sweet potato & kale dal.
dal, an Indian lentil stew, is a cozy, filling dish perfect for loading up with veggies like sweet potatoes and kale.
Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes jump to recipe.
I typed out a whole story about how much I love Indian food and decided to delete it — why not just cut to the chase here? Dal is a stew made in Indian cuisine that involves split legumes like lentils. It can be super thick or kind of soupy, involve lots of vegetables or none, be creamy or a little brothy. Like any stew, there’s an expectation of what it should generally look and taste like, but each cook will make it their own.
For example, you wouldn’t order a dal expecting to see chicken tikka masala.
One thing that is certain is that all dals will be made with some type of legume. It’s most traditional to use moong dal, a split yellow lentil, but you could really use any lentil, bean, or pea. The benefit of using moong dal specifically is that the lentils respond to liquid in such a way that makes them soft and creamy. It gives you that beautiful texture that feels like a slow-simmered stew. In reality, this stew can be ready in 30 minutes.
Finding and using moong dal
While I do live in a city, Cleveland isn’t large and doesn’t really have the wealth of grocery options that places like Chicago or New York have. For example, my mom goes to a place that sells 20 types of labne. Here? Can’t find a place that sells just one.
So, depending where you’re at, you might not have the easiest time finding moong dal specifically. Places you might want to try would be anywhere with bulk grains (the kind you weigh out of plastic containers), health food places like Whole Foods, or any sort of international market that may sell Indian ingredients. Places that specialize in health or grains will prioritize lentils.
I was striking out, so I just ordered from Amazon.
If you just want to make dal with legumes you have on hand, you could use red lentils or even green lentils. Red will offer the closest texture.
Soak the lentils before using — you’ll notice they absorb the water and soften slightly. This will make cooking them a breeze. You can do this while chopping the vegetables and getting everything sautéed. If you forget to soak, cook as usual and plan for extra water and extra cooktime.
Swaps, additions, and add-ons
This stew is vegan and gluten free already, so it’s much more likely that you’re seeking to add on to the dal than to swap. You can make it veggie-heavy and throw in bell peppers, spinach, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, or eggplant. You could make this even more protein-rich by adding chickpeas or cashews.
If you’re missing meat, I’d recommend using this as a side dish to a beef stew or grilled chicken instead of trying to work meat into the dal. If you insist on making a one-pot omnivore meal out of it, though, try cubed pieces of chicken.
yellow split lentils, aka moong dal
sweet potato & kale dal ingredients
aromatics: Onion, garlic, ginger. I wouldn’t leave any of these out, this is where half the flavor comes from. In a pinch, ground ginger will work, but I do highly recommend using fresh for better flavor. You’ll need about 1 inch of the knob.
lemon: This might seem out of place, but promise it makes sense in the end. It brightens the flavors a lot. You’ll just need juice from half a lemon. If you don’t have any lemons on hand, just skip it.
tomato: I recommend keeping the tomato paste in there, but you can otherwise take some liberties here. I used diced tomatoes, but you can use crushed, sauce, or purée. It’ll all come out about the same after stewing.
coconut milk: I use this brand of coconut milk for almost everything because I think it’s the perfect amount of creamy. It also never has the separation that so many coconut milks have. You can use any coconut milk here, just make sure it’s the thick canned kind (not the refrigerated kind in cartons). By the way — don’t buy that coconut milk from Amazon, the price is outrageous. You can find it in any Asian grocery store.
spices: You’ll need a bunch of turmeric, a bunch of cumin, and then a teeny tiny bit of cayenne and coriander. If you don’t have turmeric but do have curry powder, just use that. It’ll work the same.
vegetable broth: As usual, I use a mix of water and broth. You can use all broth, all water, or a mixture of both, just be prepared to season with salt accordingly. If you are diet-restricted, you can also use chicken broth, which will add a nice flavor.
sweet potato: You’ll need about 2 small potatoes. “Small” meaning, say, 5 or 6 inches, about the size of your hand. It’s hard to measure potatoes, so use your intuition here a little bit — you essentially want just enough that the potatoes are submerged. If your potatoes are enormous, peel and dice one and see where it gets you.
moong dal: I highly recommend seeking out this yellow split lentil, because it really does offer a creamier, softer texture for this dish. If you really can’t find it, swap for red lentils. I wouldn’t omit lentils entirely, or you’ll just have a sweet potato curry (which, if that’s what you want, go for it).
kale: I picked mine fresh from the garden and highly recommend you use whatever is best available to you, too. Spinach and chard are the next best options. Avoid tough bitter greens like collard greens, which take quite a bit longer to cook properly (they’ll taste bitter if you toss them in at the end of this recipe).
this is about what the lentils look like after soaking for 30 minutes.
adding the potatoes and lentils.
sweet potato dal pairing options
I mean, you already know: naan, naan, naan! Dal is way better when scooped up with naan bread. I make mine from scratch when possible using this recipe. It makes about 8 pieces that save really well, even in the freezer. If you don’t have time for all that, pick up some naan at the grocery store. Otherwise, make a big batch of rice (or do both).
naan
basmati rice
roasted eggplant
grilled tandoori chicken
beef short ribs
samosas
sautéed paneer
after mashing the potatoes, the dal will be very thick. add broth or water to return it to a more brothy texture.
