Rosy Red Lentil Coconut Daal (gluten, dairy and meat-free)

Daal is a staple dish from India with countless variations that dates back to B.C. times. This version contains red lentils, red onions, red bell peppers, and tomatoes, for a thoroughly rosy, Daal experience. It is kind of like a thick stew with a little sweetness, a little kick, and a creamy, soothing consistency. It also boasts a whole host of healing ingredients that promote brain health, digestive health, and overall health. Full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, complex carbohydrates, plant based protein and good fats, it is a grounding, healthful comfort food.

In this Daal are the good-for-you fats, Ghee and Coconut Milk. These fats are good for our brain, digestion and so much more. Coconut contains antimicrobial properties as well as fatty acids called lauric and caprylic acid which help your stomach maintain the acidity it needs to digest food well. Because it is a kind of fat that is called a medium chain triglyceride, it is more easily digested than some other fats so it is a good choice for a person suffering from digestion issues like IBS. It is also an easy fat for your body to use and not just store so it is good for your brain and may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of memory impairment as well as for obesity, elevated LDL cholesterol (the not-good kind of cholesterol), and insulin resistance. Grass-fed Ghee is also a fantastic fat that has been used for thousands of years in the Ayurvedic tradition as a very healing food. Because it is butter that has been clarified, most people that are sensitive to dairy do just fine on it. It is helpful in soothing inflammation, is soothing and healing to the digestive tract, and is chock full of essential vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K which are necessary for our brain, immune health and overall health. Good fats like these are needed to even be able to absorb many different kinds of vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E and K, so eat it up! 

Many of the fantastic spices this hearty dish contains have been found to calm inflammation, promote good digestion and are full of antioxidants ( good, protective, essential vitamins and minerals that keep us happy and healthy). Another star is the Red pepper, which have high levels of many different vitamins including vitamin A. A chopped cup of red peppers contains three times the amount of vitamin C as orange when eaten raw. We are cooking them in this dish so some of the vitamin C is going to be lost, but that vitamin A will be easier to absorb so it’s a toss up. Go ahead and snack on them raw while you cook;)

Tomatoes contain high amounts of what is called lycopene that only becomes more bio-available, or easy for your body to absorb, with heat. So hello, canned or jarred tomatoes! Lycopene is an antioxidant in the carotenoid family that has benefits ranging from brain health to eye health, cancer prevention and LDL cholesterol lowering affects.

Lastly we have the Red Lentil, which is really a nutritional powerhouse. It has the fiber to help balance our blood sugar, high amounts of many vitamins and minerals, and the protein to fuel our muscles, brain and body. So now you know. Eat all the things!