Summer Dal

Summer Dal

This Summer Dal is one we keep coming back to, especially when it's warm outside and we want something comforting but not heavy. It's got that beautiful golden colour, a gentle heat from the green chilli, and a brightness from the lemon that just lifts the whole thing. The green beans add a lovely little bite so it doesn't feel like a one-note bowl of lentils. It comes together in 30 minutes too, which means it's genuinely on the table before you've even had a chance to get too hungry. Make this tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large pan
  • Microplane or fine grater (for lemon zest)

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 2cm ginger
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 300g red lentils
  • 800ml vegetable stock
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 150g green beans
  • 100g baby spinach
  • 1 lemon
  • 4 tbsp coconut yoghurt
  • 1 green chilli
  • 1 small cucumber
  • 1 tbsp nigella seeds

Method

1

Prep the veg

  • Peel and dice the onion
  • Peel and mince the garlic and ginger
  • Rinse the lentils and drain
  • Trim the green beans into 3cm lengths
  • Finely slice the green chilli
  • Slice the cucumber into wedges
2

Cook the dahl

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat
  • Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook until softened
  • Add the garlic, ginger and zest over the lemon, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant
  • Add the turmeric, fennel, cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute
  • Stir through the lentils and pour over the vegetable stock and coconut milk, bringing to a simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils are just cooked
  • Add the green beans and simmer for 5 minutes until the beans are tender and the dahl is soft and creamy
  • Take off the heat and stir through the spinach to wilt
  • Squeeze in the lemon juice and taste to season with salt and pepper
3

Finish and serve

  • Divide between bowls and serve with a spoon of coconut yoghurt
  • Top with the sliced chilli, cucumber and nigella seeds to serve

Tips & Variations

  • Make it heartier: We love adding a tin of coconut milk in the last few minutes if we want something a bit more creamy and indulgent. It turns this into a proper Friday night bowl.
  • Watch the chilli: If you're cooking for people who don't love heat, just deseed the green chilli before slicing. It keeps the flavour without the fire, and everyone's happy.
  • Serve it right: The cucumber wedges on the side aren't just garnish, they're genuinely cooling against the warm spiced dal. Don't skip them, trust us on this one.

Why This Works

The trick here is the lemon zest going in early with the garlic and ginger, so it cooks into the base and becomes part of the flavour rather than just a finishing squeeze. We find that taking a little time to properly soften the onion first makes the whole dal taste sweeter and more rounded. Those small things really do add up.