Masoor dal recipe (Red lentil recipe)

Name: Masoor dal recipe (Red lentil recipe)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: ½ cup masoor dal ( (red lentils)); 2 tablespoons moong dal ((optional)); 2 medium tomatoes (chopped & deseeded); 1 green chili ((optional)); 1¼ to 1½ cup water ((for 1¾ cups for IP)); 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil or butter); 1 red chili (broken); 2 garlic (cloves chopped); ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds ((optional)); ½ teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing)); salt as needed; ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder; ¼ teaspoon turmeric; 1 pinch garam masala ((or ⅛ tsp) (adjust to taste)); ¼ teaspoon kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves) or 2 tbsp coriander leaves); 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (for serving)

By swasthi , on September 10, 2020, 45 Comments, Jump to Recipe

Masoor dal recipe with video and step by step photos. Flavorful, tasty and nutritious red lentil recipe. Masoor dal is one of the most commonly used lentils in Indian cuisine. It is used by a larger population since it has the highest amount of protein compared to the other lentils.

Here is some quick info if you are new to this lentil:

What is masoor dal?

Masoor dal is a quick cook protein rich lentil known as red lentils. These have a high nutrition profile similar to that of meat. Hence eaten by many as a substitute to non-veg or meat.

What is red masoor dal?

Masoor dal comes in 2 varieties. One is the skinned and the other variety is the whole lentil. The skinned variety is known as red lentils or red masoor dal. The other one is known as the sabut (whole) dal.

Masoor dal is a quick cook lentil and can be prepared just under 20 to 25 mins. Most Indian homes use a pressure cooker to cook dal as it saves some time.

But it can be prepared in a pot as it doesn’t take much time. Any dal recipe can be prepared in various ways.

Whole masoor dal known as sabut masoor dal is also enjoyed by many people. The whole lentils have higher fiber so it is always good to soak them in enough water for few hours to prevent stomach problems.

I usually soak them for 3 to 4 hours, rinse them and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles or until they cook up soft.

Step-by-step photos

How to make masoor dal

1. Add ½ cup masoor dal to a pot or pressure cooker. Rinse it well a few times. Drain the water completely. Add 2 medium chopped tomatoes, 1 green chilli and pour water. You can skip chilies if you have young kids at home.

adding dal tomatoes to pot to make masoor dal

2. Pressure cook on a medium heat for 1 whistle. If cooking in a pot, cook until the dal turns soft. You may need more water to cook if making in pot.

3. When the pressure goes down, open the lid.

soft cooked red lentils to make masoor dal

4. Mash the cooked dal to suit your liking – smooth or coarse. You can also add 2 to 3 tbsp water to bring it to a desired consistency. It will thicken slightly upon cooling. So adjust accordingly.

Tempering

5. Heat 1 tbsp ghee. Add one after the other – ¼ teaspoons mustard seeds (optional), ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 chopped garlic cloves and 1 to 2 broken dried red chilies. You can also add a bay leaf or a sprig of curry leaves.

6. When the garlic turns slightly golden, add 1 pinch hing, ¼ teaspoon turmeric and ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder. If you like to flavor it up more, you can add a pinch of garam masala. Chili powder tends to burn quickly so pour this immediately to the dal. You may set aside half of this for garnish.

8. Keep the stove flame on a low to medium heat. Add salt and kasuri methi. Mix well.

9. Simmer for 2 mins and turn off the stove.

You can garnish with half of the tempering, sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves & lemon juice.
Serve masoor dal with rice or roti, some papads, pickle, veggie salad and curd.

masoor dal garnished with red chilies served in a blue bowl

Variations

I have shared one of the simplest ways to cook red lentils in this post.

However you can also cook this in combination with other lentils. I usually add a handful of moong dal to this which makes the dish slightly creamy and thick.

Compared to other lentils, masoor dal tastes bland so I do prefer to use some spices for flavoring. You can also add ingredients like garam masala, whole spices, kasuri methi or amchur powder to suit your liking.

This can be served with plain rice, turmeric rice, roti, paratha or naan. Some pickle & papads will go well in the meal.

Most Indian homes cook masoor dal using onions & tomatoes. However you can make your own variations by adding some spinach or palak & carrots.

I add them to the pot along with dal as they not only perk up the nutrition but also enhance the taste & texture of the dal. This way I can skip making another veggie dish for the meal.

More Dal recipes
Instant pot dal & rice
Moong dal
Chana dal
Dal fry
Dal makhani

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About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
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