This golden red lentil dal gets its vibrant color from turmeric! It's an easy lentil soup with greens that's perfect for a weeknight dinner. (gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free)
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup red lentils (washed and drained well)
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/3 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/3 teaspoon nigella seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon or more ground turmeric
- 1/3 teaspoon or more cayenne
- 2/3 teaspoon salt or more
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- 1 cup chopped or baby spinach (or quick cooking baby greens)
Method
- Wash the lentils and drain and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the whole spices in the order, Mix and let them start to pop.
- Add turmeric and cayenne and give it a quick mix. Add the washed and drained lentils, mix and roast for a minute. At this point, you can add in finely chopped veggies of choice.
- Add water and salt and mix in. Partially cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until lentils are cooked to preference.
- Fold in the spinach or baby greens. Taste and adjust salt and heat. Simmer for 2 minutes or so. You can also add in 1 chopped tomato at this point or some non-dairy yogurt to make your red lentil dal creamy. Serve as soup or over rice.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.