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A close up aerial view of a dark ceramic bowl filled with FODMAP friendly dahl. The dahl is topped with a chilli oil tadka, fried curry leaves, chopped coriander and a bit of yoghurt. The bowl is to the right of the image and sits on a dark blue backdrop

FODMAP friendly Daal (or not quite daal)

Vegan, nut free, FODMAP friendly
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Lentil soaking time 8 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Food Intolerance Friendly
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

For the daal:

  • 100-150 g red lentils soaked overnight (see notes)
  • 2-3 tablespoons oil of choice I used vegetable oil
  • 20 or so curry leaves reserve the remainder for the top optional
  • Coriander stems washed and chopped (only if you’re garnishing with coriander, can be omitted)
  • 1 bunch of spring onion greens
  • 50-100 g freshly grated ginger
  • 2-4 tablespoons (yes, tablespoons) ground cumin
  • 1/2 - 1 tablespoon garam masala use less for fresher spice blends
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric you could also use fresh to taste
  • Chilli flakes or powder to taste (optional)
  • 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste) I used table salt
  • Fresh pepper to taste
  • 1-2 cups (250-500ml) water
  • 2 medium carrots grated
  • 300-400 g Japanese or Kent pumpkin grated (see notes)
  • 1 X 400g tin plain chopped tomatoes
  • 1 X 400g tin coconut milk check that it doesn’t contain inulin
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon to taste

To finish:

  • Remaining curry leaves
  • 1 bunch coriander optional
  • Tadka optional (see notes)
  • Lactose free greek yoghurt or plant based yoghurt optional
  • Rice to serve

Instructions
 

  • Thoroughly wash and rinse your lentils from the night before. Grate and chop all your ingredients and have them ready to go.
  • Heat the oil in a large soup pot over a low-medium heat. Once warmed, add the curry leaves, coriander stems (if using) spring onion greens and ginger and stir to combine. Cook until softened and fragrant or for 2-3 minutes. Add a splash of water if they start to stick at any time.
  • Add the spices and seasoning and stir to combine. Allow them to cook off for a minute before adding the lentils, water, grated vegetables, chopped tomatoes and coconut milk. Stir to combine, then turn the heat down to low and pop a lid on. Cook the daal, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is soft, around 10-15 minutes.
  • Once the vegetables are soft, use an immersion blender (a soup stick) to puree the daal to a more daal like consistency. You can also use a blender, but you might need to cool the daal first (particularly if you are using a Nutribullet).
  • Add the lemon juice and taste the daal. Adjust the seasoning, spices and lemon juice to suit your tastes.
  • Serve with rice (or without) coriander, a bit of yoghurt and a tadka with the curry leaves, if you’re using it. See the section on tadka above for more information.

Notes

Red lentils are FODMAP friendly in 25g per person per serve. This dahl uses 150g red lentils to serve 6 people. Monash theorises that soaking them helps make them more digestible, so you might be able to eat a bit more than 25g per serve.
The daal uses carrots and pumpkin to bulk it out in a FODMAP friendly way. They are plain enough in flavour, FODMAP friendly, but also starchy enough to thicken up the daal as it cools (much like lentils normally do).
Japanese and Kent pumpkin have no consumption limit FODMAP wise, which is why I recommend them. 

Pureeing the daal helps create a thicker, more daal like consistency. The daal thickens up further as it cools, so I like to make it ahead of time if I can.
I only have access to supermarket spices, which aren’t that fresh. If you have access to good quality fresh spices, add them to their tastes as they will be stronger than the spices I have used.
100g of ginger is a lot! I know. I find that it works so well to create a nice flavour base for the daal, but you can use less if you like.
Some brands of coconut milk contain inulin, which is not FODMAP friendly. In Australia, I like TCC brand, which contains only coconut and water.
Keyword daal, low fodmap vegan
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