Perfect Red Lentil Dhal Curry Recipe - Savvy Bites (2024)

Published: Feb 10, 2020 · Modified: Nov 16, 2023 by Deborah Rainford · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

Red Lentil Dhal Curry. The perfect mix of toasty Indian spices, tender sweet butternut squash, juicy tomatoes and earthy spinach. If you're not sold on this red lentil dhal yet, then I don't even know what to tell you. This vegetarian, gluten-free dinner comes together in 30 minutes and makes enough to ensure you've got leftovers for tomorrow. And of course, all ingredients are from Aldi UK.

Oh hey, Meatless Monday! You snuck up on us, didn't you? We're bringing this red lentil dhal curry to the party because it's completely easy to make and totally comforting and an absolute flavour bomb to eat. But let's clear something up right now. This may not be the most authentic dhal curry you'll ever make. Why? Because we're not in the business of 1000 spices and making anything complicated.

Using only ingredients from Aldi means 3 things...

1. We save money because the ingredients are cheaper than anywhere else.
2. Saving time is our mission. One-stop-shops and everything from 1 place forever!
3. But, it also means that our ingredient list can get slightly limited sometimes in the form of fewer spices and sauces to choose from. It's a small sacrifice to save aaaallll the time and money.

Red Lentil Dhal
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But rest assured, we're not giving up on any flavour, we're just limiting ingredients needed. So, yeah. Less ingredients, more flavour.

So, here's what we're going to need for this one-pot dinner.

Ingredients needed for Red Lentil Dhal Curry

1. Red lentils (new to Aldi!)
2. Mixed baby plum tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
3. Butternut Squash
4. Baby spinach
5. Thai red curry paste
6. Spices- cumin, turmeric, curry powder, crushed red chillies
7. Onion, garlic & ginger
8. Vegetable stock cube (optional) water works too.

How to make this dhal recipe step by step (Stovetop Method) 30 Minutes

• Start with a wide shallow pan with some high sides. A skillet will do nicely. If you don't have a skillet then any large saucepan will do.
• Add in some olive oil and saute the chopped onion, garlic and ginger until soft and fragrant.
• Once the onion is soft add in some of the Thai curry paste. (Not authentic, but a complete flavour builder!)

• Add in the lentils, chopped butternut squash and the spices. Give it all a good stir making sure that the lentils and squash are coated in the curry paste and spices.
• This is the part where you add the vegetable stock or water. I just find that the vegetable stock gives this dhal an extra boost in flavour.
• Toss in the tomatoes (no need to cut them) and spinach. Bring the dhal up to a simmer and cover. Turn the heat down so that the lentils are at a gentle simmer and leave over low heat until the lentils are cooked. This should really only take about 15 minutes. The tomatoes will burst and the spinach will wilt.

Red Lentil Dhal FAQs

Is this dhal freezer friendly?

Yup. It sure is. Dhal is the perfect freezer meal. Simply follow the cooking method and let it cool fully before placing it in a freezer-safe container. Just make sure you label it properly so that you don't have to guess what it is when you're looking for it.

Can I make Dhal in the slow cooker?

Oh Yeah! Dhal is perfect in the slow cooker! Simply turn the setting to saute and soften the onion, garlic and ginger just like in the stovetop method. Once they're soft, turn the setting to low and add in all the other ingredients (except the spinach) and let it cook for 8 hours on low. Get the full details below.

Let's talk lentils

Should you use dried lentils?

Dried lentils are the way to go with dhal. They cook in about 20 minutes.

Do you need to soak them?

Nope. We're all about making life (and cooking) simple over here. To tell you the truth, all you need to do is give them a quick rinse, and use according to the recipe.

And voila! Look at you, Curry Master!

PS be sure to serve this Dhal with this 2 Ingredient Naan Bread.

More One-Pot Recipes From Savvy Bites

• Smoky 5 Bean Chilli
• Egg Fried Rice

Tools used to make this Red Lentil Dhal

1. Shallow Casserole Pan
2. Microplane for grating the garlic
3. Wooden Spoons (I love this set because it has a wooden spoon with a flat edge)

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND COOKING ALONG WITH ME! IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE A QUESTION, I’D LOVE IT IF YOU LEFT A COMMENT AND A RATING. YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ALONG ONPINTEREST,FACEBOOKANDINSTAGRAMTO SEE WHAT WE’RE EATING, PINNING AND A LITTLE BEHIND THE SCENES TOO!