I am all about simply, easy & quick meals right now considering I will be a full-time dorm living college student in a week. Quick and easy meals shouldn’t have to sacrifice taste so here is one of many recipes to disprove that.
A creamy, flavorful, and perfectly spiced indian lentil dal paired with spiced rice, and topped with freshly chopped green onion, vegan yogurt, and lemon.
As I start moving into my dorm next week I want to come up with countless instant pot, microwave friendly, and dorm friendly recipes. Although it will be difficult, I want to prove that you can still eat fun and balanced meals while in a confined space with limited supplies. Let me know if you have any recommendations on recipes or ways to cook them based on what equipment you have available!
This lentil dal is super easy and only uses one-pot and a rice cooker (optional). Uses easy to find and affordable ingredients.
This recipe is…
- Flavorful
- Creamy
- Easy
- Simple
- College student friendly
- Quick
- Vegan & healthy
A creamy, flavorful, and perfectly spiced indian lentil dal paired with spiced rice and topped with freshly chopped green onion, vegan yogurt, and lemon.
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1/4 white onion, diced
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp each: cumin seed, coriander seed, mustard seed
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 Can of diced tomatoes
- 1 Can of coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 star anise (optional)
- 3 cardamom pods (optional)
- Fresh chopped green onion
- Non-dairy yogurt (optional)
- Lemon wedge
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Heat a large pot with a tsp of oil over medium heat. Add in garlic and ginger. Saute for 2-3 min. until just turning golden. Add in onion, salt, and seeds. Saute for 3-4 min. until onion is fragrant and translucent.
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Add in red pepper flakes and spices. Stir and cook for 1 min. to slightly toast. Add in carrot and cook for an additional 3 min. to slightly soften. Add lentils and pour in diced tomatoes, coconut milk, veggie broth, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a low boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 25-30 min. until lentils are fully cooked and soft.
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While lentils are cooking, prepare the rice. Cook your rice according to pkg directions with the optional star anise and cardamom pods for extra flavor. Be sure to remove them before serving.
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Serve lentil dahl over brown rice. Garnish with chopped green onions, a drizzle of vegan yogurt, and a squeeze of fresh lemon (highly recommended, as it gives it a bright, fresh flavor).
Made this last night and it was sooo so good! I didn’t have the seeds to hand…so I used 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground mustard, 1/2 tsp part parsley, part chili powder..don’t know how this outcome would compare to following exact recipe, but it was still amazing! Was over the moon there was a little leftover for my lunch today 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Author
So happy to hear that! Glad you were able to tweak the recipe to your liking and it still came out delicious 🙂
I am gonna try this lentil Dahl recipe tonight! Looks so tasty!