If you're looking for a tasty and filling meal that's easy to make and packed with flavour, then look no further than this slow cooker red lentil dahl recipe!
This delicious vegan-friendly dish is a staple of Indian cuisine, and not only is it budget-friendly, but it's also gluten-free and high in protein too!
This recipe uses a blend of fragrant warm spices including cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli, curry powder, and fresh ginger which makes your kitchen smell amazing as it simmers away in the crockpot.
Because it's a slow cooker recipe, you can let it cook away while you get on with other things - so it's perfect for busy days when you don't have time to stand over the hob.
👩🍳 Love vegetarian slow cooker recipes? Try my easy slow cooker tortellini next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Slow cooker red lentil dahl is a healthy and nutritious meal, packed with protein, fibre, and vitamins.
- It's a perfect option if you're on a tight budget, as red lentils are an affordable and versatile ingredient. Cooking it in a slow cooker also means you can make a large batch, which can be stored and reheated for easy and budget-friendly meals throughout the week.
- One of the great things about cooking red lentil dahl in a slow cooker is that there's minimal clean up involved.
- Once you've added all the ingredients to your slow cooker, you can just let it cook away, freeing up time to get on with other things.
🛒 Ingredient notes
Dried Red Lentils - A great source of protein, fibre, and complex carbohydrates. They cook quickly and can be used in a variety of dishes, including soups, stews, and curries. If you don't have dried red lentils, you can substitute them with other types of lentils, such as green or brown lentils.
Full Fat Coconut Milk - Adds a rich and creamy texture to the dish. If you're looking for a lighter option, you can use light coconut milk.
Chopped Tomatoes - A tin of chopped tomatoes adds a sweet and tangy flavour to the dish.
Garlic - If you don't have fresh garlic, you can use garlic powder or garlic paste.
Fresh Ginger - Finely grated, for a warming and fragrant flavour.
Onion - Finely chopped onion adds a sweetness to the curry.
Lemon - Fresh lemon juice adds a tangy and refreshing finish.
Spices - Include turmeric, mild chilli powder, ground cumin (or use toasted cumin seeds), ground coriander, mild curry powder (or use curry paste), garam masala, and a bay leaf.
Salt & Pepper - For seasoning.
Fresh Coriander - For garnish and colour.
🥄 Equipment
Which slow cooker? I use a Morphy Richards Sear and Stew 6.5 litre slow cooker, which means I can brown and slow cook in the same pot as the slow cooker pot is safe to use on the hob! The 6.5 litre capacity serves 6-8 main portions, so it’s ideal for families and those that like batch cooking. There is also a 3.5 litre version for smaller households and this recipe fits perfectly into that one!
Don't forget to check out all of the slow cooker recipes on the blog.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place all of the ingredients (except the fresh coriander) in your slow cooker and fill the empty can of chopped tomatoes with water and add this too.
Two: Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Three: Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Garnish with fresh coriander.
💭 Expert tips
- Rinse the lentils thoroughly before cooking to remove any dirt or debris.
- Use full-fat coconut milk for a creamy and rich texture. If you prefer a lighter version, you can use light coconut milk.
- If you like your dahl spicier, you can increase the amount of chilli powder or add fresh chillies.
- Stir the dahl occasionally during cooking to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- If you prefer your lentil dal runnier, add another can of water.
- You can make the recipe ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer for later.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the slow cooker dahl with steamed basmati rice or pilau rice, mango chutney, naan bread and a creamy chickpea and spinach curry too.
📖 Variations
- Add your favourite vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, or spinach, to the slow cooker along with the lentils to make a hearty and nutritious vegetable dahl.
- Add hot chilli powder, mustard seeds, or fresh chillies to the dahl to make it extra spicy. You can also add some smoked paprika or cayenne pepper for an extra kick.
- Add some chopped kale or other leafy greens to the dahl towards the end of cooking to add some extra nutrition and colour.
- Use a combination of different lentils, such as red and green lentils
- Add some creamy peanut butter to the dahl to make a rich and flavourful peanut dahl.
