Sweet Potato Dahl
Ready in just one hour, my sweet potato dal recipe is a quick and easy one-pot meal, perfect for lunch or dinner. I make it with warm Indian spices, kale, sweet potatoes, and yellow split peas. This dal is also vegan, gluten-free, and packed with flavor.
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
- My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to add the kale last. I wait until the end of cooking to prevent it from becoming mushy. For kale that keeps a bit of crunch, I cover the pot and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing it to cook in the residual heat. For a more tender texture, I return the pot to low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Cooking Methods: Whether I make this lentil and sweet potato dal on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker, the results turn out similarly. I use whichever method works best for my schedule.
- For Young Kids: I omit the cayenne and reduce the other spices to make the dal more kid-friendly and easier for little ones to enjoy.
- Extra Flavor: While this dal is already full of flavor, I sometimes use vegetable stock or broth instead of water to boost the taste even more.
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