Chickpea dhal with coconut kale
- Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side
A warming one-pot meal for the whole family

Published:
A warming and spicy one to add to your training repertoire – Chickpea dhal with coconut and kale.
Loaded with the good stuff, you can’t go wrong with this dish; it’s a good vegetarian source of protein and is also rich in fibre and vitamins A and C.
You’ve also got the added benefit from the anti-inflammatory properties of the ginger, garlic and spice. Serve with brown basmati rice or naan bread.
Ingredients
- Coconut oil 1 tbsp
- Cinnamon stick
- cumin seeds, ground tumeric, ground coriander 1 tsp each
- Dried chilli 1/2 tsp
- Veg stock 250ml
- Coconut cream 100ml
- Kale leaves 200g, finely chopped
- onion 1, finely sliced
- fresh coriander 25g, roughly chopped
- garlic 3 cloves, 1 crushed, 2 finely sliced
- tomatoes 400g can, roughly chopped
- chickpeas 400g can, drained
- fresh ginger 2cm piece, grated
Method
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Step 1
Gently heat ½ tbsp coconut oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for a few minutes. Stir in crushed garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, coriander and dried chilli, very gently cook for 1min.
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Step 2
Add chickpeas, tomatoes and stock. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 12-15mins.
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Step 3
Stir in coconut cream and kale, gently cook for 2mins until wilted. Season to taste. In a small pan, heat ½ tbsp coconut oil.
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Step 4
Fry the sliced garlic for just 30secs. Spoon over the dhal. Top with coriander.
Three alternative flavour combinations:
- Roasted cauliflower: Parboil cauliflower florets and roast in a little oil for 30mins until soft and golden brown. Add at step 3, swapping the kale out for the cauliflower.
- Black lentil: Cook black ‘urid’ lentils according to pack, then replace chickpeas for lentils. Omit the kale. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to step 4.
- Dhal soup: Increase the stock to 600ml. At step 3 blend the mix before adding the coconut cream. Swap kale for spinach and continue to step 4.