RecipesLunch
Lunch
Sweet Potato and Lentil Dhal
Red lentils and sweet potato simmered until thick, with a sizzling mustard seed and cumin oil poured over the top. A freezer-stash lunch that needs little more than stirring.
- Serves
- 5
- Prep
- 15min
- Cook
- 40min
- Total
- 55min
Programs: Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, Maintenance, Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Cardiometabolic
Per serving
- Calories
- 472kcal
- Protein
- 26.6g
- Carbs
- 82g
- Fat
- 5.6g
- Fibre
- 13.1g
Ingredients
For 5 servings · MetricUS
- 500gdried red lentils, rinsed
- 1 largesweet potato, peeled and diced smallabout 350g
- 1 largeonion, finely diced
- 4 clovesgarlic, minced
- 25gfresh ginger, grated
- 1 tspground turmericstaple
- 1 tspground cuminstaple
- ½ tspchilli powderstaple, adjust to taste
- 1 litrevegetable stock
- 1½ tbsprapeseed oil, dividedstaple
- 1 tspblack mustard seeds
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 2dried red chillies
- 8fresh curry leaves
- 15gfresh coriander, choppedto finish
- 1 tspsaltstaple, to taste
- 1.1 lbdried red lentils, rinsed
- 1 largesweet potato, peeled and diced smallabout 12 oz
- 1 largeonion, finely diced
- 4 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tbspgrated fresh ginger
- 1 tspground turmericstaple
- 1 tspground cuminstaple
- ½ tspchili powderstaple, adjust to taste
- 4¼ cupsvegetable broth
- 1½ tbspcanola oil, dividedstaple
- 1 tspblack mustard seeds
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 2dried red chiles
- 8fresh curry leaves
- ¼ cupfresh cilantro, choppedto finish
- 1 tspsaltstaple, to taste
Method
Build the base.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and golden.
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the turmeric, cumin and chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds to toast them in the oil.
Cook the dhal.
Add the rinsed lentils, diced sweet potato and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every so often so the lentils don't catch on the bottom, until the lentils have completely broken down and the sweet potato is soft enough to mash against the side of the pot with a spoon. Add a splash more water if it thickens faster than the sweet potato cooks. Stir in the salt.
Make the tarka.
While the dhal finishes, make the tarka. Heat the remaining oil in a small pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the mustard seeds and stand back, they will pop. Once the popping slows, add the cumin seeds, dried chillies and curry leaves if using. Fry for 30 to 45 seconds until the curry leaves crisp and the mixture smells toasted, then take it straight off the heat, hot oil keeps cooking the spices for a few seconds after.
Finish and serve.
Pour the sizzling tarka over the dhal and stir most of it through, saving a spoonful to drizzle over each bowl for the finish.
Scatter the fresh coriander over just before serving.