Red Lentil Coconut Dal with Spinach

Split red lentils collapse into a golden, gently spiced stew with coconut milk and a last-minute pile of spinach. Thirty minutes, one pot, and it freezes like a dream.

Serves 430 minutes plant-basedveggiehigh-proteindairy-free

• ✓Red lentils are a rich everyday source of plant protein and fiber.
• ✓Turmeric and fresh ginger give the pot its color and warmth.
• ✓Spinach is a leafy green with folate, vitamin K and iron.
• ✓Coconut milk makes it creamy with no dairy anywhere in the recipe.

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Ingredients

• •2 tbsp coconut or neutral oil
• •1 onion, finely chopped
• •3 cloves garlic, sliced
• •1 thumb fresh ginger, grated
• •1 tsp ground turmeric
• •2 tsp ground cumin
• •1½ cups / 300 g split red lentils, rinsed
• •1 can (14 oz / 400 ml) coconut milk
• •3 cups / 750 ml vegetable stock or water
• •4 big handfuls spinach
• •juice of 1 lime
• •salt
• •cooked rice, to serve

Method

1. Soften the onion in the oil, 4–5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric and cumin for the last minute, until fragrant.
2. Add the lentils, coconut milk and stock. Simmer 18–20 minutes, stirring now and then as it thickens — the lentils should collapse completely.
3. Beat with the spoon for a few seconds to bring it creamy, then stir in the spinach until just wilted.
4. Finish with lime and more salt than you think — lentils drink it. Serve over rice.

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Educational information, not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your diet, especially with a medical condition, pregnancy, or medication. Full disclaimer.