Red Lentil Mango Dal

A bowl with mango and red lentil dahl with a spoon beside it.

No ratings yet

Red lentil mango dal (dahl) with coconut spice mix is a creamy, Indian red lentil dal with fresh or frozen sweet mangos for an easy and healthy vegan dinner in 40 minutes less.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 443kcal

Author: Denise Perrault

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut flakes (see note 1)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds (see note 2)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (see note 2)
1 medium red onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon red chili flakes more if you like it spicy
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups split red lentils rinsed (see note 4)
2 large mangos peeled and cubed (3 cups)
3 cups vegetable broth
¼ cup cilantro chopped (optional)
1 medium lime or 2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions

To make the spice mixture, heat a small frying pan or skillet. Then, add the coconut, sesame, coriander, and cumin seeds. Toast the seeds for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Immediately transfer the spices to a spice grinder or small blender. Grind the spices into a coarse powder and set aside.
Heat a medium pot to medium-high heat. Add the red onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
Stir in the garlic, the coconut spice mixture, turmeric, red chili flakes, nutmeg, and salt. Mix the spices into the vegetables.
Add the red lentils, mango cubes, and vegetable broth. Bring the pot to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally and use a wooden spoon to mash some of the mangoes. Add more vegetable broth or water if needed. The longer you simmer, the creamier the dal gets.
Once the lentils are tender, stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice.
Serve hot with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, or crushed red chili if desired.

Video

Notes

This recipe uses unsweetened coconut flakes, desiccated coconut, or shredded coconut.
You can substitute 1 teaspoon of ground cumin or 1 teaspoon of ground coriander for the whole spices. Add them with the gound spices after cooking the onions and garlic.
Make the coconut spice mix up to a week ahead. Store it in a jar or sealed container.
If you use whole red lentils (unsplit), use the same amount, but allow 10 extra minutes of cooking time. You may need to add more broth as the cooking progresses. Soaking red lentils is unnecessary. If you soak whole lentils, it will reduce the cooking time.
To make this recipe in the Instant Pot, saute the onions, then add the garlic and spices. Turn the Instant Pot off, then stir in the broth, using it to clear the bottom from any stuck-on bits. Add the lentils and mango. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Remove the lid and stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice.
Store mango dal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze for 3 months. Reheat on the stove or microwave with a little vegetable broth, water, or lime juice. If frozen, thaw before reheating.

Nutrition