Quick and Easy Tomato Dal

Quick and Easy Tomato Dal

This tomato dal is one of those recipes we keep coming back to again and again. There's something about the combination of warming spices, sweet tomatoes and creamy lentils that just feels like a hug in a bowl. We bash the cumin and coriander seeds ourselves so the flavour is way more alive than using pre-ground, and trust us, you can absolutely taste the difference. It's the kind of thing you'll want to make on a weeknight when you need something proper and satisfying without a lot of fuss. Make it tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 45 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Mortar and pestle
  • Large saucepan with lid
  • Small saucepan
  • Large bowl
  • Sieve or colander

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 1 brown onions
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 4cm piece of fresh ginger
  • 2 green chillis
  • 8 medium tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp mild chilli powder
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 200g red lentils
  • 30g fresh coriander
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 green chilli
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • coconut yoghurt
  • coriander leaves
  • Plant-based Naan bread or Roti

Method

1

Prepare the ingredients and spices

  • Peel and finely chop the onion
  • Peel and grate the garlic and ginger
  • Deseed and finely chop the chillis
  • Cup the tomatoes into chunks
  • Twist the coriander leaves off the stems
  • Roughly chop the leaves, and finely chop the stems
  • Set to one side
  • Pour the cumin and coriander seeds into the mortar, and bash with the pestle until crushed
  • Set to one side
2

Prepare the curry and lentils

  • Warm 3 tbsp of veg oil in the pan over low to medium heat
  • Once hot, add the ground coriander, cumin, chilli powder and turmeric, follow by the grated garlic and ginger
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat, so that the flavours infuse the oil
  • Add the onion and coriander stems, then saute on low heat for 6-7 minutes, until the onion is super soft
  • You don’t want the heat too high, otherwise the spices will burn
  • Fill a large bowl with cold water, add the lentils and use your hands to rinse
  • Drain the water, and repeat once or twice until the water is clear
  • Or, rinse the lentils in sieve under cold running water
3

Return to the curry

  • Once the onion is soft, add the chopped tomatoes with a big pinch of salt
  • Turn up the heat to medium, and cook the tomatoes for 5-6 minutes, or until they are starting to collapse
  • At this point, add the lentils
  • Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low
  • Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the lentils are soft
4

For the tarka

  • Deeseed and finely slice the chilli
  • Peel and finely slice the garlic cloves
  • Heat the oil in a small saucepan until hot, then add the garlic, chilli and cumin seeds
  • Let them sizzle for a minute or two until starting to turn golden brown, then switch off the heat
5

Finish the curry

  • Once the lentils are soft, season to taste with salt and pepper
  • Divide between serving bowls and top with the tarka, yoghurt and chopped coriander leaves if you fancy

Tips & Variations

  • Spice level: We like it with a decent kick but if you're cooking for people who don't love heat, just use one chilli or take the seeds out. You can always serve extra fresh chilli on the side.
  • Make it creamier: Stir a spoonful of coconut cream in at the end. It makes the whole thing richer and rounds out the spice really nicely.
  • Fresh coriander matters: Don't skip it. The stems go in during cooking and the leaves go on top at the end. It makes a real difference to the freshness of the finished dish.

Why This Works

The trick here is taking a minute to bash those whole spices before you cook them. It releases the oils and gives the dal a depth that pre-ground just can't match. The other thing is building the base slowly with onion, garlic and ginger so everything gets beautifully sweet and fragrant before the tomatoes and lentils go in.