Raise hands if you are one who loves lentils? I have grew up in a household where lentil was inherent part of meal, everyday, regardless of anything else being in the meal or not. The reason there was so much emphasis of having lentils (also called dal or dhal) in meal was mainly because its rich in protein, vitamin and other minerals as well as low calories. Most importantly lentils are not so costly source of vitamins and protein. Here is how to make one such dal, split masoor dal recipe, also called red lentils or masoor ke dal (in Hindi).
Jump To :
What is dahl / dal / lentil
Talking about lentils, lets understand what is lentil? Lentils are edible seeds from legume family, these have lens like shape and are sold with or with out skin.
Lentils are common food staple of Asians as well as North African cuisines, however Canada is one of the biggest producer these days.
There are numerous dals (or lentils) and surely there is at least one dal which will appeal to your tastebuds. Two of my favourite dals are Dal Bukhara and Dal Makhni, which I make on special occasions. However, I make this red lentils or dhaba style tadka dal on regular basis.
Method of making red aka masoor dahl
- Wash and soak lentil for 10 minutes. Now transfer it to a pressure cooker and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and turmeric powder. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
- In a pan heat 2 tablespoon of ghee/oil and add asafoetida (For Gluten-free do not use Asafoetida) and half of cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add onions and sauté till they are golden. Add grated ginger and garlic and sauté again for 2 minutes. Now add all the spices listed above and sauté again. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté till they are cooked and start leaving oil.
- Pour the boiled dal into the pan and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes and switch off the heat. Transfer the dal into a serving bowl. For tempering, heat rest of one tablespoon ghee/oil in a tadka pan and add dry red chillies, and rest of cumin seeds. Once fried, pour it over the dal. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
This masoor dal is
- Gluten-free (When not using Asafoetida)
- Vegan (when you not using butter or use vegan butter)
- Great source or protein
- Can be part of daily meal, as its not heavy to eat
- Can act as soup on its own
Serving suggestion
Serve piping hot dal, topped with ghee, with steam rice or chapati or amaranth paratha.
Other Dal Recipes
Whole Masoor Dal
Dal Maharani
Recipe Card
Tadka Masoor dal/ Tempered Red Lentil
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Red Lentils (Buy Now)
- 2 Tomatoes Medium, Finely Chopped
- 1 Onion Medium, Finely Chopped
- Tablespoon Ginger Grated
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Finely Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Salt (Buy from WholeFoodsOnline)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Buy Now)
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Buy Now)
- 1/3 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala (Buy Now)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Asafoetida (Buy Now)
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Buy Now)
- 2-3 Dry Red Chillies
- 3 Tablespoon Ghee / Clarified Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Coriander Leaves Chopped
Instructions
- Wash and soak lentil for 10 minutes. Now transfer it to a pressure cooker and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and turmeric powder. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
- In a pan heat 2 tablespoon of ghee/oil and add asafoetida and half of cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add onions and sauté till they are golden. Add grated ginger and garlic and sauté again for 2 minutes. Now add all the spices listed above and sauté again. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté till they are cooked and start leaving oil.
- Pour the boiled dal into the pan and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes and switch off the heat. Transfer the dal into a serving bowl. For tempering, heat rest of one tablespoon ghee/oil in a tadka pan and add dry red chillies, and rest of cumin seeds. Once fried, pour it over the dal. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
Notes
- Cooking time varies with different pressure cookers so adjust the timings accordingly.
- Adjust the amount of water according to your desired consistency.
- Dal tastes best when cooked in desi ghee/ clarified butter.