This red lentil dhal is a perfect weeknight dinner! It is quick and easy to make, healthy, tasty and is cooked in one pot, meaning less washing up (always a plus).
What is a Dhal?
Firstly, I apologise if the spelling is wrong. Dal, Daal, Dhal, Dhaal??? I have seen it spelled in all of these ways. Not sure which is right, but I am sticking with Dhal for now and am pretty sure it is pronounced with a long a (dhaaaaaal).
Regardless of the spelling (Who cares really?), a dhal is an Indian dish made with pulses (e.g. lentils, split peas, etc.) that are cooked down in some stock until they fall apart and thicken! Think of it being a bit like a curry – just much faster and easier to make!
Roasted Aubergine Red Lentil Dhal
Aubergine, or eggplant as it is called in the US, is probably one of my favourite vegetables! When cooked right, they are amazing! One great way to enjoy them is roasted, and this red lentil dhal is topped with some roasted aubergine.
Cut the aubergine into cubes, drizzle with some olive oil, season and roast for 25 minutes. It´s that easy! And the red lentil dhal can be made in those 25 minutes the aubergine is roasting for! Easy peasy.
Great for Meal Prep – Suitable For Freezing
This recipe for my red lentil dhal generously serves two people. I often make this red lentil dhal for dinner one night and then take the second portion to Uni for lunch the next day, or I have it for dinner.
The recipe can be easily doubled, tripled etc. if you would like to cook for multiple people or if you are a fan of meal prep. The dhal is suitable for freezing, even with the rice. I sometimes freeze it in portions alongside the rice, then all you need to do is remember to take it out of the freezer to defrost. You can then simply reheat it in the microwave!
For more student meal prep recipes, check out this post here.
What To Serve This Red Lentil Dhal With?
Like any good curry, this red lentil dhal is great with some freshly cooked, fluffy rice (check out my cooking basics on how to make perfect, fluffy rice) and some naan bread! Making your own naan breads is surprisingly easy – If you don´t believe me, check out my recipe for 2 Ingredient Naan Breads!
White basmati rice would be my first choice with this recipe, but for a healthier option brown rice or even cauliflower rice works very well with the red lentil dhal, too.
And finally, like every good curry, some chopped coriander sprinkled over this dhal makes it 100 times better!
More Curry and One-Pot Recipes
If you are a fan of curries or recipes that are easily made in just one pot, why not check out some of these other recipes?
- Creamy Chicken and Coconut Curry
- Curried Cauliflower Pilaf
- Vegan Mixed Bean Chilli
- Grandma´s Thick Vegetable Soup
- Rice and Mixed Vegetable Stir-Fry
- Chicken Thai Green Curry
Red Lentil and Roasted Aubergine Dhal | Healthy One-Pot Meal
Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 medium aubergine
- A little olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ red chilli, sliced
- 1 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander and turmeric
- 70g red lentils
- 200g (½ large or one small tin) chopped tomatoes
- 1 vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 350ml boiling water
- 2 heaped tbsp Greek yoghurt, plus more to serve
- Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 lime, juice only
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a small roasting/baking tray with tinfoil.
- Chop the aubergine into roughly 2×2 cm cubes and place on the roasting tray. Season the aubergine with salt and pepper and drizzle with about ½ tbsp of olive oil just before you put it into the oven (if you drizzle it over too early the aubergine will just soak it all up). Toss (you can use your hands) until all the bits are well coated in the oil and seasoning and then roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
- In the meantime, you can make the red lentil dhal. Start by finely chopping the onion, chilli and garlic.
- Heat a little more olive oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Gently fry the onion, chilli and garlic for a few minutes until they start to soften.
- Add the spices and cook them for a few minutes until fragrant. Then stir in the red lentils.
- Next, add the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock and half of the chopped coriander to the pan and stir. Cover the frying pan with a lid and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and the dhal has thickened. Add a little more stock or boiling water to loosen up if necessary.
- If you are wanting to serve the dhal with rice, this is a good time to cook it.
- Finish the dhal by stirring in the Greek yoghurt and lime juice.
- Serve the red lentil dhal with some rice and top with the roasted aubergine. Optionally, you can add another dollop of Greek yoghurt and some more chopped coriander.
