Sweet potato dahl with red lentils : plant-based & one-pot

overhead shot of sweet potato dahl with red lentils in black bowl with chopped cilantro, diced onions and red chili flakes on top.

Sweet potato dahl with red lentils is so ingrained in our recipe repertoire that whenever I suggest ‘dahl tonight?’ the enthusiastic ‘yes’ just assumed it’s all about this recipe. That’s for good reason, red lentil dahl with just 10 ingredients including loads of sweet potatoes is one of our all-time favorites.

bowl of sliced red onions, bowl of red lentils, bowl of chopped jalapenos, bowl of diced sweet potatoes, spoon of curry powder, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and turmeric

What we love about sweet potato dahl

Besides the fantastic flavor and natural sweetness of our favorite tuber, this is another one-pot recipe that doesn’t require anything fancy and you can even make a few substitutions if split red lentils, jalapenos or black mustard seeds allude you. Heck, I’ve even had an occasion where I used Japanese sweet potatoes or purple sweet potatoes when my beloved orange ones were all sold out. Seriously, was everybody in town making dahl that night?

And to be honest, as I gained more confidence and experience cooking Indian dishes, I've tweaked this recipe ever so slightly to the point it is today. Whereas in the past, I would have added ground cumin, today I am all in with toasting cumin seeds whenever it makes sense. What's great about a one-pot recipe like this is that you can start out toasting a teaspoon of cumin seeds and black mustard seeds (use yellow if you can't find black). Then you just start layering everything on as you go.

The second part I love about cooking this particular dahl is that it goes so quickly. It takes 1 minute to toast the seeds, then you just saute the onions and jalapenos, add the tomatoes, curry powder, and turmeric and give it a quick stir. After that, it's just diced sweet potatoes, lentils, and broth. That's a cover, simmer and eat kinda dinner that we honestly love.

Diced sweet potatoes are cooked in pot with tomatoes, broth and red lentils and stirred with wooden spoon.

The secret that isn't

One of the other wonderful things about sweet potatoes is their ability to create a creamy, velvety texture. It doesn't matter if you are making this lovely sweet potato dahl recipe or Chilean sweet potato stew, or Thai sweet potato curry, The secret is the same - time and liquid. For this recipe, I found 6 cups of vegetable broth (or water) about the right amount for 2 cups of split red lentils along with the potatoes.

I'm a sensible cook (most of the time) and I realize that my 2 cups of diced sweet potatoes might not be the same as yours. For one thing, we would never sacrifice a few leftover potato cubes for the sake of a perfect measure. And realistically, I've rarely had the experience of getting the exact measure or weight of potatoes for any recipe. They don't cooperate with me like that.

This is my roundabout way of letting you know that if you have a few extra cubes of potatoes you might discover you need a bit more broth or water as your dahl simmers. It’s better when you’re simmering lentils if you have a little too much rather than too little.

Cooked red lentils and sweet potato in black pot with wooden spoon and red chili flakes.

The split with lentils

There are a few different kinds of lentils out there. Ok, there are more than I can list, but when I’m considering anything with red lentils (which I do a lot), there are two kinds on my mind. Whole and split. Simple. Personally, I love using the split kind because they cook quicker and usually my intention is red lentil dahl so I want them to completely break down.

In defense of whole red lentils, they will also break down into a wonderful creaminess. It might just take a bit longer, that’s all. That’s one of those minor adjustments you get to make when you cook. Just be sure to watch the liquid and taste the lentils to make sure they are falling apart. A little lentil integrity of original shape is fine, but you never want to eat al dente lentils. Well, maybe you do, but your stomach will likely advise you otherwise.

Besides, the ideal consistency of dahl, at least for my big bowl preference is a thick, velvety soup. A spicy, melt-in-your-mouth experience and one you are happy to repeat for this and future settings. That luxurious sensation plus the heartiness of the mushy sweet potatoes and creamy lentils along with the flavorful spices makes this a one-stop dinner in-a-bowl meal. This is no starter soup. At most you might consider a simple 5-minute cucumber salad or maybe some flatbread to scoop it up.

If you want to doll it up a bit, you can’t go wrong with some finely chopped red onion and/or chopped coriander. Depending on how the jalapenos are and if I’ve partaken of the medium, not the hot curry powder, a few red chili flakes might also be welcome.

purple flat bread is dipped into post of cooked red lentils and sweet potatoes in blue bowl with chopped cilantro and diced red onions.

Final thoughts

I waited until adulthood to learn about dahl and other Indian dishes. It wasn’t part of my family’s recipe repertoire. It took years, a move across the ocean, a bit of travel, and the inspiration to expand my eating adventures to get me to the sweet potato dahl I now make as a routine.

After gathering all those great recipes, it was with a certain delight that I realized I could take them all with me when I decided to eat plant-based (and oil-free) exclusively. I learned that all my favorite recipes and a constant gathering of new guest recipes could easily become tweaked (if that were required) to join the party table. Our plant-based ‘routine’ isn’t nearly so routine, but there’s always room for favorites. I sincerely hope this easy sweet potato dahl becomes one of yours too. Peace.