Malaysian
Roti & Quick Dhal
A simple lentil dhal to mop up with bread or rice — comforting, vegan, mostly hands-off.
About this recipe
Roti & Quick Dhal is a malaysian lunch for 2 that is a gentle, mostly hands-off simmer., and it takes about 30 min total but only ~10 min of hands-on work — the rest is waiting. We sized it for a small household and ranked it on OneToCook by how much of it you already have in the fridge.
Good to know
* Dietary flags are derived from the listed ingredients — always check labels and your own needs for allergens.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tomato
- to serve bread
- 1 cup lentils buy
- 1 tbsp curry powder buy
Equipment
Method
- 1
Rinse lentils, simmerSimmer.Cook in liquid with gentle bubbling, just below a boil.Glossary → in 3 cups water until soft, 20 min.
~20 min
- 2
Fry onion, garlic and curry powder in oil; add tomato and cook down 4 min.
~6 min
- 3
Stir the spiced base into the lentils, season, simmerSimmer.Cook in liquid with gentle bubbling, just below a boil.Glossary → 4 min. Serve with bread.
~4 min
Smart swaps
Out of something? Try one of these.
- Garlic
- garlic powder (¼ tsp per clove) at a push.
Cook's notes
- Smash each clove with the flat of your knife first — the skin slips off and it minces in seconds. How to mince garlic →
- Dice the onion before anything heats up so it’s ready when the pan is — a even dice cooks evenly. How to dice an onion →
- Do your chopping first (mise en place). With everything prepped, the actual cooking here is only about 10 min.
Storage & leftovers
This keeps well — store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavour often deepens overnight. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it’s thickened.
Frequently asked
How long does Roti & Quick Dhal take to make? +
About 30 min from start to finish, but only roughly 10 min of that is hands-on — the rest is cooking or resting time.
How many people does this recipe serve? +
As written it serves 2. To cook for 4, roughly multiply the ingredients — but cook in batches if the pan gets crowded, so things sear instead of steaming.
What equipment do I need? +
You’ll want: induction hob, pot. OneToCook only suggests recipes that fit the equipment you tell it you have, so you can filter these out if your kitchen is more minimal.
What can I use if I'm missing an ingredient? +
Common swaps for this dish: Garlic → garlic powder (¼ tsp per clove) at a push. See the full list of smart swaps above.
Can I make Roti & Quick Dhal ahead of time? +
This keeps well — store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavour often deepens overnight. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it’s thickened.
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