Yellow lentil dahl. This is an easy to make healthy and hearty vegan curry recipe. Delicious served with rice, naan or on its own!
Folks, today's recipe is my yellow lentil dahl.
This curry is full of deliciousness as well as being one that I can guarantee will stick to your bones.
You'll be left feeling satisfied and content after you've enjoyed a bowl of this.
It's a really easy vegan yellow lentil dal recipe to make.
There's cinnamon, ginger, chilli, garlic and turmeric all added to this yellow curry making it so flavourful!
And doesn't it look so bright and cheery too?
It's been over six years since I published my extremely popular and tasty low fat Indian dahl.
That dahl was made from red lentils.
This yellow lentil dahl is made from yellow lentils. Also known as yellow split peas.
This dahl made from yellow lentils is more traditionally known as a yellow dal Indian recipe called Dal Tadka.
It's a much simpler and healthier version though not requiring the use of Ghee for tempering which is often used in Indian cooking.
Dal is a common staple in most Indian households as it's so cheap and versatile.
You can practically make dahls from any lentils.
Just check out my list of other lentil dahl recipes I've made further down this post.
Being brought up in Scotland I always thought yellow split peas / yellow split lentils were for soup only.
A classics lentil soup like yellow split pea and ham soup was served often.
Little did I know until I developed my passion for cooking that they were versatlile enough to make excellent curries like this yellow lentil dahl!
Indian recipes like this yellow lentil curry are great addition to your list of healthy recipes.
This version of yellow dal tadka is a classic Indian food using many Indian spices to create classic Indian cuisine.
You'll find this recipe a great comfort food suitable for all the family.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Yellow Split Peas / Pigeon Peas
- Vegetable Oil
- Cinnamon Stick
- Onion
- Ginger And Garlic Paste
- Chilli Powder
- Green Chilli / Green Chili Peppers
- Red Chilli / Red Chili Peppers
- Turmeric
- Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
- Water
- Freshly Ground Salt And Black Pepper
- Coriander / Cilantro (optional garnish)
See recipe card for the actual quantites of ingredients for this yellow lentils recipe.
Substitutions
- Yellow Split Peas / Pigeon Peas - you could also substitute with toor dal or moong dal / mung dal (cooking time may differ).
- Vegetable Oil - I don't recommend olive oil here for an Indian dish but canola oil would be an ideal substitute.
- Cinnamon Stick - you could use a pinch of cinnamon powder instead but not too much or it will make the dal recipe powdery.
- Onion
- Ginger And Garlic Paste - if you don't have the paste just finely grate some fresh ginger and mix with crushed cloves garlic.
- Chilli Powder - I use red chili powder.
- Green Chilli / Green Chili Peppers - if you don't have a fresh green chili pepper you could add a little curry powder instead.
- Red Chilli / Red Chili Peppers - you can use dried chilli flakes, red pepper flakes if you want or red chilies.
- Turmeric
- Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
- Water
- Freshly Ground Salt And Black Pepper
- Coriander / Cilantro (optional garnish)
Why This Yellow Lentil Dahl Is Good For You
- Made from yellow split peas they're are a member of the pulse family.
- Pulses such as yellow split peas are highly nutritious and healthy.
- High in fibre and protein they're also a great source of various vitamins and minerals whilst being low in fats.
- Eating a diet with more pulses in can help reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
- Pulses are said to be extremely beneficial to your diet to help you maintain a healthy weight.
How To Make Yellow Lentil Dahl
Detailed instructions for this easy yellow lentil dal recipe are in the full recipe card below. But here is a quick step by step guide of how to quickly make the recipe:
- Rinse the yellow split peas in cold water.
- Heat oil. Add cinnamon stick, onion and ginger and garlic paste. Sauté until the onion is softened.
- Stir in yellow split peas, chilli powder, chopped chillies and turmeric. Then add the tomatoes, stirring well.
- Remove cinnamon stick, pour in cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat the split peas have softened and broken down.
- Press the split peas against the edge of the pan with the back of a spoon to speed up the cooking or mash them if you like.
- Season to taste, stir in the coriander and serve with Indian breads or basmati rice.
FAQ's
What To Serve With This Yellow Lentils Recipe?
Simply serve this yellow lentil dahl with some plain basmati rice, jeera rice or any other kind of white rice if you're looking to keep things simple
Or if you're feeling a little more adventurous then why not make some home made naan bread to compliment?
