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Nutrient Fingerprint

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Spiced Red Lentil & Spinach Dal
Spiced Red Lentil & Spinach Dal
15 Nutrition score
Dinner 🥄 10 min prep 🔥 35 min cook 👤 4 servings

A deeply nourishing everyday dal of split red lentils and mature spinach, spiced with cumin and paprika. Red lentils are one of the richest plant sources of iron and folate, and spinach adds further iron alongside magnesium. Ready in 35 minutes, freezes brilliantly, and improves the next day.

vegan high iron high protein high magnesium
Nutrient Fingerprint % of adult daily reference intake · per serving
💪 Protein
10%
🌾 Fibre
5%
🦴 Calcium
5%
⚡ Iron
20%
🌿 Magnesium
7%
🍊 Vitamin C
16%
🍃 Folate
22%
🫀 Omega-3
0%

Based on UK dietary reference values. Capped at 100% per nutrient.

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Ingredients (per serving)
Method
  1. 1 Rinse the red lentils under cold water until the water runs clear.
  2. 2 Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden — about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
  3. 3 Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the paprika and cook for 30 seconds more.
  4. 4 Add the rinsed lentils and chopped tomatoes. Pour in the vegetable stock. Stir well and bring to a steady boil.
  5. 5 Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have collapsed into a thick, smooth dal. Add a splash of water if it thickens too much.
  6. 6 Stir the spinach through in large handfuls, allowing each batch to wilt before adding the next — about 3 minutes total.
  7. 7 Season well. Serve with brown rice or wholegrain flatbread, with a squeeze of lemon juice over the top if you have it.

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Nutrition per serving
140 kJ
Energy (kJ)
66 kcal
Energy (kcal)
9.5 g
Carbohydrate
4.8 g
Protein
1.4 g
Fibre (NSP)
1.4 g
Total Sugars
1.3 g
Fat
124 mg
Sodium
0.31 g
Salt
Micronutrient
Potassium 236 mg
Vitamin A (RE) 95.4 µg
Phosphorus 70.1 mg
Vitamin K 50.1 µg
Folate 44 µg
Chloride 37.7 mg
Calcium 34.8 mg
Magnesium 20 mg
Vitamin C 6.5 mg
Selenium 5.5 µg
Iron 1.8 mg
Niacin equivalents (NE) 1.3 mg
Niacin (B3) 0.768 mg
Zinc 0.666 mg
Vitamin E (alpha-TE) 0.475 mg
Manganese 0.332 mg
Pantothenic Acid (B5) 0.287 mg
Copper 0.131 mg
Thiamin (B1) 0.118 mg
Vitamin B6 0.099 mg
Chromium 0.047 µg
Riboflavin (B2) 0.044 mg
Minerals
Iodine 1.7 µg
Fatty acids
Polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) 0.48 g
Monounsaturated fat 0.352 g
Saturated fat 0.173 g
Sugars (breakdown)
Sucrose 0.47 g
Glucose (dextrose) 0.463 g
Fructose 0.454 g
Carbohydrate (breakdown)
Starch 8.4 g
Amino acids
Glutamic acid 0.76 g
Aspartic acid 0.466 g
Leucine 0.339 g
Arginine 0.317 g
Lysine 0.309 g
Valine 0.238 g
Phenylalanine 0.22 g
Isoleucine 0.191 g
Serine 0.191 g
Proline 0.188 g
Alanine 0.179 g
Threonine 0.166 g
Tyrosine 0.148 g
Glycine 0.148 g
Histidine 0.11 g
Methionine 0.069 g
Cysteine 0.063 g
Tryptophan 0.055 g
Carotenoids
Lutein + Zeaxanthin 1525 µg
Beta-carotene 1165 µg
Proximate
Water 33.6 g
Vitamins
Biotin (Vitamin B7) 0.719 µg
Fats & Fatty Acids
Omega-6 (Linoleic acid) 0.273 g
Omega-3 (Alpha-linolenic acid) 0.002 g
Flavonols
Quercetin 4.1 mg
Kaempferol 0.589 mg
Isorhamnetin 0.429 mg
Myricetin 0.268 mg
Flavones
Apigenin 0.024 mg
Luteolin 0.018 mg
Flavanols (Flavan-3-ols)
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) 0.008 mg
Anthocyanins
Delphinidin (total glycosides) 0.401 mg
Cyanidin (total glycosides) 0.299 mg
Pelargonidin (total glycosides) 0.002 mg
Isoflavonoids
Isoflavonoids (total) 0 mg
Genistein 0 mg
Daidzein 0 mg

Nutritional values calculated from Nutriofia food database per serving. Actual values may vary based on preparation method.