Vegan Dalcha – South Indian Lentil Meat stew

This South Indian Lentil meat stew – Dalcha, has lentils or split peas cooked with spices, coconut cream and meat to make a hearty stew that is served with rice Biryani. We use soycurls to make a glorious vegan dalcha.

Continuing this year with regional Indian cuisine with this delicious stew! Dalcha is a meat and lentil stew from Southern Indian cuisine, and it’s incredibly delicious. Dalcha usually contains lamb, but I’m using soy curls as the meat substitute.

You can also use seitan or other vegan chicken substitutes instead, if you don’t want to use soy curls. Or just omit and make a lentil stew.

Dalcha most often has Chana dal or toor dal as the lentils of choice. I use red lentils to make it a quicker meal. Dalcha has a fabulous blend of spices that work to elevate the lentils as well as the meat.

This recipe is a one-pot dish that you can serve over rice or with flatbread. It is often served with rice or biryani.

Why You’ll Love Vegan Dalcha

• delicious, hearty, Southern Indian stew
• one-pot, 35 minute meal
• gluten-free and nut-free with a soy-free option

More Vegan Dal Recipes

• Masoor Dal Tadka
• Dhaba-Style Butter Dal
• Punjabi Dal Fry
• Turmeric Spinach Golden Lentil Dal
• Mom’s Moong Dal

Ingredients and Substitutions

• oil – To sauté.
• whole spices – Cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, and a cinnamon stick toasted in oil bring the first layer of flavor to this vegan dalcha.
• aromatics – Onion, chili, ginger, and garlic are the next flavor layer. You can reserve some of the onion mixture to use as an additional topping, if you want.
• soy curls – This is your meat substitute. You can use cooked, drained chickpeas or other vegan chicken substitutes instead of soy curls.
• tomato paste – Brings so much great umami to the dish!
• coconut cream – Adds creaminess and a mild coconut flavor.
• ground spices – Kashmiri chili powder (or paprika), coriander, cumin, turmeric, and salt are the next layer of seasoning.
• red lentils – You can use yellow lentils or split chickpeas, though this will impact your cooking time.
• water – To cook the lentils.
• green beans – To add a little green and to the dish. Or use other veggies of choice
• tempering – Ginger, curry leaves, and cilantro toasted in a little bit of oil create the final layer of rich flavor for this vegan dalcha.

Tips

• When toasting the whole spices and making the tempering, keep a close eye on the pan, so nothing burns.
• For a creamier dal, replace 1 cup of water with coconut milk.

How to Make vegan dalcha

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick and mix in. Cook for half a minute or until the spices are fragrant.

Then, add the onion, green chili, and a good pinch of salt and mix well. Cook for seven to nine minutes, or until the onions start to turn golden.

Add the ginger-garlic paste, ground spices, tomato paste, and soy curls and mix well for a minute to combine.

Add the salt and coconut cream and mix well. Cook for a minute.

Now, add in the lentils, green beans or veggies of choice and water and mix really well.

Partially cover and cook for 14 to 18 minutes, depending on the lentils you are using and the consistency you prefer.  You can use two cups of water with a cup of coconut milk here to make the lentils more creamy. 

Once the lentils are cooked to your preference, taste and adjust the salt and flavor. If you like the dalcha more saucy and creamy, you can add in some more water or coconut milk at this point. Switch off the heat and set aside.

While that cooks, prepare the tempering.

Heat the oil in a small skillet, and once hot add the ginger, curry leaves, and cilantro and mix carefully for a few seconds. Switch off the heat.

Drizzle the tempering all over the dalcha and serve over rice. You can also serve this stew as-is or with Naan, rice or garlic bread on the side. 

Frequently Asked Questions