Black Bean Dal

Black Bean Dal

We make this Black Bean Dal on repeat, especially when we want something that feels properly comforting but also a bit special. There's this moment when the ginger hits the hot oil and the whole kitchen smells incredible, and you just know dinner is going to be good. The black beans give it this deep, earthy richness that you don't always get with a dal, and the crispy ginger and fresh coriander topping takes it somewhere really exciting. It's bold, warming, fragrant and honestly one of those bowls that makes you feel like you've really looked after yourself. If you're looking for a reason to make it tonight, just trust us and get it on.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Sieve
  • Heatproof bowl

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 30g fresh ginger
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 green chilli
  • 20g fresh coriander
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 400g tins of black beans
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 100g spinach
  • 250ml coconut cream

Method

1

Make the topping

  • Use a spoon to peel the skin off the ginger, and slice into thin match sticks
  • Finely slice the green chilli and spring onion
  • Rip the leaves from the coriander, finely chop the stems and roughly chop the leaves
  • Place the chilli, spring onion, coriander and mustard seeds in a heatproof bowl
  • Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat with one piece of ginger
  • When the ginger starts to sizzle, add the rest and fry for 1-2 minutes until crispy and golden, swirling the pan to separate the pieces
  • Strain through a sieve into the bowl of aromatics, careful as they will sizzle
  • When cool, add the ginger and lime into the bowl
2

Prep the veg

  • Peel and finely chop the onion
  • Peel and grate the garlic cloves
3

Make the base

  • Heat the oil in the pan on a medium to low heat
  • Once hot, add the onion with a big pinch of salt and fry for 5-7 minutes until soft
  • Add the garlic, ginger, coriander stems and tomato puree and fry for another minute
  • Add the garam masala, paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper and fry for another minute until toasted and fragrant
  • Add the black beans, tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes
  • Stir through half the coconut cream, saving the rest to garnish
  • Add the spinach and stir it through to wilt
  • Taste and season
4

Finish and serve

  • Drizzle over the remaining coconut cream
  • Spoon over the coriander salsa to serve

Tips & Variations

  • Make it milder: If you're cooking for people who don't love heat, just use half the green chilli or swap it for a small amount of mild green pepper. You still get that freshness without the fire.
  • Get the ginger right: We really recommend cutting the ginger into proper thin matchsticks rather than grating it here. The matchsticks crisp up beautifully in the oil and give you little bursts of flavour in every bite.
  • Serve it well: This is brilliant with warm flatbreads or fluffy basmati rice. Henry always puts a dollop of coconut yoghurt on the side and honestly it's a game changer, really balances the spice.

Why This Works

The real magic here is that topping. Frying the ginger matchsticks in hot oil until they start to crisp up and go golden adds this incredible texture and warmth that you just can't get from stirring ginger into the dal itself. The mustard seeds, chilli and spring onion poured over at the end keeps everything feeling fresh and lively rather than heavy, which is what lifts this from a simple dal into something you'll want to make every week.