Sweet Potato Dahl
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Ready in just one hour, sweet potato dahl is a fast and easy one-pot meal perfect for lunch or dinner! This dahl is made with with warm Indian spices, kale, sweet potatoes, and yellow split peas. It also happens to be vegan, gluten-free, and full of delicious flavors!
Dahl (or dal / daal) is a staple in Indian cuisine, and has always been a favorite dish of mine! There’s something about the warmth of the spices that’s so comforting to me, making this delicious meal a go-to any time of year.
For this sweet potato dahl recipe, I wanted to transform traditional dahl, which is simply lentils cooked with spices, and make it a bit heartier. This veggie dahl combines lentils and sweet potatoes with kale, onion, garlic, and ginger for a wholesome, flavorful meal the whole family can enjoy.
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This simple recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you are short on time but crave nourishing comfort food. You can also make it ahead of time to meal prep for lunches or when hosting a dinner party.
If you prefer smooth soups with Indian flavor, give this curried cauliflower soup a try!
👩🏽🍳 Why You’ll Love Sweet Potato Dahl
- Customizable: You can modify the spice level to make it richer or more bland depending on your preference. I like my dishes to pack a punch, so I added a heavy dose of Indian spices.
- Nutrient Rich: Thanks to the veggies and split peas, this sweet potato kale dahl is loaded with plant-based protein and fiber! It is a filling, hearty meal that is both healthy and tasty.
- Easy To Make: This sweet potato dal recipe is fairly easy to make with just a few steps and 15 minutes of prep! It is bound to be one of your new favorite recipes to add to weekly meal plans.
- Kid-Friendly: The creamy texture of the sweet potatoes and tenderness of the lentils make this a winning dish for kids! If your children don’t like spice, you can omit the cayenne.
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🥘 Ingredients
Find everything you need at the local grocery store or Indian store! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for detailed instructions and nutritional information.
- Vegetables: This healthy sweet potato dahl combines chopped onion, sweet potato, and kale into a hearty, nourishing dish.
- Spices: You’ll use aromatic Indian spices like cumin seeds, ground cumin, black mustard seeds, curry powder, salt, and cayenne pepper!
- Olive Oil: Use olive oil to saute the veggies and infuse the spice flavors.
- Fresh Ginger & Garlic: A fragrant blend of minced ginger and minced garlic cloves take this dish to the next level.
- Yellow Split Peas: The main ingredient and star of this recipe, yellow split peas (or chana dal) are a must!
🍲 Ingredient Substitutions
- Vegetables: Feel free to switch up the veggies or add in your favorites! Butternut squash, pumpkin, corn, carrots, green chili, or fresh tomatoes would all work well in this dahl. You can use yellow onion if you don’t have red onion on hand.
- Spices: Play around with the spices, using garam masala, ground coriander, black pepper, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, or dash of red curry paste. You can even use some fresh coriander, curry leaves, or spring onions in place of the ginger and garlic.
- Oil: Use avocado oil or coconut oil in place of the olive oil, if preferred.
- Lentils: Feel free to substitute any type of lentil in this dahl, like red lentils or green lentils. You can also use chickpeas or black eyed peas if you wish. Cooking time will vary depending on what you choose!
🔪 How To Make Sweet Potato Dahl
Even if this is your first time making dahl, the process is sure to be easy and smooth! Here is how to make vegan sweet potato dahl:
Prep Ingredients: Wash the yellow split peas thoroughly, and chop up the onions and sweet potatoes into small pieces.
Saute Spices: Heat a large pot (or large saucepan) over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Pour the cumin seeds and mustard seeds into the oil. Let them cook for a few seconds until they start to pop. As soon as they begin to pop, add the finely minced cloves of garlic and ginger, onions, and cumin powder. Cook for a few minutes.
Add Rest Of Ingredients: Add the sweet potatoes, water, split peas, and 2 Tbsp curry powder. Stir well.
Cook: If using a pressure cooker, seal the cooker and bring it up to high pressure. Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes; then remove from the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. If you’re cooking it in a regular pot, cover the large pot and bring to a gentle simmer until the split peas are tender and beginning to break down, about an hour. Stir regularly to make sure that the split peas don’t stick to the bottom of the pan, and add a little water if necessary.
Add Kale & More Spices: While the soup is cooking, wash the kale and remove and discard the tough central rib. Chop the leaves coarsely. When the split peas are cooked, add the kale to the pot. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, and additional 2 Tbsp curry powder (use less spice if you don’t like things too spicy). Add additional water if the soup is too thick. Cover the pot.
