Red Lentil Dal

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onions, ginger, garlic, and stir-fry until onions are slightly browned and translucent. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Stir-fry until masala has cooked, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook with the masala spices until it turns a deep, brick red color. Add diced or crushed tomatoes. Continue to cook until masala spices have infused with the tomatoes. Season with salt to taste. Add coconut milk and vegetable broth to the pot. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Now add red lentils. Cover and let simmer for about half an hour, until lentils are soft. Add spinach into the curry until it wilts. You can continue to simmer if you’d like the dal to reduce and become thicker. Serve with naan, flatbread, rice, or quinoa.