South AsianSoup / stew

Sizzle & Spice Dal Bowl

A red lentil and spinach dal over brown rice with tender tofu, pumpkin-seed crunch and a hot cumin-chilli sesame tempering.

Eat nowMake-aheadContains sesame, soy
Hands-on30 minTotal time38 minEnergy738 kcalProtein33g
Recipe details
HeartyEasy-goingFreezer-friendly

Equipment: Hob

Keep chilled after cooking

Sizzle & Spice Dal Bowl
Servings1 standard portionAdjust

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Standard portions

About 700 kcal per adult reference portion

Making 1 standard portion. Ingredients, instructions and Cooking Mode update together.

Doubling up barely adds effort and covers another mealtime.

Ingredients

Rice

Dal

Finish

Tempering

Toppings

Now we make

Method

Do the night before

  1. 1
    Defrost 130g cooked brown rice overnight in the fridge if using frozen

These steps sit outside the cooking-day clock.

30 min hands-on 38 min altogether
  1. 2
    Toast 13g pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant; let it cool before using
    πŸ– 3 min
  2. 3
    Heat 9ml olive oil, cook Β½ white onion until golden (~8 min), add 1Β½ clove garlic and 7g ginger, stir 1 minute
    πŸ– 9 min
  3. 4
    Add ΒΎ tsp cumin, Β½ tsp ground coriander, ΒΌ tsp turmeric, and 1 pinch chilli flakes. Stir constantly 60 seconds until toasty
    πŸ– 1 min
  4. 5
    Rinse 55g dry red lentils under cold water, then drain. Add red lentils, 90g chopped tomato, and 310ml House Veggie Broth. Simmer 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and collapsing into a creamy dal
    πŸ– 4 minπŸ’€ 14 min unattended
  5. 6
    Meanwhile, warm brown rice in a covered pan with a splash of water over low heat 5-6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until heated through
    πŸ– 6 min
  6. 7
    Fold 65g cubed firm tofu and 44g spinach into the dal, cook 2-3 minutes until spinach wilts. Season well
    πŸ– 3 min
  7. 8
    Just before serving, heat 7ml sesame oil in a small pan until shimmering. Add ΒΌ tsp cumin seeds and 1 dried chilli, then fry for 20-30 seconds until fragrant and sizzling
    πŸ– 2 min
  8. 9
    Stir 26ml lemon juice into the dal, spoon brown rice into a bowl and ladle the dal over the top, pour the sizzling tempering straight over so it crackles, then top with pumpkin seeds
    πŸ– 2 min

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Nutrition details

Nutrition is shown for one standard portion, not the whole batch selected above.

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Nutrition summary

At a glance

Higher inVitamin KPhosphorusMagnesium
Lower inCholine

Worth noticing: Saturated Fat uses more than half of the daily limit in this portion.

Calories

738kcal

35%
Top contributors
Red Lentils Β· 24%Brown Rice Β· 20%Firm Tofu Β· 14%
18% cal

Protein

33.4g

53%
Top contributors
Red Lentils Β· 39%Firm Tofu Β· 25%Pumpkin Seeds Β· 12%
42% cal

Carbs

77.4g

Top contributors
Red Lentils Β· 38%Brown Rice Β· 36%White Onion Β· 6%
40% cal

Fat

32.8g

47%
Top contributors
Olive Oil Β· 25%Sesame Oil Β· 21%Firm Tofu Β· 20%

Small numbers, big impact

Everyday essentials

Fibre14.79g
50%
Top contributors
Red Lentils Β· 40%Brown Rice Β· 14%Chilli Β· 10%
Vitamin B120.00ΞΌg
0%
Vitamin D0.00ΞΌg
0%
Iodine0.00ΞΌg
0%
Iron12.01mg
67%
Top contributors
Red Lentils Β· 34%Firm Tofu Β· 15%Cumin Β· 14%
Zinc5.85mg
53%
Top contributors
Red Lentils Β· 34%Firm Tofu Β· 18%Pumpkin Seeds Β· 17%
Calcium408.70mg
41%
Top contributors
Firm Tofu Β· 55%Spinach Β· 11%House Veggie Broth Β· 8%

Nutrients food alone won't reliably cover

These three are commonly under-consumed across all diets, not just plant-based ones - the difference is mainly B12, which has no whole plant food source at all.

  • Vitamin B12: is absent from whole plant foods entirely - the number above only reflects fortified ingredients (nutritional yeast, fortified soy milk). A reliable B12 supplement or fortified source is the standard recommendation for a fully plant-based diet, regardless of what any single day's total shows.
  • Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): most people fall short here regardless of diet - the typical omnivore diet doesn't include much oily fish either. This app only tracks ALA, the plant form (flax, walnuts, hemp, chia). The body converts some ALA to EPA and very little to DHA - the forms most directly used by the brain, eyes and heart - and that conversion is inefficient. An algae-oil supplement is the usual plant-based way to get EPA/DHA directly; it won't show up as an ingredient in any recipe here.
  • Vitamin D: deficiency is widespread across all diets, not just plant-based ones - it's mostly absent from whole plant foods here, and even the fortified soy milk and yogurt tracked don't cover the full target from food alone. Reasonable sun exposure or a D2/D3 supplement is the standard recommendation.

Not medical advice - if you're eating fully plant-based long-term, it's worth a conversation with a GP or dietitian, and a blood test is the reliable way to check where you actually stand.

See the full supplement guide (incl. creatine) β†’
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