My pumpkin dal is a delicious fall dinner that's guaranteed to warm you up on chilly days! Made with creamy Indian-spiced coconut red lentils and sweet chunks of winter squash, it's super comforting, loaded with flavor, and really easy to make.
Pumpkin season is my favorite time of year. And by "pumpkin," I mean every type of winter squash that' you can only get in that's in season during the later months of the year. I tend to get excited and impulse buy way too much of it, in every variety I can get my hands on, which leads to me incorporating that squash into as many dishes as I can. It's a great way to come up with new recipes like butternut squash chana masala, spaghetti squash tacos, and vegan Japanese curry.
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This pumpkin dal might be my favorite though. Warmly spiced, creamy lentils are already the perfect meal for the cooler months of the year, but adding sweet chunks of squash takes it to the next level. This pumpkin dal includes traditional spices like you might find in my classic red lentil dal, but I leaned into the cozy warming vibes just a bit with a hint of cinnamon, lots of ginger, and garam masala.
It all comes together in one pot and is ridiculously easy. And boy does it make the house smell amazing! I'll be making this one on repeat all fall and winter long!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Vegetable oil. Any neutral high-heat oil you like to cook with will work. Canola oil, avocado oil, and peanut oil are all fine options.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Serrano pepper. This will add a bit of heat. You can skip it for a milder version.
- Spices. You'll need ground cumin, whole cumin seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and garam masala.
- Water.
- Split red lentils.
- Winter squash. I usually use butternut, because it's delicious and readily available year-round. Other sweet winter squashes like delicata and kabocha are also great when they're in season. Sugar pumpkin will work, but it'll be less sweet and less firm than other types. I don't recommend using larger carving pumpkins, which tend to be watery and have less flavor.
- Canned diced tomatoes.
- Coconut milk. Use canned coconut milk, and not the type in cartons for drinking, which is heavily watered down. Canned light coconut milk will do if you're trying to cut the fat content.
- Salt and pepper.
- Lemon juice. Stick with freshly squeezed lemon juice (not bottled) for the best flavor.
- Cooked rice. I highly recommend using basmati rice for this dish.
- Fresh cilantro.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cook the onion. Heat up your oil, then add diced onion. Cook it for a few minutes to soften it up, giving it an occasional stir.
Step 2: Cook spices and aromatics. Add your minced garlic, grated ginger, minced serrano pepper, ground cumin, cumin seeds, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon. Cook everything for about a minute, stirring constantly.
Step 3: First simmer. Add your water, red lentils, and diced squash. Bring it to a simmer, cover the pot and let it cook until the lentils and squash are tender, occasionally stirring.
Step 4: Second simmer. Uncover the pot and add your coconut milk, salt, and tomatoes. Let the dal continue simmering for a bit, until it thickens and the lentils are super soft.
Step 5: Finish the dal. Take the pot off of heat, then stir in the lemon juice and garam masala. Taste it and add more salt if desired, and some black pepper.
Step 6: Serve. Your pumpkin dal is done! Top it with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and serve it with rice. Some vegan naan is another delicious accompaniment if you want to go all out!
Variations
- Make it spicy. The serrano pepper adds some heat, but if you want more, season the dal with some cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
- Add veggies. Stir in some green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, or leafy greens. Just keep in mind that firmer veggies take longer to cook and should be added earlier, while softer ones will cook in less time and can be added later.
- Add toppings. Pile on some toasted cashews, peanuts, or coconut.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! The recipe as written includes no gluten-containing ingredients.
It has a mild kick from the serrano pepper, but you can omit it if you prefer no heat at all.
You could try it, but I haven't tested it myself, and it will likely give the dish a very different flavor and texture — less sweetness, no chunks of squash, and it'll be very creamy.
You can, but they will take longer to soften, and your dal will have more texture and an earthier flavor.
Your pumpkin dal will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Red Lentil Pumpkin Dal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 cups water
- 2 cups split red lentils
- 2 cups diced winter squash, 1-inch (Note 1)
- 1 (15 ounce/425 gram) can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk, from a can
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to taste — Note 2)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- Black pepper, to taste
For Serving:
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked basmati rice
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook it for about 5 minutes, until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, ground cumin, cumin seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the water, red lentils, and squash. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Give the mixture a good stir, then cover the pot. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils and squash are tender. Uncover the pot every few minutes to stir the mixture as it simmers.
