Sweet Potato Red Lentil Dal
Spicy, tangy, and a little sweet, this gorgeous Sweet Potato Red Lentil Dal is the perfect, filling, wholesome meal for you weeknight dinner table. Served over rice, this dish provides everything you need to satisfy hungry bellies and tastebuds.
Another great freezer-to-slow-cooker meal, this dish can be put in before school and enjoyed after school or between all the things. It’s unique enough to keep your dinner table interesting and comforting enough to make everyone happy! We have lots of other great freezer meals that go straight into a crock pot. Be sure to check out this Tex Mex Chicken.
What is “dal”?
An ancient word meaning “split” it refers to either the lentils (usually split in half) in the dish or the dish itself. The dish called dal can be so many different things, since there are as many recipes as their are cooks and the end result you might expect is specific to each region. The amazing thing about lentils is that they are so filling and have protein, but in the split form also have a texture similar to rice, so if you need to cut carbs, these are a great alternative to grain.
Sweet Potato Red Lentil Dal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- 1 Tbsp. curry powder
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Ingredients for the Day of Cooking
- 1 cup water
- cooked rice (enough for your family)
- fresh cilantro
How to Make Sweet Potato Red Lentil Dal
Assembly Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.
- Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.
Cooking Instructions
- Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours in the slow cooker.
- Alternatively, you may cook this on the stovetop, simmer, stirring occasionally until sweet potato and lentils are soft.
- Serve over Basmati or jasmine rice. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
How do I know when the dal is ready?
When the lentils are tender your dish is ready to enjoy. If all of the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are still a little crunchy you will need to add more liquid and keep cooking it.
Do I have to rinse the lentils?
You should always rinse the lentils and look for imposters in the form of tiny pebbles that can mimic the size and shape of the lentil and sneak through the sorter.
Can I make Sweet Potato Red Lentil Dal in a pressure cooker?
Yes. Put everything in the Instant Pot. Stir it up. Cook it for ten minutes on high pressure. Release the pressure and your dinner is served. So fast! This is perfect when you forget to start the slow cooker. The flavors don’t have quite as much time to meld, but the result is still fantastic.
Sweet Potato Red Lentil Dal Recipe Ideas
If you want to increase the heat in this dish, you can increase the curry, use a hot curry, or add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Customize the dish further by adding more or less of the spices called for in the recipe. You can also add cumin or cumin seeds, garam masala, coriander or fennel seeds for even more Indian flavors in your dish.
You can use lemon juice instead of lime juice. Bottled juice is fine. If it still needs a little brightness, you can add a splash or two of juice at the table as well.
Butternut squash, pumpkin, or carrots will also work in this recipe and preserve that little hint of sweetness. You can also add chopped kale or baby spinach to the dish after it is cooked.
Add a can of coconut milk at the time of cooking to make the dish more creamy.
Enhance the flavor of the spices by cooking them in coconut oil or ghee first. You can do this by putting them in a separate baggy, stapled to the larger baggy, in your freezer and then just adding this step to the instructions when you are ready to cook.
How do I store Sweet Potato Red Lentil Dal
Leftovers of this dish need to be refrigerated in an airtight container and will keep for up to five days. It can be frozen as well and will keep for up to six months. Thaw frozen dal before reheating it. Reheat the leftovers in a microwave or add some liquid to a skillet and reheat it there. Drizzle it with a little bit of warmed butter or ghee to refresh the flavors.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Red Lentil Dal
This dish is served over rice and can be paired with a salad, soup, sandwich or protein if you want to serve it as a side dish instead of your main meal. Spiced and roasted cauliflower is an amazing side dish to serve with dal, as is a fresh cucumber salad. Warm naan or roti (tortilla like bread) is one simple way to dress up the meal but still keep it simple.
- 1 1/2 cups dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- cooked rice (enough for your family)
- fresh cilantro
-
Put all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.
-
Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.
-
Thaw overnight in the fridge.
-
Cook on low for 6-8 hours in the slow cooker.
-
Alternatively, you may cook this on the stovetop, simmer, stirring occasionally until sweet potato and lentils are soft.
-
Serve over Basmati or jasmine rice. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
