Red Lentil Curry

Make this flavor-packed, creamy and delicious Red Lentil Curry under 40 mins. Red lentils are simmered in a super fragrant & spicy onion tomato curry-base. It is gluten-free and vegan if you make it with oil. All you need is a bowl of hot rice, millets, quinoa or flatbreads to enjoy this. I include instructions to make this Red Lentil Curry in a pot on the stovetop or in the pressure cooker (instant pot & stovetop cooker).

About Red Lentil Curry

Red Lentil are widely used across the globe as they are high in protein compared to a lot of other lentils. They also cook faster than their counterparts and are sweeter in flavor, this makes them more suitable for many different kinds of dishes like soups, curries and stew.

Also known as Masoor Dal, red lentils are a staple in the Indian sub-continent. They come from the whole Brown Lentils (sabut masur). The whole lentils are skinned & sometimes split. So you find them split or whole in the market.

This Red Lentil Curry is a fusion of South & North Indian styles. So you will find ingredients & cooking methods adapted from both these cuisines. But they are very basic.

If you ever heard people saying “I can make a lentil dish that smells like a meat curry”, it is this Red Lentil Curry! You only need pantry staples like onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, chili, garam masala, some whole spices, South Indian curry powder & cream/ yogurt. Below I also share a substitute for the curry powder.

It is essential to use good spice blends as they can make or break your dish. I use this homemade Curry powder and Garam masala. The curry is finished off with a moderate amount of cashew cream or heavy cream or yogurt, which not only makes the dish creamy but also adds a unique flavor. To make it low-calorie, simply omit the cream/yogurt and it still tastes delicious but less creamy.

To transform this to a vegan/vegetarian meat mock meat curry, simply add some soya nuggets or soya granules also known as textured vegetable protein (TVP). Please use only organic TVP if you try. Whether you are trying to stop eating meat or want to cut down the consumption, make this with red lentils & TVP. I am sure you will love it.

I have a separate pro-tips section below, please read that before you try out.

More similar recipes you may like,
Butter Chickpeas
Dal Makhani
Chickpea Curry
Tofu Curry
Aloo Chana
Tofu Tikka Masala

Photo Guide

How to Make Red Lentil Curry (Stepwise Photos)

To make in pressure cooker – stovetop or instant pot, rinse your dal and start from step 4 below. Pressure cook for 7 minutes in instant pot or for 3 whistles in Indian cooker. Wait for the pressure to drop naturally. Add kasuri methi and cream.

Cook Lentils & prepare

1. Add 1 cup red lentils to a pot and rinse them thrice. Drain and pour 2½ cups water. Bring to a rolling boil on a high heat and reduce to medium.

2. If you want you may skim the froth.

3. Let cook until tender (al dente), for 10 mins. Older lentils take longer to cook.

4. While the lentils cook, chop and prepare the other ingredients as below.

• Fine chop 1 medium onion to make ¾ to 1 cup
• Grate or press 3 medium garlic cloves to make ¾ tablespoon
• Grate or crush ½ inch slice ginger to make ¾ tablespoon
• Optional – slit or chop 1 green chili /serrano peppers/ Thai/ Indian green chilies
• Puree or chop (peel if needed) 3 medium tomatoes to make 1¾ cups

5. You need the following spices & other ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder / paprika (more if you want, adjust to taste)
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
• 1 tablespoon mild curry powder (or 2 tsp coriander powder, ¾ tsp cumin pow, ¼ tsp each turmeric, chili pow, cardamom, fennel, black pepper )
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (cut down if using store bought curry powder)
• 2 teaspoons kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, crushed)
• 3 inch cinnamon piece + ½ tsp cumin seeds (omit if you don’t have)
• optional – ⅓ cup heavy cream / yogurt/ cashew cream (I use 20 cashews, blend with ⅓ cup water to a smooth puree)

Make Red Lentil Curry

6. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil/ghee in a pan. Add the whole spices, onions, green chilies and curry leaves. Saute until golden, for about 8 mins.

7. Stir in ginger garlic and saute for a minute, until aromatic.

8. Stir in the salt, curry powder, garam masala and Kashmiri chili powder.

9. Add the tomatoes & a splash of water (if using fresh chopped tomatoes).

10. Cover and cook until the tomatoes break down. Sauté for 1 to 2 mins until the mixture turns aromatic.

11. Add the cooked red lentils along with the leftover stock/ water. Mix well and add more water as needed. I need about ½ cup here. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

12. If you want mash some of the lentils with the back of the spoon. This adds more creamy texture to your curry.

13. Stir in kasuri methi and cream (if using). Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. To use yogurt whisk it well in a small bowl and stir in 2 to 3 tbsps of the red lentil curry. Mix well and add it back to the pan.

14. Taste test. If you want, add more salt, garam masala or black pepper for heat. I didn’t have to add anything except salt.

Garnish red lentil curry with coriander leaves and squeeze some lemon juice. Serve it over Basmati rice or with Naan, Chapati, Roti or any other flatbreads with cucumber salad. If you want you may make a fresh tadka/tempering & pour it over the curry.

Pro Tips

• We pre-cook lentils separately for cleaner and better flavors. Cook the lentils first to bring out their natural sweeter flavor, then simmer briefly with the onion tomato base. This makes a full-flavored curry.
• This method also cuts down your cook-time. Cooking lentils with an acidic ingredient like tomatoes (especially canned tomatoes) is only going to increase the cook-time. So it is ideal to cook them first and then add to the curry.
• Both the above points don’t apply when you pressure cook.
• To save time, first begin to cook the lentils while you prepare the ingredients like onions, tomatoes etc.
• Use fresh stock of lentils as older lentils (sitting in the shelf) take longer to cook. However if you have nothing other than the old lentils, soak them in boiling hot water for 20 mins and then cook.
• I have made this recipe with only homemade spice blends that are fresh. Please use good quality spices. If you use old spice blends, you may need to increase the quantities.
• The amount of water depends on the age of your lentils. Old lentils take more water.

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