Made with a few vegetables, some beans, and the most intoxicating blend of spices, this vegan brown lentil dahl is inexpensive and incredibly flavorful. This Indian-style stew cooks away all day in the slow cooker, creating a delightful, hearty meal your whole family will beg for again and again!
This Lentil Dahl is incredibly flavorful but not spicy. It's the perfect meal, especially on those rainy or cold nights when you need something to warm you up and keep you full. Add a Green Bean and Tomato Salad, a bed of baked rice, or homemade naan bread for a delicious, complete meal.
Why you’ll love this brown lentil dahl
- So easy - This recipe takes about 10 minutes of prep and then slow cook for 6 hours. That’s it!
- Inexpensive to make - The most expensive part of this recipe is the spices, and you only need a pinch or two of each. Otherwise, the onion, garlic, ginger, lentils, and beans will only cost a few dollars!
- Very filling - Lentils are high in fiber and will stick with you, perfect for serving during the fall or winter.
- Vegan & vegetarian - If you need a plant-based meal to satisfy the meat eaters in your life, try this one! The lentils take on a meaty, creamy texture and have so much flavor from the vegetables and spices.
Ingredients
- Olive oil - Use a little oil to saute the onion, garlic, and ginger to release their flavors before adding them to the crockpot.
- Yellow onion - This will add a mild sweetness and delicious aroma.
- Garlic - Choose fresh garlic whenever possible.
- Fresh ginger - Ginger will enhance the delicious spices like coriander and cardamom, taking this dahl recipe to the next level.
- Spices - This recipe uses ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, ground cardamom, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, ground allspice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Dried brown lentils - Pick over your lentils to remove any stones or damaged beans, then rinse them.
- Black beans - Drain and rinse your canned black beans for the best flavor and texture.
- Water - This easy slow cooker dahl recipe can use plain water or vegetable broth.
Variations
- Try different colored lentils - The flavors in this recipe would pair well with green lentils. You could also use red lentils, but they cook much faster and could easily overcook.
- Cook it on the stove - If you don’t want to wait all day, follow the same steps below, but use your favorite soup pot. Cook over medium-low heat and stir occasionally. Brown lentils typically cook in about 30-40 minutes on the stove.
How to Make Dahl with Brown Lentils
The original recipe came from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson.
- Pour the oil into a frying pan.
- Heat to medium heat.
- Cook the onion, garlic, ginger, and spices until the onion is transparent.
- Dump all this into a 4-quart slow cooker that has been oiled or sprayed with cooking spray. Turn the temperature to low.
- Add the lentils, beans, and water and cook for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve alone or with rice.
Expert Tips
- Stick with dried lentils - Although you certainly can use canned lentils, the dried ones absorb all the spices and flavor as they cook. Plus, they’re cheaper!
- Soak the lentils - A good rinse helps, but if you want to cook them even faster, let them soak for an hour or two first.
- Use fresh ginger and garlic - It can be tempting to use dried ginger and garlic in a pinch, but the fresh versions add so much extra flavor. It’s worth the effort!
Recipe FAQs
For several reasons, it’s not common to use stock or broth to make dahl in India. The different spices and seasonings will flavor the dahl much more than stock ever could. Although the lentils would absorb the extra flavor from the stock or broth, it’s so subtle that it doesn’t make much difference. Plus, it’s one less ingredient to buy or make, making this dish even more affordable and convenient.
Since your slow cooker cannot sear or sautee anything, you usually do not need to add oil to any slow cooker recipes. However, it’s best to oil your crockpot when making brown lentil dahl because sometimes, the lentils will bake onto the side of the crockpot while they’re cooking, which can be hard to clean up. It’s not required, though!
Old, dried lentils can be nearly impossible to soften. It’s best to use fresh, dried lentils packaged within the last year. Another trick is to wait to add salt until after the lentils start to soften; adding it too early can cause the lentils to stay firm. Wait to add salt until the very end, right before serving.
More Lentils Recipes
- Turkish Lentils with Lamb
- French Green Lentils (How & Why to Make Them)
- Egyptian Lentils and Pasta
- Sweet Lentil Apple Soup
Slow Cooker Lentil Dahl Recipe (Vegan & Gluten Free)
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion cut into pieces
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 ½ cups dried brown lentils picked over and rinsed
- 1 15.5- ounce can black beans drained and rinsed (original recipe calls for kidney beans)
- 3 cups water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pour the oil in a frying pan.
- Heat to medium hot.
- Cook the onion, garlic, ginger and the spices until the onion is transparent.
- Dump all of this into a 4-quart slow cooker that has been oiled or sprayed with cooking spray. Turn the temperature to low.
- Add the lentils, beans and water and cook for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve alone or with rice.
Nutrition (may vary depending on ingredients and amounts used)
Notes