- Add some diced fresh mango or mango chutney to the dahl towards the end of cooking to add some sweetness.
🥡 Storage
Store - Once the dahl has cooled down to room temperature, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat - To reheat the dahl, transfer it to a microwave-safe dish, add a splash of water or coconut milk to loosen it up, cover it with a lid or microwave-safe cling-film, and heat in the microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice, until heated through. You can also reheat the dahl in a saucepan on the hob over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Freeze - Transfer the dahl to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Dahl (also spelled as dal, daal, or dhal) is a dish that originates from India and Pakistan, made with lentils or split peas that are cooked until they are soft and creamy, and flavoured with a blend of aromatic spices. Some popular types of dahl include red lentil dahl, yellow split pea dahl, and mung bean dahl.
Yes, you can use light coconut milk to reduce the calorie and fat content of the dahl, but keep in mind that it may not be as creamy and rich as using full-fat coconut milk.
Yes, feel free to adjust the spices and seasonings to suit your taste. If you prefer a spicier dahl, add more chilli powder or fresh chillies.
Yes, you can add other vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, peppers, or spinach to the dahl to increase the nutritional content and add more texture and flavour.
😋 More slow cooker dinners
- Slow Cooker Beef Curry
- Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Beef Keema
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pulled Beef
- Slow Cooker Pork Ragu
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Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dahl Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g Dried Red Lentils rinsed
- 400 ml Coconut Milk
- 400 g Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger peeled and grated
- 1 Lemon juice only
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Mild Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 3 teaspoon Mild Curry Powder or use 2 tablespoon curry paste
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Coriander chopped
Optional
- 1 tablespoon Mango Chutney stirred though at the end of cooking
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients (except the fresh coriander) in your slow cooker and fill the empty can of chopped tomatoes with water and add this too.400 g Dried Red Lentils, 400 ml Coconut Milk, 400 g Chopped Tomatoes, 1 Onion, 4 Garlic Cloves, 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, 1 Lemon, 1 teaspoon Turmeric, 1 teaspoon Mild Chilli Powder, 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin, 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander, 3 teaspoon Mild Curry Powder, 1 teaspoon Garam Masala, 1 Bay Leaf, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours (add another can of water halfway through cooking if it looks too thick). Garnish with fresh coriander and stir through the mango chutney if using.1 tablespoon Fresh Coriander, 1 tablespoon Mango Chutney
Notes
- Rinse the lentils thoroughly before cooking to remove any dirt or debris.
- Use full-fat coconut milk for a creamy and rich texture. If you prefer a lighter version, you can use light coconut milk.
- If you like your dahl spicier, you can increase the amount of chilli powder or add fresh chillies.
- Stir the dahl occasionally during cooking to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add your favourite vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, or spinach, to the slow cooker along with the lentils to make a hearty and nutritious vegetable dahl.
- Add hot chilli powder, mustard seeds, or fresh chillies to the dahl to make it extra spicy. You can also add some smoked paprika or cayenne pepper for an extra kick.
- Add some chopped kale or other leafy greens to the dahl towards the end of cooking to add some extra nutrition and colour.
- Add some creamy peanut butter to the dahl to make a rich and flavourful peanut dahl.
- Add some diced fresh mango or mango chutney to the dahl towards the end of cooking to add some sweetness.
Kushigalu
This slow cooker dahl sounds amazingly delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Jacqueline Debono
We eat a lot of lentils and I love dahl. I've never made it in the slow cooker. It looks really good. On my to-make list!
MJ
I loved being able to make this in my slow cooker. It turns out so flavorful!
Biana
Love how super flavorful this dish looks! Will be perfect served with some chicken.
stephanie
We didn't have a lot of money growing up and my mom made a lot of lentil dishes to stretch the food budget. This one looks delicious and I can't wait to try it!
Abi
I love making this recipe! I have it every lunch time. It's so easy to make and I love putting in the suggestions at the bottom of the recipe. I find that you need a little more water if you're putting in the additional ingredients.