Just-Add-Water Camp Red Lentil Dal with Coconut and Lime
Toast curry powder, onion and garlic in oil in a pot on a camp stove over medium heat, then add red lentils and water and simmer 15 to 18 minutes. Stir in coconut milk powder and spinach flakes, cook 3 more minutes, and finish with lime juice. Serve with warm flatbread. It takes about 30 minutes start to finish.
This is a one-pot dal built from pantry staples. Red lentils break down as they cook, so you get a thick, creamy stew with no soaking and no draining. Coconut milk powder gives it richness without a can.
It's a good dinner after a long day when you want something hot and filling without much cleanup. Everything except the lime packs dry, and it all cooks in the same pot you eat out of.
Just-Add-Water Camp Red Lentil Dal with Coconut and Lime
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium, then medium-low flame
- Pack weight
- 2 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- No cooler needed
- One burner
- Some water
- One-pan cleanup
- Shelf-stable
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
Tap an item to copy it for your shopping list or a store search.
Gear you'll need
- Camp stove and fuel
- 3-quart pot with lid
- Wooden spoon
- Small cup or bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spork or spoon for each person
Steps
-
Rinse the lentils
Put the lentils in your pot, cover with cool water and swirl. Pour off the water through a lid held slightly ajar, away from streams and water sources. Repeat once.
-
Toast the spices
Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic powder, ginger, curry powder, cumin, turmeric and pepper flakes, and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Don't let it scorch.
-
Add paste and lentils
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 30 seconds. Add the lentils, 5 cups water and the salt, and bring to a boil.
-
Simmer until soft
Lower to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 to 18 minutes. Stir every few minutes so the bottom doesn't stick. The lentils should be fully tender and mostly broken down.
-
Stir in coconut
Mix the coconut milk powder with 1/4 cup warm water in a small cup until smooth. Stir it into the dal along with the spinach flakes and cook 3 minutes. Add a splash of water if it's too thick.
-
Finish and serve
Squeeze in the juice of 2 lime wedges and taste for salt. Warm the flatbreads in a dry pan or over the lid for a minute, then serve the dal in bowls with the rest of the lime.
Trail Notes
Mix the onion, garlic, ginger, curry, cumin, turmeric, pepper flakes and salt in one zip bag. Pack the lentils, coconut powder and spinach flakes in their own bags, and the tomato paste in a squeeze tube.
Nothing here needs refrigeration, so it's good for the last night of a trip. A lime keeps for days without a cooler.
Use 2 big handfuls of fresh baby spinach instead of flakes, added in the last 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup instant rice with the coconut powder and an extra 1/2 cup water to make it heartier.
Scrape bowls clean with bread, then wipe them out. Strain any leftover dishwater and pack out the food bits. Scatter the strained water at least 200 feet from streams and lakes.
Campers ask
Do red lentils need to be soaked before cooking?
No. Red lentils are split and cook in about 15 to 18 minutes with no soaking. Rinse them first to remove dust.
Can I make dal on a backpacking stove?
Yes. It uses one pot and one burner, and the dry ingredients pack light. Keep the flame low and stir often so it doesn't stick.
How do I store leftover camp dal?
Cool it within 2 hours and keep it in a sealed container in a cooler at 40°F or below. Reheat until steaming hot and eat it within a day. If you have no cooler, cook only what you'll eat.
Cooked it? Rate & review it.
Your rating helps the next camper pick dinner. Got an idea to make it better? Tell us below — good ones get added to the recipe with credit to you.