Alright, I am so excited to share this Indian Mango Dal (sweet and spicy lentils) with you today! It is such a unique and seriously delicious recipe! I recently learned that dal (or dhal) is a very common dish with many different varieties, that is made all across India. The basic dish contains lentils or other legumes flavored with aromatics and spices. Here, I used a blend of three lentils (found at Costco) and mango that I cooked in a more traditionally Southern India style—more souplike. You could serve this dish over basmati rice or with roasted chicken, or serve it as a soup (like I did pictured above) So good and so good for you! You will change the color of the dish by changing the type of lentil. Try a red or yellow lentil and it will be bright and pretty. This recipe is so good! My whole family loved it and the leftovers froze beautifully!
Did you know how incredibly healthy lentils are? They are small but mighty nutritionally!
Here are 6 reasons you should eat more lentils:
1 They are very high in fiber--Lentils are one of the most fiber-rich foods you can find, having high contents of both soluble and insoluble fiber. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, one cup of lentils provides you with 63% of your daily value of fiber. WOW! Fiber lowers your cholesterol, helps keep your digestive system in top shape and even helps to keep your blood sugar stable.
2 Lentils will keep you feeling energized since they’re so full of slow burning complex carbohydrates, fiber, and iron.
3 Eat them for your heart! Not only is the fiber in lentils amazing for keeping your heart healthy (getting rid of all that bad cholesterol), but it also has other nutrients that do that as well. Two things called folate and magnesium are also proven to be helpful in helping your heart!
4 They are an excellent source of plant protein. Lentils are very protein-rich for being the size that they are, giving you 36% of your recommended daily protein intake in just one cup.
5 They are low in calories. One cup of lentils contains only about 230 calories. So being able to get more than 2/3 of your daily fiber and 1/3 of your daily protein in only about 230 calories is pretty awesome! Cleary, adding Lentils to your diet will aid weight loss in a very healthy way.
6 They are a good source of carbs. Lentils are little nutritional powerhouses that can be an excellent substitute for “bad carbohydrates” (processed carbs) , like white pasta and white rice, in your diet. Their low caloric content, high protein, and high fiber make them the perfect ingredient to keep you full and provide you with all the goodness you need in your day. (Source)
Does that make you want to add some lentils to your next meal?! It sure inspired me to eat more lentils this year. I have been expirmenting with different lentil recipes and will of course share my favorites with you!
xoxo
Here are some previously posted lentil recipes:
Ina Garten’s Stewed Lentils and Tomatoes
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Indian Mango Dal (sweet and spicy lentils)
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow lentils
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1/4 tsp cumin if you don’t have seeds)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Place lentils in a colander and rinse until the water runs clear. Combine lentils, 4 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt and turmeric in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant and starting to brown, about 30 seconds. Add onion; cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cayenne and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
- Stir the garlic mixture and mangoes into the lentils. Return to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes more. Stir in cilantro.
Recipe on the back of the bag of Earthly Choice Lentil Trio
I am so glad you like it so much! That is so great to hear!!
This is an incredible recipe!! My whole family loves it and we had guests that raves about it too.