- Remove the lid from the pot and stir in the tomatoes, coconut milk, and salt. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes more, until the mixture has thickened and is very creamy. You can add water if it gets too thick at any point.
- Take the pot off of heat, then stir in the lemon juice, garam masala, and black pepper. Season with additional salt to taste, if desired.
- Serve with rice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Butternut, acorn, delicata, and kabocha squash are all great options. Sugar pumpkin works but will not be as sweet.
- Start with 1 teaspoon if you tend to not like a lot of salt.
- Nutrition information does not include rice.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on ingredients, brands, portion sizes, and preparation methods.
Ate far too much of this!
I made it just as the recipe called for with fresh coconut milk that we made. It was so delicious. I will be making this regularly. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Have made this so many times for friends and family. Everyone has loved it and every person has asked for the recipe. Back to make again for a friend coming for lunch today and thought it’s about time I rated and thanked you! Appreciate your awesome recipe x
This has been my favorite recipe since I first found it years ago. I just made it for probably the 100th time. Thanks for it :)
I’m so happy I found this recipe. It really is the most loveliest Dahl. So easy and super quick to make from pantry and fridge staple items. I will make this again and again. Thank you so much!
OMG, this is one of our house holds favourite dahls! Have made it so many times, so good! a real crowd pleaser!
I'll confess I did quite a bit of tweaking to this recipe but the main component ingredients were spot on! And not because it wouldn't be yummy without. This is a perfect example of Northern style Indian Dahl. With a onion, garlic, ginger, tomato base. I have recently begun to self study ayurveda, a 5,000 year old medical system for balance and health. Ayurveda meaning life and vegan meaning science. I am trying to cure an imbalance my husband has
For his dosha (personal constitution its not a 1 fits all type deal) he has a bit too much heat and fire. Causing him irritability, stomach issues, rashes, and a fiery temperament. So we withheld the onions, garlic, and hot spices. Sweet tastes are very grounding and calming for pitta types..This was a great recipe we could adapt for this! We also swapped the pumpkin for sweet potato as we didnt have it, added a bit more liquid and cooked it up in the instant pot! I added a bit of cardamom powder and I had no cinnamon so added garam masala at the end. It was also very family friendly we served it with brown rice. Baby and toddler loved it! Thx for the inspiration! Dahl are so versatile and red lentils cook so quick love it!
so so nice. this is my third time making it. !!
First time I’ve cooked with Pumpkin and it was lovely! I tweaked a few ingredients and also added spinach and it’s was enjoyed by all!
This was absolutely delicious! I had some roasted pumpkin so I threw that in and it was amazing! Will definitely make it again.
Fantastic recipe! We used only 1.5 cups of water and was a perfect consistency. Will definitely make again!
Very nice. Looking forward to eating the leftovers today :)
Just made this recipe and it's delicious! I soaked the lentils overnight and added more chilli. Thanks for a great dish!
We have been making this a lot. We have an allergy to tomato and leave it out and add some extra stock. We also leave out the coconut milk for health reasons. It is still delicious. We usually add something green - like spinach. A favourite. Thanks for posting.
My husband who doesnt like sweet foods unless it's a dessert loved this! So did my toddler to my surprise cause it is spicy. I didnt have coconut milk and it was still delish. I also used fresh tomatoes and a kuri squash and again it was so good. Thx for the recipe!
I'm so happy it was a hit with your family! Thanks so much for sharing!
Can I use canned pumpkin? I know it won’t have the chunks and be more soupy.
I think that would work! The texture will be quite different and you might need to adjust the amount of spices, but I think it would be good!
I found that even after 30 minutes of cooking and adding a little more water that the red lentils were still not quite cooked. Any suggestions?
Is it possible that your lentils are a bit dated? Usually red lentils cook up super fast, so that's the only thing I can think of!
So delicious! I didn’t have any fresh garlic or dried chillies so went without and it was still so good. Thank you
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the recipe. Since saw, we share with our friends.
Perfect recipe! I made it exactly as you suggested and it is going to be my go to dahl from here on in. Thank you.
I wasn't sure from the recipe if the pumpkin was cooked or raw.
It's raw when you add it. :)