RecipeStripper

Clean recipe · vegrecipesofindia.com

Masoor Dal Recipe (Easy Red Lentil Dal)

Masoor Dal is a spiced lentil dish prepared with hulled and split red lentils simmered with onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices. The lentils cook to a soft and creamy consistency. This Indian red lentils recipe is easy, nutritious and perfect for everyday meals. Serve hot with rice, roti or paratha.

Original recipe: vegrecipesofindia.com

Yield:
4 servings
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
15 min
Total:
30 min
Open cooking tools

Adjust servings, check off ingredients, and save a copy in the recipe reader.

Masoor Dal Recipe (Easy Red Lentil Dal)

Ingredients

  1. ½ cup masoor dal (or red lentils (hulled & split))
  2. 1.5 to 1.75 cups water (for pressure cooking dal)
  3. 2 tablespoons oil
  4. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  5. ⅓ cup or 1 medium onion (– finely chopped)
  6. 2 to 3 garlic cloves ((small to medium-sized), crushed or finely chopped)
  7. 1 teaspoon or 1 inch ginger (– finely chopped)
  8. 1 to 2 or ½ to 1 teaspoon green chillies (– chopped or slit)
  9. 1 to 2 dry red chilies (– broken and seeds removed, optional)
  10. ½ cup or 1 medium-sized tomatoes (– chopped)
  11. ¼ or ½ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
  12. 1 generous pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  13. ¼ or ½ teaspoon garam masala ((homemade garam masala powder can be just ¼ teaspoon))
  14. ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  15. 1 to 1.5 cups water ( or add as required)
  16. salt (as required)
  17. 1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (– crushed (kasuri methi), optional)
  18. 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (– chopped (cilantro))
  19. ½ or 1 teaspoon lemon juice ( or according to taste)
  20. 1 tablespoon coriander leaves (– chopped for garnish, optional)

Instructions

  1. Cooking Lentils

    Pick and rinse the red lentils (masoor dal) a few times in water.
  2. Drain the water and add the lentils to a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker. Also add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water to the lentils in the cooker.
  3. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on medium heat until the lentils become soft and mushy.
  4. Let the pressure drop naturally in the cooker, and then only open the lid.
  5. When the lentils are softened and cooked well, mash lightly with a wooden spoon or whisk lightly with a wired whisk.
  6. Keep the cooked red lentils aside. If lentils are undercooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for a few minutes more.

  7. Making onion-tomato masala

    In another pan or pot, heat oil. Keep the heat to a low. Add cumin seeds and fry the cumin seeds till they crackle.
  8. Then add onions and sauté stirring often till they are light golden on low to medium-low heat.
  9. Add chopped ginger and garlic. Stir and fry for 10 to 15 seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
  10. Add green chilies and red chilies. Stir to mix.
  11. Add all the ground spices - turmeric powder, red chilli powder or cayenne pepper, garam masala powder one by one including asafoetida (hing) and stir to mix on a low heat.
  12. Add the finely chopped tomatoes and sauté on medium-low heat till the oil separates and the tomatoes become mushy and soft.

  13. Making Masoor Dal

    Add the cooked and lightly mashed red lentils. Pour 1 to 1.5 cups water depending on the consistency you prefer. So you can adjust the quantity of water as required and add bit by bit as you go on mixing.
  14. Add salt as required and stir again. Simmer for 6 to 7 minutes more on a low to medium heat till you get the desired consistency in the dal.
  15. Masoor dal is neither thick nor thin and has a medium consistency.
  16. Add crushed dry fenugreek leaves and simmer for 1 minute.
  17. Lastly add lemon juice and 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and stir to mix. Switch off the heat.
  18. You can also garnish the Masoor Dal with coriander leaves while serving. Serve the Red Lentils hot with steamed basmati rice or roti or chapati.