Spicy Lentil Dhal

This recipe makes spicy dhal that is low in fat, calories and cholesterol but packed with nutrients and taste. It’s suitable for individuals who follow vegan, cholesterol lowering and Mediterranean diets. Contains lentils, coconut milk, spices and fresh coriander.

• Ingredients
• Method
• Nutritional Content

 

Ingredients:

Number of servings: 6

• 1 large brown onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 cm cube fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons tumeric
• ¾ cup brown lentils
• ¾ cup red lentils
• 400 g can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 can low fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
• 1 cup diced vegetables
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Difficulty rating: Easy

Method

• Cook garlic, onion, ginger in olive oil until onion is soft
• Add all the spices.
• Stir until fragrant
• Add diced vegetables- choose your favourite varieties or use what’s in the fridge
• Add lentils and stir in
• Add tinned tomatoes and stock
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about an hour or until lentils are tender and mixture thickens slightly
• Add coriander, stir until heated through and serve!

 
Tips:

• Soak the lentils in water over night- they’ll be quicker to cook;
• Add chillies if you like your lentils hot;
• Whiz in the blender for nutritious baby food;
• Choose canned tomatoes with no added sugar or salt. You can check the sugar and salt content on the package labels. Always choosing brands with no added sugar or salt is an easy way you can improve your diet and reduce your risk of developing chronic health conditions like obesity, erectile dysfunction, type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome;
• Serve with brown rice or wholegrain bread. These and other whole grain cereals are great sources or fibre, a micronutrient which should be consumed everyday to assist the gastrointestinal system to digest food;
• Add a dollop of fat free natural yoghurt for extra calcium to support healthy teeth. Low fat yoghurt contains all the calcium of full fat yoghurt. Adding yoghurt is a particularly good idea if you have an increased calcium requirement, for example because you are a:

• Pregnant woman in the second or third trimester;
• Breastfeeding woman;
• Adolescent girls or mature women.

 

Nutritional content:

Nutritional analysis per serve:

Energy	1221.95 kJ 292.05 cal
Protein	16.35 g
Total fat	10 g
Saturated fat	4.88 g
Carbohydrates	29.31 g
Total sugars	6.71 g
Fibre	12.64 g
Sodium	612.78 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg
Potassium	912.75 mg
Calcium	207.2 mg

 

More Information

For more information on nutrition, including information on types and composition of food, nutrition and people, conditions related to nutrition, and diets and recipes, as well as some useful videos and tools, see Nutrition.