I think I’ve only ordered dal from an Indian restaurant once, so I don’t have much dal experience, but this tasted pretty great! I liked it because it had a good flavor, but wasn’t an overwhelming curry dish. I found a recipe of the McDougall website and found one on Pinterest and blended and changed them to make up my own version. It’s a very hearty soup/stew filled with protein packed lentils, chickpeas, and kale and has chunks of potatoes and tomatoes so it’s filling. It’s delicious by itself, or you can add a scoop of rice  to your bowl or a side of warm pita bread for dipping.

It looks like a long list of ingredients, but most are spices that you might already have in your pantry. I usually have all of these ingredients already in my kitchen so it’s a great recipe to have when you don’t feel like going to the grocery store. It was perfect for one of the last chilly nights of the season!

Hearty Lentil Dal

3 cups water

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloved garlic, minced

1.5 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 cup split red lentils, dry

15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

14 oz can diced tomatoes, no salt added

2 cups chopped yukon gold potatoes, diced

juice of half a lemon

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3-4 cups chopped kale

1. In a large soup pan, saute the onion and garlic in the vegetable stock over medium high heat until tender.
2. Add spices to the pot and stir until fragrant.
3. Add in the tomatoes, water, lentils, potatoes, and chickpeas and bring to a boil.
4. Once boiling, return to a simmer and let it cook on low for 45-50 minutes until it becomes a thick soup and the lentils have absorbed the water and potatoes are tender.
5. Add in chopped kale and stir in on low heat until wilted.