How To Store Lentil Dahl?
You can store this dahl in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 - 5 days.
Can You Freeze Lentil Dahl?
Yes. I like to portion it up into individual containers before freezing. That way it's easy to take out what I need to reheat for a quick easy recipe for dinner.
How To Reheat Dahl?
Make sure it's fully defrosted first then you can either reheat it in a small pan or in your microwave.
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My Other Lentil Dahl Recipes You Might Also Like
- Mung bean (moong dall) dahl is an absolutely delicious vegan curry. As a quick healthy meal it’s ready in an hour and for those watching their waistlines it comes in at only 259 calories per serving!
- Green lentil dahl is simply delicious, mouth-watering and perfect as a meat free dinner. Filling and with just the right amount of chilli spice, even meat eaters will find this agreeable too!
- One pot chickpea and red lentil dahl is just packed with flavour. A delicious easy healthy and vegan recipe that’s great served with rice or naan breads!
- One pot vegetable dhal is a delicious healthy and easy to make weeknight dinner. This vegan recipe serves up to six and goes great with some naan breads!
📋 Yellow Lentil Dahl Recipe
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Ingredients
- 300 g yellow split peas
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 small green chilli deseeded and finely chopped*
- 1 small red chilli deseeded and finely chopped*
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes drained
- 1 L water
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh coriander chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the yellow split peas in cold water.
- Gently heat the oil in a medium sized pan then add the cinnamon stick, onion and ginger and garlic paste. Sauté for 4 -5 minutes until the onion is softened.
- Stir in the rinsed yellow split peas, chilli powder, chopped chillies and turmeric. Cook everything together, stirring for 2 - 3 minutes. Then add the drained tomatoes and cook again, stirring for another 2 - 3 minutes.
- Remove cinnamon stick, pour in the water, and bring to the boil then turn down to simmer for about 40 minutes until the split peas have softened and broken down.
- Press the split peas against the edge of the pan with the back of a spoon to speed up the cooking or mash them if you like.
- Season to taste, stir in the coriander and serve with Indian breads or basmati rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Label
Nutritional information provided below is calculated using paid for online tools and the exact ingredients and quantities used above.
Rate The Recipe
If you’ve made this yellow lentil dahl recipe, or any other recipes on Neil's Healthy Meals, then please let me know.
I’d love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe 5* if you like it! 🙂
David @ Spiced
This curry sounds delicious, Neil! We're hitting soup season here with the evenings getting rather chilly. A good bowl of this curry would be the ideal comfort food on a cold night. Thanks for sharing!
Neil
Just put the heating back on here today David so that's likely on for the rest of winter! Yep, there'll be plenty of hot soups too. Glad you like the recipe. Thanks for the comment!
Ron
Neil, we just had our first major cold snap come through today so your Yellow Lentil Dahl is looking mighty tasty. Ham and pea soup is hughly popular over our way as well. It's common for families to have ham and pea soup Thursday nights and then waffles with jam and whipped cream for dessert. So, I'm going with your dahl this Thursday and still having waffles for dessert...
Neil
It's not exactly warm here either Ron. As I said to David in the previous comment I'd just put the heating back on. And it's still on! Enjoy the dahl and of course the waffles, jam and whipped cream for dessert after! Ha ha! ๐
ChefMimi
This is a beautiful Dahl. I love all lentils, and the yellow are so pretty. Iโm not vegan, so Iโd have to add a dollop of sour cream on top!
Neil
Thanks Mimi. If you love all lentils, you'll especially love this dahl! We're not vegan either but try to eat less meat and more veggies nowadays. Both from a health and trying to have less impact on the planet perspective.
Laura
Neil, I'm a huge fan of legumes, and lentils are one of my all-time favorites. But I've never cooked yellow lentils. I love all of the flavors and spice levels you've included here, this dish looks and sounds delicious!
Neil
Thanks Laura. With you being a huge fan of lentils I can guarantee that you will love this yellow lentil dahl! ๐
Jeff the Chef
We just put our heat on for the first time of the season, too! And I just got back from apple picking, and I needed a coat and gloves. So, time for soup! I've never had a soup like this before, I don;t think. It does look like the perfect thing for sopping up with naan.
Neil
Definitely time to consider a coat and gloves Jeff! This isn't actually a soup, so to speak. It's an Indian Dahl. A thick lentil curry. But if you think it's more of a soup to you, I'm fine with that as long as you enjoy it!