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Dinner recipe

Fragrant Red Lentil Squash Dal Rice with Lime and Coriander

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A mild vegan family dal with red lentils, butternut squash, coconut milk, tomatoes, spinach, lime, coriander, and basmati rice.

Start planningStart cookingIngredients
65 min745 kcal4 base servingsDinnerVeganFamily FriendlyBatch Friendly
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Recipe and nutrition estimates

Recipe times, servings, calories and nutrition notes are estimates for planning. They are not medical or dietary advice. Check food is cooked safely and adjust recipes for your household's needs.

Focus ingredients: red lentils, butternut squash, coconut milk, basmati rice

Dietary fit: Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-free, Gluten-free

Serving tip: Cool rice promptly in shallow portions, ideally within 1 hour, and refrigerate at 0–5°C. Use within 24 hours or an earlier ingredient use-by limit. Reheat only once until steaming hot throughout. Transport chilled with an ice pack. Repeat complete batches for larger households; sequential batches add the stated cooking time.

Red Lentil Squash Dal Rice plated and ready to serve.

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Ingredients

What you need

  • 250g red lentils
  • 600g butternut squash
  • 280g basmati rice
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 30g fresh ginger
  • 1 × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 150g baby spinach
  • 2 tsp mild curry powder
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 lime
  • 15g fresh coriander
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1260ml water

You'll also need

knife and chopping board, grater, measuring jug and scales, sieve, 4l mixing bowl, 4l saucepan with lid, 3l lidded rice saucepan, wooden spoon

Method

Step by step

Up to 8 clear steps
  1. Red Lentil Squash Dal Rice cooking step 1: Prep the dal.
    Step 1

    Prep the dal

    For more than four servings, divide all ingredients between separate four-serving batches before starting; use each batch’s share of the displayed total amounts in its own equipment. Finely chop the onion, grate the garlic and ginger, cut the butternut squash into 1.5cm cubes, rinse the red lentils until the water runs mostly clear, and roughly chop the coriander.

    10 min
  2. Red Lentil Squash Dal Rice cooking step 2: Cook the rice.
    Step 2

    Cook the rice

    Put the rinsed basmati rice and 560ml of the listed water in a 3l lidded saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes until tender. Follow a longer packet time if needed. Remove from the heat and rest covered for 3 minutes.

    14 min
  3. Red Lentil Squash Dal Rice cooking step 3: Build the spice base.
    Step 3

    Build the spice base

    Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion for 4 minutes until glossy, then stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and turmeric for 1 minute until fragrant.

    5 min
  4. Red Lentil Squash Dal Rice cooking step 4: Simmer the lentils.
    Step 4

    Simmer the lentils

    Add all squash, dry rinsed split lentils, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and 500ml of the listed water to the onion pan. Bring to a simmer and cook partly covered over low heat for 30–35 minutes, stirring regularly. Add up to the reserved 200ml water a little at a time if the mixture catches before the lentils soften. Continue until the lentils are soft and breaking down and the squash crushes easily with a spoon.

    20 min
  5. Red Lentil Squash Dal Rice cooking step 5: Wilt and brighten.
    Step 5

    Wilt and brighten

    Fold in the baby spinach for 2 minutes until just wilted. Squeeze in half the lime, stir through half the coriander.

    3 min
  6. Red Lentil Squash Dal Rice cooking step 6: Serve with rice.
    Step 6

    Serve with rice

    Fluff the rice with a fork, spoon it into bowls, top with the dal, and finish with the remaining coriander and lime wedges.

    3 min