Serve: Serve warm, with brown rice, naan, whole wheat tortillas, or on its own!
💭 Expert Tips
- Cooking Methods: Whether you make this lentil and sweet potato dahl on the stovetop or in the pressure cooker, the results will be similar. Use whichever method works best for you.
- For Young Kids: Omit the cayenne and reduce the other spices to make the dahl more palatable for little ones.
- Extra Flavor: While this is already super flavorful, you can use vegetable stock or vegetable broth instead of water to enhance the taste even more!
- Add Kale Last: Don’t add the kale until the end of the cooking process to avoid overcooking it into a mushy texture.
- For kale that retains some crunch, leave the pot covered for 5 or 10 minutes without heating, allowing the kale to cook in the heat of the soup.
- For kale that is more tender, you may return the pot to low heat for 10 minutes.
📖 Variations
- Roasted Sweet Potato Dahl: Dice the sweet potatoes and spread them out onto a large roasting tray. Bake at 400 F until soft and lightly browned. Add the roasted sweet potato cubes to the dahl and continue with the rest of the steps!
- Spinach Lentil Dahl: Swap the kale for baby spinach in this vegan dal recipe! It tastes very similar with a bit of a softer texture that some might prefer.
- Make It Creamy: Give this vegan dahl recipe a creamy twist by adding a can of coconut milk (whole or light coconut milk works), swapping out some of the water.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
The traditional way to serve dahl is with a scoop of rice or naan bread. I suggest serving it with brown rice to increase the nutritional value, as well as looking for whole wheat naan or a whole wheat tortilla if you choose to go with that option. However, white basmati rice is super delicious too!
This easy sweet potato dahl is a complete meal all on its own, but can be served with different toppings or alongside your favorite dishes:
- Toppings: Add a drizzle of coconut chutney, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a dash of lime juice, red chili flakes, or fresh cilantro on top of the sweet potato dal.
- With Veggie Dishes: While dal with kale and sweet potatoes is already very veggie-forward, I still love adding more on the side! Try it out with Indian cabbage with peas or other Indian vegetables!
- With Sides: I love to enjoy a side dish of this healthy Indian fried rice with the dahl! Or try it with traditional Indian samosas which have a curried vegetable filling.
🙌 Dietary Adaptations
This plant based dahl with sweet potatoes already meets many dietary needs. It is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free without lacking any flavor! If you want to skip the oil, you can use butter or coconut butter depending on your diet!
🫙 Storage Directions
Here is how to store and keep this sweet potato and lentil dahl:
- Refrigerating: Allow leftovers to cool before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator. It will keep for 4-5 days.
- Freezing: You can also freeze this sweet potato dahl soup, using freezer-safe airtight containers. It will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- Reheating: When ready to reheat next time, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bring the lentil soup to a simmer in a large pan. Serve and enjoy!
❓Recipe FAQs
CAN YOU EAT DAHL ON ITS OWN?
Absolutely! Dahl is a hearty dish that can be enjoyed either on its own or with sides. I personally recommend pairing with some whole wheat naan or roti, but that’s really all you need! With protein-rich lentils or split peas, it is super filling and satisfying! Plus, this dahl is loaded with fiber from veggies, keeping you full for hours.
HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN DAHL?
Every dahl recipe will vary a bit, but this gluten free sweet potato dahl has 311 calories per serving! This is relatively low for a main course option so you might find it suitable for a low-calorie diet.
DO YOU NEED TO RINSE LENTILS BEFORE COOKING?
It is best to rinse the lentils before cooking to wash away dust and debris. Most importantly, you want to pick through the lentils to remove any larger debris like small stones. This would not be ideal to bite into!
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE DAHL IS COOKED?
The dahl will be ready once the veggies are soft and the lentils are tender. You can try a bite to test it out! Just be sure to let it cool so you do not burn your mouth!
WHAT ARE THE BEST LENTILS TO USE FOR DAHL?
I like to use yellow split peas, but you can also make this as a sweet potato and red lentil dahl! Green lentils can also be used for a slightly firmer consistency to the lentils. Keep in mind that the cook time will vary with each lentil, so monitor your dahl as it simmers.
HOW DO I PREVENT MY DAHL FROM BECOMING TO THICK OR TOOK THIN?
