Masoor Dal, a creamy spiced lentil dish, perfect over rice. This Indian favorite combines red lentils with onions, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. Follow easy steps for a delicious and healthy meal.
How to make Masoor Dal :
Preparation :
1. To start, rinse ½ cup of masoor dal (split and husked red lentils) under cool running water for a minute or so. Drain the water.
Then add the rinsed red lentils to a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker along with 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups of water.
You can opt to cook the lentils in the Instant Pot, adding water as needed. These lentils also cook easily in a pot or pan on the stovetop. Add about 1.5 to 2 cups water or more when cooking in a pan.
2. Pressure cook the red lentils on a medium to medium-high heat for 5 to 6 whistles, or until they become soft and mushy.
Let the pressure drop naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid. Check the cooked red lentils.
The lentils have to be tender and softened completely. Mash lightly with a wooden spoon or a whisk lightly with a wired whisk. Set aside.
Make Onion Tomato Masala :
3. In another large skillet or pot, heat 2 tablespoons of your preferred cooking oil on medium heat.
Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and fry until they crackle and change color.
4. Next add ⅓ cup chopped onions. Stir and sauté the onions on low to medium-low heat.
5. Continue to sauté and stir for some minutes until they are light golden. Do not burn or you’ll wind up with an unpleasant bitter taste.
6. Then add 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and 2 or 3 peeled and crushed garlic cloves (small to medium-sized).
Stir and sauté them for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic goes away.
7. Add 1 green chili (chopped or slit) and 1 or 2 whole dry red chilies (broken and seeds removed), optional. Stir and mix well.
8. Next add the following ground spices:
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Skip adding asafoetida if you do not have it.
9. Stir and mix well. Next add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes.
10. Stir the tomatoes and mix them well with the onions and spices. Sauté the tomatoes on medium-low heat until the oil separates and the tomatoes become soft.
Make Masoor Dal
11. Now add the cooked and lightly mashed lentils to the skillet.
12. Mix thoroughly.
13. Pour in 1 to 1 ½ cups water, depending on how firm, thick or thin you like your masoor dal.
Start with just 1 cup and stir, and then add more water bit by bit as needed. Taste and season with salt.
14. Simmer the dal for 6 to 7 minutes more on a low or medium heat. The dal will get thicker as it cooks, so simmer just until you get the desired consistency.
15. I prefer my dal as shown, with a medium consistency that isn’t too thick or thin.
16. I also like to add 1 teaspoon of crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) for a slightly nutty and earthy bite. Feel free to leave out if you prefer.
17. Simmer for 1 more minute to combine the flavor of the leaves.
18. Once the dal has reached desired consistency, stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves. Give another stir and turn off the heat.
19. You can also garnish with coriander leaves if you prefer while serving the dal.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup masoor dal (red lentils), washed and drained
- 3 cups water (for cooking dal)
- 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2-3 green chilies, chopped (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (for tempering)
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
FAQs for Masoor ki Dal
What goes well with Masoor dal?
Serve Masoor dal with some steamed basmati rice, pickle and papad and you have a comforting Indian meal.
Even a side of Onion Raita or Cucumber Raita or a Vegetable Salad or Kachumber Salad can be accompanied with the masoor dal.
It’s also perfect for enjoying with Indian flat breads like Chapati for scooping.
How long do leftovers keep well?
The consistency and the flavor of Red lentils change over a period of time. I would suggest to eat them as soon as you prepare the dish. Try to consume the lentils on the same day.
Can I freeze Masoor dal?
I would not recommend to freeze masoor dal. Lentils are best eaten when they freshly cooked. Freezing cooked lentils or storing them in the refrigerator for a few days is not considered a healthy practice according to Ayurveda.
Can I make larger batches or halve this recipe?
Yes. As-is this recipe is enough for 4 servings, but can be halved for 2 or doubled to make a large batch.
What does the word Dal mean?
There are a lot of lentils used in Indian cuisine in a variety of ways. They are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and many vitamins and minerals for vegan dishes. Therefore they’re often treated as the star main dish of a meal.
Dal is the generic term used for all lentils in India. Also the soup or stew like preparation made with any lentil is called as dal.
So there are many many variations of dal with different lentils being used. Each region of India has their own variations.
Various lentils like Chana Dal, Tuvar Dal, Moong Dal, Urad Dal are a staple in the Indian cuisine and many preparations, both dry and curried are made with them. Each state and region has their own traditional and unique recipes of cooking with these lentils.
Sometimes a mix of two to five lentils are also used to make dal. Many times I mix or combine different lentils to make Dal Tadka or combine them with spinach to make Dal Palak. Another well known dish made with 5 lentils is Panchmel Dal.
Feel free to customize the spice levels and adjust the consistency of the dal according to your preference. This basic recipe can also be modified by adding vegetables or other ingredients to suit your taste. Enjoy your delicious homemade masoor dal!