoes. That’s the essence of the spiced red lentils dish, or simply, masoor dal.

This recipe comes from Nigella Lawson’s article At My Table; Colorful and cheerful, food to light a gray day. Today is one of those snowy gray days. I’m certainly feeling the vibe for a red lentil stew to brighten the day with some warming spices. Meanwhile, the recipe is uncomplicated — as long as you’re OK with time to slice and dice and simmer a pot of lentils. For a detailed explanation on the process of cooking dal, you can find it here.

I like to serve lentils together with salmon. Nigella also recommends stirring in a can of garbanzos to bolster the dish. Why not? In addition, anytime you can add frozen veggies, such as beans and corn, to enhance the nutrient density is a good thing. I substitute butternut squash rather than sweet potatoes as in Nigella’a recipe. Use whatever you have on hand; spice up the dish with chili or your preferred warm spices. Don’t be afraid to go overboard on a dull day.

A capacity for going overboard is a requisite for a full-grown mind. ~ Dawn Powell

Print Recipe

Spiced Red Lentils

Nigella Lawson's AT MY TABLE; Colorful and Cheery, Food to Light a Gray Day

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2½ cups (10 ounces, about 1 medium) finely diced sweet potato or butternut squash
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Thai or bird's-eye red chili (I use shishito pepper)
1 cup red lentils
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes
Salt
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Pieces of coconut flesh from a fresh coconut (optional)

Instructions

SWEAT THE AROMATICS: In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil, and sauté onion until softened. Add sweet potato, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic; stir, and reduce heat to low.

ADD CHILI, LENTILS OTHER WARM SPICES: Finely dice chili, keeping seeds if you wish to add more heat. Add chili, lentils, coriander, cumin, turmeric and ground ginger to pan. Stir until lentils are well coated with oil.

ADD TOMATOES AND WATER: Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat until mixture is at a fast simmer. Cook uncovered until lentils and potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.

SIMMER: Season to taste with salt, and continue to simmer until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk dal to amalgamate lentils and sweet potatoes. If dal is too soupy, increase heat and cook for a little longer.

SERVE: Place dal in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. If desired, shave thin strips of fresh coconut on top. Serve hot.