Keep an eye on the dahl as it cooks, ensuring that there is enough liquid! If it becomes too thick, add in some water to lighten it up. If it is too thin, try adding in additional veggies or using an immersion blender to partially blend some of the soup. This will naturally thicken the consistency.
🥣 More Healthy Indian Recipes!
- Red Lentil Dahl
- Instant Pot Dal Makhani
- Sweet Potato Cauliflower Curry
- Vegan Biryani With Cauliflower
- Curried Cauliflower Soup
- Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
- Chana Aloo Masala
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📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Sweet Potato Dahl
Ready in just one hour, sweet potato dahl is a fast and easy one-pot meal perfect for lunch or dinner! This dahl is made with with warm Indian spices, kale, sweet potatoes, and yellow split peas. It also happens to be vegan, gluten-free, and full of delicious flavors!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 311kcal
Ingredients
- 2 red onions chopped
- 1½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp finely minced fresh ginger
- 5 cloves finely minced garlic
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 cups water
- 3 cups dried yellow split peas picked over and rinsed (this is chana dal in the Indian store)
- 3-4 tbsp curry powder or less/more to taste
- 2 tsp salt more or less to taste
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 1 bunch kale, chopped about 4-6 cups chopped
Instructions
- Wash the yellow split peas thoroughly, and chop up the onions and sweet potatoes
- Heat a large pot over medium high heat and add in the canola oil. Pour the cumin seeds and mustard seeds into the oil, let them cook for a few seconds until they start to pop. As soon as they begin to pop, add the onions, ginger, garlic and cumin powder, cook for a few minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes, water, split peas, and 2 Tbsp curry powder. Stir well.
- If using an Instant Pot, seal the Instant Pot and bring it up to high pressure. Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes; then natural release. If you’re cooking it in a regular pot, cover the pot and simmer until the split peas are tender and beginning to break down, about an hour. Stir regularly to make sure that the split peas don’t stick to the bottom of the pan, and add water if necessary.
- While the soup is cooking, wash the kale and remove and discard the tough central rib. Chop the leaves coarsely.
- When the split peas are cooked, add the kale to the pot. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, and additional 2 Tbsp curry powder (use less spice if you don’t like things too spicy) and add additional water if the soup is too thick. Cover the pot. For kale that retains some crunch, simply leave the pot covered for 5 or 10 minutes without heating, allowing the kale to cook in the heat of the soup. For kale that is more tender, you may return the pot to low heat for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute any type of lentil in this dahl. You can also use chickpeas or black eyed peas if you wish. Keep in mind when you make changes, the nutritional information and flavors may change as well.
- Whether you make the sweet potato dahl on the stovetop or in the pressure cooker, the results will be similar. Use whichever method works best for you.
- For young kids, omit the cayenne and reduce the other spices to make it more palatable.
- Don’t add the kale until the end of the cooking process. It can turn from a bright vibrant green color to a dark green color if cooked too long.
- Feel free to switch up the veggies or add in your favorites! Butternut squash, pumpkin, corn, carrots or baby spinach would all work well in this dahl.
Nutrition
Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 54.5g | Protein: 17.1g | Fat: 5.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 251.7mg | Fiber: 11.6g | Sugar: 9.9g
I cannot wait to try this amazing recipe! Everything about it sounds delicious and so healthy. Definitely on the menu for next week!
Thanks so much Patty!! You will love this dahl!
This looks fantastic! I can’t wait to make this for dinner tonight! So excited!
Yay!! I know you’ll love this recipe Beth!
This soup is so packed with flavor and nutrients! The cayenne pepper adds a nice hint of heat.
Thanks so much Alison! So glad you all enjoyed it!
This was awesome. I added some browned lamb to it, the kids loved it.
Glad to hear it James!
We love this meal! The kale adds great crunch and colour. Thanks for helping me learn to cook Indian
Yay!! So happy to hear that 🙂 Thanks for letting me know Jess!
Hello Anjali,
I am wanting to cook Indian food at home, but it never seems to have the same heat and spiciness that Indian cooks get. I am wondering 1) what do you mean by curry powder? surely not that pale yellow bland stuff that is sold in supermarkets as curry powder? 2) I have some small garbanzos that I got at Rainbow grocery that are supposedly channa. These seem to be different than split yellow peas. If I can’t find split yellow peas, should I use these or a red lentil instead? Also, 3) when a recipe calls for a hot green pepper, should I use serrano? jalapeno? or is there a traditional indian green pepper that I should look for?
