Spicy Slow-Cooked Indian Dal
With all the fiber, vegetables, and spices this is a pot of pure health for your family. You can also stir in a few handfuls of fresh spinach toward the end of the cooking time. Scramble recipe tester Samantha McKenzie said, “My house smelled FANTASTIC! I will definitely make it again. My kids and husband also loved it!”
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. coconut or canola oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper halved lengthwise, seeded (a grapefruit spoon works well), and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced, about 1 1/2 tsp.
- 1 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric or use curry powder
- 1 Tbsp. garam masala (an Indian spice blend), or use curry powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils or use yellow lentils
- 28 oz. canned whole or diced tomatoes with their liquid + 1 can full of water
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped, for serving (optional)
- 1/4 cup mango chutney for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsp. canola or coconut oil and sauté the onions, peppers, garlic, and ginger for 5 – 7 minutes until the onions are tender.
- Stir in the turmeric and garam masala for 1 minute, then add the salt, lentils, tomatoes, and water.
- Cover and bring it to a boil, and simmer it, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with the spoon, if using whole.
- Uncover it and continue simmering it for about 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are very tender. Serve it immediately with the cilantro and chutney, if desired, or refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Slow Cooker Directions
- In a slow cooker, combine all the ingredients except the cilantro and the chutney, stir, and cook on low for 5 - 7 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours. (Prepare the salad and warm the bread during the last hour of cooking, if you are serving them.) Serve it immediately with the cilantro and chutney, if desired, or refrigerate it for up to 3 days. (Slow cooker cooking times may vary—Get to know your slow cooker and, if necessary, adjust cooking times accordingly.)
Instant Pot Directions
- Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode, add 1 Tbsp. canola or coconut oil, and sauté the onions, peppers, garlic, and ginger for 5 - 7 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir in the turmeric and garam masala for 1 minute. Turn off the SAUTE mode and add the salt, lentils, tomatoes, and water, and pressure cook on HIGH for 6 minutes. Finish with Natural Pressure Release. Serve it immediately with the cilantro and chutney, if desired, or refrigerate it for up to 3 days. (Click here for Instant Pot tips and a list of Scramble recipes that have IP conversions.)
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Dice the onion, halve, seed, and slice the jalapeno, peel the garlic, peel and mince the ginger, combine the spices, chop the cilantro if using, or fully prepare and refrigerate the dish.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Use 1 ½ jalapeño (if you like a lot of spice), use the optional cilantro and mango chutney.
Tip: Dorot frozen garlic and ginger work beautifully in the slow cooker if you want to save time—just pop them in while still frozen.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 146, Total Fat: 0g, 0%; Saturated Fat: 0g, 0%; Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%; Sodium: 312mg, 13%; Total Carbohydrate: 29g, 9.5%; Dietary Fiber: 7g, 26%; Sugar: 7g; Protein: 10g
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