This Red lentil Dal is the ultimate winter dal recipe! With the goodness of butternut squash, carrots and sweet potatoes, this dal us comforting, aromatic and perfect as a soup or as side with rice/ naan
Who doesn’t love a good dal? It is the ultimate comfort food. Different versions of dal , plain dal, dal and veggies ( Or kootu as we call it in Southern part of India) is almost an everday recipe.
Sometimes it’s just plain dal, sometimes with lots of extra spices and veggies, paired with rice or rotis! This everyday dish is so versatile and one of the wholesome dishes you can make if you are a vegetarian.
I like to add different veggies to my dal whenever possible, because it gets mashed up and the kids do not know they are eating veggies. When mixed with a dollop of ghee and rice, you have the most kid friendly dish that most kids eat without any complaints.
This Red lentil dal is one such version. With lots of winter veggies like butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes this dal is not only protein packed but also nutritious and wholesome because of all the veggies in it. Add more or less veggies as you wish to make your version!
If you like this recipe you might like my Butternut squash chutney , Instant pot vegan Pumpkin soup, Instant pot vegan kerala curry
This Red lentil dal with butternut squash can be made in the stove top or instant pot! If I were using toor dal or chana dal etc, I would have preferred my pressure cooker or instant pot. But red lentils cook fast and I don’t mind cooking them in the stove top.
This Red lentil dal is very easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. Don’t have a particular ingredient? Just skip it or swap it with something else. Below are some substitutes for the ingredients in this Dal recipe!
Red lentils / masoor – Substitute with moong dal, toor dal, chana dal or a combination of two or more of these lentils
Butternut squash – Substitute with zucchini, pumpkin or any squash variety
Carrots and sweet potatoes – skip or substitute with potatoes.
I also like to add greens to this dish to make it more healthy. Any kind of greens be it spinach, kale or fenugreek leaves work well in this dish.
I like to make this into a soup by blending up everything until creamy. So good with some toasted sourdough bread.
Let’s see how to do this Red lentil dal Recipe!
Red lentils cooked with butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and aromatic spices
Heat a kadai / pan and add 1 tbsp oil/ ghee.
When it becomes hot, add the cumin seeds, garlic, finely chopped green chillies and let the cumin sizzle.
Add the chopped onions and saute them until they turn slightly brown.
Then add the chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and saute for a minute, making sure you don't burn the spices.
Now add the chopped tomatoes, a pinch of salt and saute for 2 minutes until they turn mushy.
When the tomatoes turn mushy, add the chopped veggies, vegetable stock/ water, red lentils, salt, amchur powder, garam masla and let it cook lid closed, until the lentils become soft. Takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Alternatively you can add everything to a pressure cooker and pressure cook it for 1 whistle.
When the dal is done, add freshly chopped cilantro.
Now lets make the tadka – Heat the oil/ ghee in a tadka pan and when it becomes hot, add the asafoetida, ginger and fry the ginger until they become bown. Add the chilly powder and switch off the flame.
Add the tadka to the dal and serve with rice/ rotis/ naan.
Switch on the saute mode in your instant pot.
When the pot heats up, add the oil/ ghee and add the cumin seeds, garlic, green chilly and let the cumin sizzle.
Add the chopped onions and saute them until they turn slightly brown.
Then add the chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and saute for few seconds, making sure you don't burn the spices.
Now add the chopped tomatoes, a pinch of salt and saute for 2 minutes until they turn mushy.
When the tomatoes turn mushy, add the chopped veggies, vegetable stock/ water, red lentils, salt, amchur powder, garam masla and close the lid.
Switch off the saute mode and cook the lentils in pressure cook mode for 4 minutes.
Release pressure after 5 minutes.
Add chopped cilantro.
To make the tadka, heat a small pan and add the oil/ ghee. When it becomes hot, add the asafoetida, ginger and fry the ginger until the ginger becomes bown. Add the chilly powder and switch off the flame. (this step is optional. you can serve without the tadka)
Pour the tadka to the dal and serve with rice/ rotis.
Tried this Red lentil dal recipe?
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