Thank you for your wonderful blog!
Beth
Hi Beth! Thank you so much for these great questions! 🙂 So to answer your questions: 1) Actually yes – I do mean “curry powder” – yellowish, sold as a spice in most supermarkets. However – you have to get really good quality curry powder to get the depth and spiciness – most chain grocery stores won’t have a good quality curry powder. I’d recommend Trader Joe’s curry powder, or Spicely (which you can find online and at most Whole Foods stores). I promise, the good quality versions taste great! 2) I’m not sure about the small garbanzos, but yes you can basically use any lentil in place of these yellow split peas (which are also sold as Chana Dal in Indian grocery stores). 3) I would use a serrano pepper – or at the Indian grocery store you can find Indian green chiles – which are perfect. You can also use cayenne pepper as a substitute – it won’t have the exact flavor but it will be close. Hope this all helps – let me know how this recipe turns out for you!
Hi Anjali,
Just wanted to let you know that this dal has become a staple in our house. We tried the Trader Joe’s curry powder, but it had cinnamon and nutmeg, and seemed too sweet to us. Then we tried the Spicely and it was fantastic! We omitted the cayenne – the Spicely is hot enough. Thank you so much!
Yaayy!! I’m so happy to hear that Beth! Spicely curry powder is also one of my fav brands – and makes sense about the cayenne too – it’s important to adjust all Indian recipes to your own spice preferences 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Wow! That was delicious…and I’d be hard pressed to find a healthier combination of ingredients. I made 2/3 of the recipe and we had a enough for a couple meals. Eight minutes is perfect for the pressure cooker; the sweet potatoes were soft and the chana were still intact. Thanks!
Yaaay! That is so great Tim! I’m so happy to hear that. And yes – using the pressure cooker cuts down on the cutting time immensely. I love eating this dal as leftovers – you are right that this recipe makes more than enough for that!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was great! Mine came out a little thinner than yours so I would say to cut back the water to 7 cups if you are making this in a pressure cooker. You weren’t kidding about the big serving size- it was 2 cups per serving! Thanks for another great recipe!
Ohhh yeah – in a pressure cooker I would imagine that you would need less water. I’m not brave enough to use a pressure cooker yet 🙂 So glad you liked this recipe!!
Hi!
I cooked it yesterday and today we are going to try it! I just added tomatoes because I wanted to give a mediteranean taste.
Thank you for the nice recipies!!
Woohoo! How did you like it?? Love the addition of the tomatoes – I’m sure that made it taste even better!
I tried this last night! Amazing!! I made two batches and in the second one I added a couple fresh tomatoes! Both were delicious! This might have to become my go to dinner!
Aww yay!! I am so glad to hear that Nisha! And the addition of the tomatoes sounds absolutely perfect – I’ll be doing that next time for sure!
I am trying the Dal tonight! Looks so Delicious!! an all in one meal!!!!!
Woohoo!! That’s why I love this dish so much – one-pot meals are so convenient and healthy, they’re the best!
Great blog, the food looks beautiful, also a great meal for a stable diet!
Thank you so much Jason!! I can’t wait to hear how you like this recipe! 🙂
I love this recipe!
Check out this healthy eating recipe ebook I found it’s got over 370 recipes! It’s one of the best books on healthy eating I have!
Click on the link to take you to it
https://3027fieonz-0vm3qvcw9j06lbk.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=8868
Thanks Matt!
This looks so good that I think I will make it and Indian for dinner tomorrow night! I need some Berkley Bowl in my life! I am coming out hte last weekend in April and would love to get together! Let me know if you are around!
🙂
I am totally around the last week of April!!! I would LOVE to see you 🙂 Once you finalize the dates of your trip just let me know – can’t wait til you’re here!!
I am so excited to make this. My boyfriend’s (he’s Indian and i’m not) mother has “taught” me how to make daal a few times by having me help her, but i’m just too afraid to do it without a recipe! This seems like an awesome healthy twist on what she does. Thanks!
Haha! Omg I totally know what you mean – my dad tried to “teach” me to how to make dal a bunch of times, but I could never make it on my own until I got the exact proportions / measurements of the spices from him – so I completely understand! I’m sure you’ll both love this recipe when you make it 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!
This looks amazing. I’m assuming that I can subsitute red lentils for the yellow split peas. I have those in my pantry.
You absolutely can!! I’m sure you’ll love this when you make it! 🙂