Roast Sweet Potato Dahl

Roast Sweet Potato Dahl

This Roast Sweet Potato Dahl is one we keep coming back to, honestly it never gets old. There's something about the combination of caramelised roasted sweet potato chunks tumbling into a warm, spiced lentil base that just feels like the cosiest dinner you can make on a weeknight. The ginger, chilli and garlic all do their thing, and a squeeze of lime at the end lifts everything beautifully. We love this one because it's genuinely satisfying without being complicated, and it's ready in 40 minutes. Make it tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Saucepan
  • Grater (for ginger)
  • Microplane or fine grater

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • olive oil for drizzling
  • 1 pack of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 pinch of chilli flakes
  • 1 onion
  • 1 red chilli
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 400ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 50g coconut yoghurt
  • 1 tsp fenugreek
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 15g fresh coriander
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 200g red lentils
  • 1 x 400g can of coconut milk
  • coconut yoghurt
  • mango chutney
  • cooked rice
  • popadoms
  • fresh coriander
  • chilli flakes

Method

1

Prepare the vegetables

  • Cut the sweet potatoes into bite-sized chunks
  • Peel and dice the onions and garlic
  • Peel and grate the ginger
  • Finely dice the red chilli
  • Cut the carrots into small pieces
  • Halve the lime
  • Finely slice the coriander
2

Roast the vegetables

  • Add the sweet potato chunks to a baking tray and drizzle in olive oil and salt
  • Mix well until everything is coated before roasting for 20 minutes
  • After 20 minutes, remove the baking tray from the oven
  • Mix through the tomatoes and place back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are soft and cooked
3

Start the dahl base

  • Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add the coconut oil
  • Once melted, add the diced onion, carrots and a pinch of salt
  • Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the onion turns soft
  • Once soft, add the garlic, mix well and cook for another 5 minutes
  • Add all of the spices, including the brown sugar, to the pan
  • Mix well and cook off for about 2 minutes
4

Stir through the rest of the ingredients

  • Add the lentils and stir through before adding the vegetable stock, coconut milk and stir through until everything is combined
  • Add the tomato purée, chopped coriander, lime juice and leave to simmer for 10 minutes
5

Finish the dahl

  • Once the lentils have cooked and the mixture has thickened, add the roast tomatoes and sweet potato
  • Spoon some coconut yoghurt over the top and mix everything together
  • Serve in a bowl with some rice, coconut yoghurt, mango chutney and crushed papadums

Tips & Variations

  • Spice it your way: We love a bit of heat in ours, but if you're cooking for people who don't, just leave out the red chilli or swap it for a pinch of mild paprika instead.
  • Don't rush the roast: Give the sweet potato enough space on the tray so it actually roasts rather than steams. One layer, a good drizzle of oil, and don't crowd it. Trust us on this one.
  • Finish it properly: A handful of fresh coriander and a decent squeeze of lime right at the end makes such a difference. It freshens the whole thing up and takes it from good to really good.

Why This Works

The trick here is roasting the sweet potato separately before adding it to the dahl. It means the chunks stay a little crispy on the outside rather than going mushy, which gives you proper texture in every bite. That contrast between the soft, spiced lentils and the golden roasted potato is what makes this one sing.