Broccoli Dal (Broccoli with Lentils)

Red lentils and slightly crisp broccoli come together in this comforting, Indian Broccoli Dal stew.

What is Indian Dal?

If you’re familiar with Indian food, you’ve probably come across Dal, or at least heard of it.

That was the case for us.

We had heard of Dal, but didn’t really WHAT it was.

Until today.

In Indian cuisine, ‘dal’ is used to refer to a category of dried legumes including split beans, peas, and lentils. But, it is also used to refer to a spicy dish made with curry, onions and tomatoes.

Broccoli Dal with Lentils

The dish that inspired us to make this Dal was from Enriching Your Kid. She calls for ‘toor dal’ as the type of beans. We had to turn to Google to find out what type of legume that was, and according to Wikipedia, toor dal is a yellow pigeon pea. Now, I don’t think I’ve ever seen pigeon peas at our grocery stores, but I will be keeping a lookout from now on.

With a lack of pigeon peas, we decided to stick in a similar color pallet and use red lentils. (Which do tend to take on a yellowish hue when cooked.)

Instead of mixing the veggies into the lentil mixture for one big bowl of stew, like the original recipe suggests, we barely sautéed the broccoli so that it would stay crisp.

I love a good combination of textures, and this dish certainly gives a great combo with the soft lentils and crisp broccoli.

More lentil recipes from around the world

If you love lentils, you will love these other cultural recipes using lentils.

• Armenian Mshosh (lentil salad)
• Egyptian Kushari (pasta dish)
• Brazilian Lentil Soup with Kale
• Greek Fakes Lentil Soup
• Lightened up Indian Dal Makhani (Kidney Bean and Lentil Stew)

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5 from 1 vote

Broccoli Dal (Broccoli with Lentils)

Red lentils and slightly crisp broccoli come together in this comforting, Indian Broccoli Dal stew.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 3 - 4 people

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Slightly adapted from Enriching Your Kid

Ingredients

For The Lentils

• 1 c red lentils
• 2 c water
• 1 green chili pepper seeded and chopped
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp salt

For The Veggies

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 small tomatoes, diced
• 3 c broccoli, chopped
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

For The Lentils

• Combine lentils, water, chopped chili, turmeric, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until lentils are tender and water has been absorbed.

For The Veggies

• Heat oil in a large, non-stick saute pan. Add onions and garlic and saute over medium-high heat, 2-3 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add tomatoes, broccoli, cumin, and salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3-5 minutes, until broccoli is vibrant and tomatoes are soft.
• Serve broccoli mixture over the lentils with rice or flat bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.2g | Protein: 20.7g | Fat: 3.2g | Sodium: 819mg | Fiber: 24.5g | Sugar: 5.4g

Sarah - Curious Cuisiniere

Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.

www.curiouscuisiniere.com/about/