Creamy lentil dal with cashew cream

A slow-simmered lentil dal, rich and velvety without any dairy. Worth the time on a quiet evening, and better still the next day.

In one portion

These are the figures for one medium portion. In Susten, each person at your table gets their own portion size.

Where the calories come from

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£1.38a portion

We base this on how much of each product the recipe uses. Half a pack costs half the price.

We last updated these Tesco prices on 29 October 2026.

4 portions1 portion

Drain and rinse the kidney beans and lentils. Tip them into a bowl and roughly mash them.
Make the cashew cream. Soak the cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes until soft, then drain them. Blitz them in a blender with about their own volume of water and the lemon juice until it is completely smooth.
Crack open the cardamom pods and tip out the seeds. Set a deep pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Swirl the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom seeds in it for 1 minute until they smell fragrant.
Tip in the red onion with a pinch of salt and give it 5-7 minutes to start browning. Splash in some water near the end to stop it catching.
Add the ginger and garlic for 1 minute, then the chilli powder, ground coriander and tomato paste with some salt and pepper. Stir for 1 minute more before the tomato goes in, and give it 2-3 minutes to soften.
Pour in the water, scraping up whatever has stuck to the base. Stir in the lentil and bean mash. Once it boils, drop it to a low simmer for 1 hour or longer, stirring every 10 minutes and adding boiling water if it gets too thick.
Swirl the cashew cream and plant butter through and simmer for a final 10 minutes. Finish with the garam masala, nutmeg, the remaining lemon juice and the fresh coriander. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.