Low-Calorie • Vegetarian • Gluten-Free

Active 35 min

Total 1 hr

Winter Vegetable Dal

This Southern Indian–inspired dal is rich and creamy thanks to light coconut milk and it gets exotic flavor from coconut oil that you infuse with spices before adding in all the other ingredients. Serve with flatbread or naan. Look for red lentils in the natural-foods section of your supermarket or in natural-foods stores. Garam masala is a blend of cardamom, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, fennel, cumin and coriander; it is available in the spice section of most supermarkets.

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 12 fresh curry leaves (see Tip) or 1 large bay leaf
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 serrano chile, finely diced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4½ cups water
• 1½ cups red lentils, rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can “lite” coconut milk
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2½ cups cubed peeled butternut squash
• 2 cups cauliflower florets (1-inch)
• 1 large Yukon Gold potato (about 8 ounces), cut into ½-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves (if using) and cook until the seeds begin to pop, about 20 seconds. Add onion, chile, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is starting to brown, about 5 minutes.

2. Add bay leaf (if using), water, lentils, coconut milk, salt and turmeric to the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to make sure the lentils don’t stick to the bottom. Add squash, cauliflower and potato; return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Remove from heat; stir in garam masala and lime juice.

Serves 6: 1⅔ cups each

Calories 342 | Fat 10g (sat 7g) | Cholesterol 0mg | Carbs 50g | Total sugars 3g (added 0g) | Protein 15g | Fiber 9g | Sodium 618mg | Potassium 737mg.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (112% daily value) | Vitamin C (48% dv) | Folate (33% dv) | Iron (27% dv).

Find fresh curry leaves in the produce section (and sometimes in the freezer) at Asian markets. Any unused leaves can be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.