Masoor Dal
"simple indian food"
photo by Hyderabadi T.
- Ready In:
- 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 14
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 cup red lentil (masoor dal)
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 green chili pepper, chopped
- 1⁄2 teaspoon coriander
- 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1⁄2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 dried red chili, broken into pieces and seeds removed
- 1 pinch asafoetida powder
- 1⁄2 limes, juice of or 1/2 lemon, juice of
- chopped cilantro (to garnish)
directions
- Boil water.
- Add lentils. When it comes back to a boil, cook for five minutes uncovered, then turn the heat down and cover, cook for 15 minutes.
- Add salt, ginger, chile, coriander, cumin and tumeric. Cook for ten more minutes until lentils are very soft.
- Turn heat down to low.
- In a small pan, heat oil until very hot. Add mustard seeds. When they have finished popping, add chili pieces and then asafoetida. Pour hot oil into lentil pot and cover quickly.
- Turn off heat and let sit for five minutes. Add lemon or lime juice, adjust seasonings. Serve with cilantro.
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Reviews
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This dal is truly excellent. So delicious! I made it to the recipe, except for omitting the dried red chile and adding extra green chile, since I always seem to burn my dried chiles. I also cooked the lentils uncovered for a while, to try to make them less soupy since I accidentally made mush out of my brown basmati rice lol. Five stars for easy prep, much of which can be done while lentils are cooking/water is boiling. Definitely a keeper! Thanks! -
It took my lentils about twice as long to cook as the recipe calls for, but the results were delicious! I also substituted garlic powder for the asafoetida powder. Be careful not to singe the chilis in the hot oil: I suggest turning off the heat after the mustard seeds pop, and then adding the chili to the hot oil. -
this absolutely bowled me over. I have never had a dahl like this. I reminded me of the sea and would be the most beautiful paring with prawns or other seafood. I was very disappointed with it and thought it a disaster until I added the lemon juice and then it like magic. I added extra chili and tinned tomatoes. Thank you for posting, it is outstanding. I am about to make it again with some pumpkin I've got. -
This is my first attempt for cooking Masoor Dal. The lentils I use are yellow and green split pea. The recipe given here has ingredients I am not familiar with. The chiles are not a spice I use but I understand it has a hot flavor like red pepper sauce. That is something I need to use very little of because of a health condition called diverticulitis. After reading the ingredients and how to cook this, I might cook it the same way I do the other lentils without the green chiles. Thanks for the recipe.
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This is a delicious dal! Really vibrant and flavorful, and extremely easy to make. It's my new go to when I want a healthy, tasty snack or a side dish with dinner. Love it!
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Tweaks
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It took my lentils about twice as long to cook as the recipe calls for, but the results were delicious! I also substituted garlic powder for the asafoetida powder. Be careful not to singe the chilis in the hot oil: I suggest turning off the heat after the mustard seeds pop, and then adding the chili to the hot oil.
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This recipe for dal is excellent! I didn't have any asafetida powder, so I added a little garlic powder instead, and the results were wonderful. I also substituted chili powder (about 1/2 teaspoon) for the red chili. The results were nicely spicy without being overpowering. This is one to make again!
