This Vegan Dal Makhani is a healthy recipe that is perfect for a chilly day. Sautéed onions, fiber-rich black lentils and red kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and creamy coconut milk, all get simmered in flavorful spices. It’s an easy-to-make Indian dish that is great for meal prep!
While I have created several healthy vegan dal recipes, this Vegan Dal Makhani is definitely different, but in the most delicious way.
What makes this dal recipe unique is that it uses black lentils vs. red, as well as the addition of red kidney beans. Even though the fiber and protein additions are unlike the typical, it’s still embodies that creamy consistency and spice profile that we all love!
So if you’re looking for a tasty alternative to the typical dal, this Vegan Dal Makhani recipe will hit the spot!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Dal Makhani Recipe
- Quick & Easy: This healthy vegan dal recipe requires one-pot & is on the table in about 30 minutes.
- Fully Customizable: Feel free to crank up the heat with some additional spice or take it down a notch if you can’t handle the heat. The option to add extra veggies is also available too!
- Great for Meal Prep: This Vegan Dal Makhani stores well in the fridge, making it a great vegan recipe to meal prep for quick + healthy dinners throughout the week.
Ingredients
- Organic Yellow Onion: A regular medium to large onion works well for this vegan recipe.
- Organic Garlic: Make sure to use fresh garlic and not garlic powder. This ingredient is crucial to build flavor.
- Organic Crushed Tomatoes: The crushed tomatoes add texture and extra juiciness to this Indian dish. I highly recommend using crushed tomatoes, but you can use any canned tomatoes that you have on hand.
- Organic Black Lentils: Be sure to rinse your lentils before adding them to the pot.
- Organic Red Kidney Beans: For added fiber & plant protein!
- Organic Crushed Tomatoes + Organic Tomato Paste: The crushed tomatoes add texture and extra juiciness to this Indian dish. I highly recommend using crushed tomatoes, but you can use any canned tomatoes that you have on hand.
- Organic Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth: Any broth truly works and even spring water, if you’re in a pinch!
- Organic Full-Fat Unsweetened Coconut Milk: This is essential to make the dal creamy. I don’t recommend subbing for regular non-dairy milk and be sure that your coconut milk comes from a can, not the carton. My favorite brand is Native Forest.
- Organic Herbs & Spices: Fresh cilantro, along with ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper, are the spices used to season this dal recipe.
How To Make
- Sauté. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the spices and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Simmer. Stir in the rinsed lentils, red kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk and broth or spring water. Simmer for 20 – 25 minutes, until the dal thickens slightly.
- Blend. For extra-thick dal, pulse with an immersion blender in the pot a couple times. You can also remove a few scoops of dal, and add it to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth then pour back into the pot and mix together and stir in the fresh cilantro.
- Serve. Divide the dal between bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
Tips for Making this Healthy Vegan Dal Perfectly
- Organic Lentils: Be sure to rinse your lentils before adding them to the pot. This will remove any bitterness from the lentils.
- Organic Crushed Tomatoes: If you don’t have crushed tomatoes, you can certainly use diced.
- Organic Full-Fat Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Use organic full-fat unsweetened coconut milk from the can, not the carton. This will ensure that your dal is super creamy. My favorite brand is Native Forest.
- Blending Dal: Although this step is completely optional, I highly recommend it. Blending about a third of the dal takes it to the next level. It creates the perfect amount of thickness and heartiness!
Storing & Reheating
As mentioned above, this Vegan Dal Makhani is the perfect vegan recipe for healthy leftovers & meal prep!
Fridge Storage. Transfer to an air-tight glass container & refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheating. To reheat, transfer to a large pot on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a little extra water or broth as needed until warm.
More Healthy Vegan Dal Recipes You’ll Love
Sharing Is Caring!
If you make this recipe, please leave a review & rating below! I love hearing from you and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Lastly, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, & TikTok for even more deliciousness & wellness tips!
Xoxo.
Christin.
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Vegan Dal Makhani
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 4 – 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Dal Makhani is a healthy recipe that is perfect for a chilly day. Sautéed onions, fiber-rich black lentils and red kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and creamy coconut milk, all get simmered in flavorful spices. It’s an easy-to-make Indian dish that is great for meal prep!
Ingredients
Always opt for organic ingredients.
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic garlic, minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup dry black lentils, rinsed
- 1 (15-oz) can red kidney beans
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (14.5-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-oz) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
SERVING
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Sauté. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the spices and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Simmer. Stir in the rinsed lentils, red kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk and broth or spring water. Simmer for 20 – 25 minutes, until the dal thickens slightly.
- Blend. For extra-thick dal, pulse with an immersion blender in the pot a couple times. You can also remove a few scoops of dal, and add it to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth then pour back into the pot and mix together and stir in the fresh cilantro.
- Serve. Divide the dal between bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Organic Lentils: Be sure to rinse your lentils before adding them to the pot. This will remove any bitterness from the lentils.
Organic Crushed Tomatoes: If you don’t have crushed tomatoes, you can certainly use diced.
Organic Full-Fat Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Use organic full-fat unsweetened coconut milk from the can, not the carton. This will ensure that your dal is super creamy. My favorite brand is Native Forest.
Blending Dal: Although this step is completely optional, I highly recommend it. Blending about a third of the dal takes it to the next level. It creates the perfect amount of thickness and heartiness!
Storing & Reheating: Transfer to an air-tight glass container & refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer to a large pot on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a little extra water or broth as needed until warm.
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