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Recipe

Easy red lentil dal soup topped with sticky chicken

Prep time: 
10
Cook time: 
20
Skill level: 
Low
Serves: 
4
A bowl of creamy red lentil soup on a table, topped with sticky chicken, chopped tomatoes , cucumber and herbs.

Blend red lentil dal to create this creamy soup, topped with chicken and fresh vegetables. (ABC News: Zain Ayub)

Ismat Awan is Sydney-based multimedia culinary creative who blends her cultural heritage with modern cooking techniques. She works across a number of food publications and brands. She's on Instagram as @MadeByIsmat

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This is my take on a South Asian classic, masoor (red lentil) dal. 

In our household, dal has always been a staple, with Mum preparing it in countless delightful ways. I've captured the essence of those memories in this quick weeknight recipe. 

Picture a steaming bowl of creamy red lentil dal, topped with tender, sticky chicken. I've included an optional kachumber, a crisp and vibrant salad made from chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion and coriander. It's the perfect finishing touch and comes together quickly. 

Ready in under 30 minutes, this hearty loaded soup is both delicious and incredibly versatile. 

Tips: 

  • The thickness of the dal is a personal preference: I like mine on the thicker side, so 1 cup of red lentil to 2 ½ cups of liquid worked for me. But amend this as you like! Adding more stock will give you a runnier consistency. 
  • Ingredient substitutions, including dairy-free: If you don't have stock, use water and pump up the seasonings. If you want to use a dairy-free option, in place of the pouring cream, use coconut cream instead. If you don't have kecap manis, you can substitute with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon honey.
  • Amp up the flavour: Tardka is an aromatic tempered oil that goes atop dals and other dishes. If you'd like to add more of this flavour, lightly fry curry leaves, cumin seed and dried chilli in ghee and add to the sticky chicken.
  • I often like to make a big batch of the dal soup and freeze portions: That way, I can quickly defrost and top with whatever I have on hand, roasted veg, sticky chicken or crispy salmon throughout the week.
Ingredients on a chopping board for a loaded red lentil soup with chicken. Includes dried lentils, sliced chicken, spices.

There are plenty of substitutions available for this recipe, to help you cook with what you have on hand. (ABC News: Zain Ayub) (ABC News: Zain Ayub)

Easy red lentil dal soup topped with sticky chicken

Prep time: 
10
Cook time: 
20
Skill level: 
Low
Serves: 
4

Ingredients

For the dal soup:

For the sticky chicken:

For the Kachumber salad (optional)

Method

  1. In a medium sized pot, fitted with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the tomatoes, garlic and turmeric powder until the tomatoes have softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Stir in the red lentils, vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low, and cover with a lid. Gently simmer for 15-20 minutes or until lentils have cooked and dal has thickened.
  3. While the dal cooks, make the sticky chicken. In a large fry pan, heat the olive oil on high heat. Fry up the chicken until crispy and golden brown for 6-8 minutes.
  4. Stir through the salt, cumin, chili powder (optional) and cook out for 30 seconds. Add kecap manis and cook through for 1-2 minutes more until the sauce has reduced and is coating the chicken. Remove from the heat.
  5. Once dal is cooked, remove from heat. At this stage you can blitz it using a stick blender or high-speed blender if you prefer a creamier consistency (taking care if your using a blender with hot dal). Then, add in the cream and chili, if using. Stir to combine.
  6. If you're making the Kachumber time, simply mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
  7. To serve, ladle the dal soup into a bowl and top with sticky chicken. If using, top with kachumber salad and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
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