I love a good dahl. It’s nutritious, filling, flavourful, and comes together quite easily. Plus, a homemade version costs peanuts to make. Since becoming an acupuncturist, I’ve learned to make use of red lentils when my energy is low. In Ottawa, red lentils are readily available at pretty much any grocery store. They’re particularly useful for preparing dry mixes that just require the addition of liquids for cooking.
If you like your dahl a bit more on the smooth side, you can add some full fat coconut milk to give it a creamier texture. However, the texture will still be a bit lumpy unless you use an immersion blender or something along those lines.
Spinach Dahl (vegan)
Ingredients
Oil for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 cups split red lentils
4 1/2 cups water (reduce this amount but 1/2-1 cup if you cover the pot during cooking)
1 package of spinach (approximately 142 g or 5 oz)
Directions
Heat up the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onion and the spices and toss around for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add in the red lentils and the water. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, cut the spinach into strips (make a nice big pile on your cutting board and go at it with a large knife). It doesn’t need to look perfect, since it will get lost in the finished product.
When the lentils have dissolved enough to make a nice puree 20 minutes or so later, turn off the heat and mix in the spinach right away. The heat will help wilt the spinach so that it doesn’t taste raw. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.