Recipe

Red Lentil Dal with Cuban Sofrito

Name: Red Lentil Dal with Cuban Sofrito
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 250 g split, hulled red lentils, dry; 800 ml water; Up to 150 ml additional hot water; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; Salt to taste; 20 ml vegetable oil; 150 g chopped onion; 60 g ají cachucha, seeded; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 10 g fresh ginger, grated; 200 g crushed tomato; 10 ml vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 garlic clove, sliced; 5 g chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Creamy split red lentil dal with an ají cachucha sofrito and a cumin and garlic tadka. A vegan fusion dish for 4, ready in 45 minutes.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation15 min
Cooking30 min
Total time45 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyEasy

Dal is a legume dish from Indian cooking. Here it is made with split, hulled red lentils, which break down as they cook and give a thick, creamy texture with some body, very different from the whole lentils we know at home.

The Cuban touch comes from the sofrito: onion, garlic and ají cachucha with tomato, the base of so many of our dishes. It is stirred into the dal at the end, and everything is finished with a tadka, hot oil flavored with cumin seeds and sliced garlic, poured over the top just before serving.

It is a contemporary fusion adaptation, with no meat or coconut milk. It has nothing to do with the lentil stew with cured sausages or with lentil picadillo: it is a dish of its own that calls for white rice on the side.

Method

Dal

Wash the red lentils in several changes of water, rubbing them with your hand, until the water runs almost clear. Drain them.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Put them in the pot with the 800 ml water and the turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and use a spoon to skim off the foam that rises to the surface.
Lower the heat and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the lentils partly break down and form a creamy mixture with some texture. If it dries out, add hot water little by little (up to 150 ml). Do not drain.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Sofrito

While the lentils cook, heat the 20 ml oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and ají cachucha for 6-7 minutes, until soft and the onion is translucent.
Add the 2 chopped garlic cloves and the grated ginger and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the crushed tomato and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until the sofrito thickens and looks glossy.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Combining

Pour the sofrito into the pot of dal, mix well and cook together for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring so it does not stick.

Tadka

Heat the 10 ml oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 20-30 seconds; add the sliced garlic and continue for another 20-30 seconds, just until fragrant and pale golden. Remove from the heat right away, before it turns bitter.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Pour the hot tadka over the dal and stir only a little, so streaks of oil and spices remain. Taste and adjust the salt.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Serve in bowls, with chopped cilantro on top if using, and the white rice on the side.

Tips and variations

No cachucha: use the same amount of seeded sweet pepper. It works, but the aroma changes: cachucha brings that very Cuban fragrance that other peppers lack.

Watch the tadka: cumin and garlic burn in seconds. As soon as the garlic turns a pale golden color and smells strong, take the pan off the heat. If it darkens, it turns bitter and it is better to make it again.

The texture: red lentils are never drained; the cooking water is part of the creaminess. If it thickens too much, add hot water little by little, up to 150 ml in total.

To serve: serve with white rice on the side, not mixed in. The rice is not included in the servings or the time.

Storage: keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. It thickens a lot as it cools; when reheating, add a splash of water and stir over low heat.