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Red Lentil Coconut Dhal with Sweet Potato & Kale
Coconut milk makes this Indian-inspired dish creamy and stew-like. Caramelized sweet potato adds a touch of sweetness and body, chopped kale brings a flash of green, and red chili lends a pop of colour and heat.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 to 2 tbsp coconut oil
- a smallish sweet potato, chopped small (about 1-1/2 cups)
- 1/2 to 1 onion, chopped (at least 1/2 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red chili pepper, seeded, halved lengthwise & sliced thin
- 1 cup chopped kale (leafy part from 1 or 2 stalks)
- 2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp kalonji (also known as nigella seeds)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 398 ml can coconut milk
- 200 gr red lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water (plus more if required)
How To Make This Recipe
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Heat the oil in a large cooking pot (smaller than a Dutch oven), and sauté the sweet potato for about five minutes over medium to medium high heat, stirring from time to time, until nicely caramelized. Add the onion, garlic and red chili pepper and stir well.
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After a couple of minutes sprinkle in the spices. You want to cook this for a few minutes, stirring frequently, to develop the flavour of the spices. If the mixture looks too dry, add the remaining 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil.
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Stir in the kale, and then add the coconut milk, a half cup of water and the red lentils. Stir well, cover and and bring to a boil, then put the heat to the lowest setting. If the mixture looks too thick, add the remaining water. Taste and adjust the seasonings as required. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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The final texture should be creamy, with the sweet potatoes tender and almost melting about the edges. The lentils, to my way of thinking, should have just a bit of bite to them.