Amongst our family favorite meals gowning up is Masoor Dal. I loved having it with plain boiled rice, spicy store-bought Indian pickles, and plain yogurt. Mom, being from the South of India, had the cook temper it in a South Indian style.
I have given you two different ways to temper the lentil. The first one is the South Indian style, and the other is a regular tempering style. Enjoy!
Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Dal)
A delicious, fragrant, savory soup or stew-like hearty main dish, full of healthy protein and perfect for any palate.
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentil ()
- ½ medium onion (chopped)
- ½ medium tomato (quartered)
- 1 medium Serrano chili (optional)
- 3-4 flakes fresh garlic (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp tumeric
- salt to taste
- 4-5 cups water
Tempering (Tadka South-Indian Style)
- 1-2 tbsp cooking oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 6-7 fresh curry leaves (found in Indian grocery stores)
- ½ medium onion (diced)
- 1 medium tomato (diced)
- ½ tsp red chili or cayenne powder (optional)
- fresh cilantro (chopped fine, for garnish)
Tempering Style (Regular)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ medium onion (diced)
- 1 medium tomato (diced)
- ½ tsp red chili powder (optional)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala
Instructions
To Prepare
- Sort and clean lentils (preferably on a white plate that shows up grit better).
- Rinse several times in cold water A friend told me to strain them through a steamer strainer to wash out any grit I may have missed.
To Cook
- Put lentils in a 6-quart stock pot or deep saucepan. Lentils expand while cooking so do not use too small a pot.
- Add 4-5 cups water, the chopped or sliced onion, tomato, serrano chili, garlic, turmeric, and salt.
- Boil covered for 15 mins. Be sure to leave the lid slightly open so that the dal does not boil over. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally. Approximately 15-20 minutes.
- You may initially have some frothing at the surface which can be skimmed off with a spoon.
- Cook for 30-40 minutes until well blended but not too mushy. If the water seems to be drying up during cooking, add half to a cup more of hot water. Turn heat off.
Tempering (Tadka South-Indian Style)
- In a small frying pan heat oil on medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds.
- When they stop spluttering (about 30 seconds), add curry leaves and onions. Sauté until onions are almost half brown. Approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Add chopped tomato and sauté until oil starts to surface. Turn heat off.
- Add the chili powder to taste (optional). Stir into the cooked dal. Let it season for 5 minutes for the flavors of the tadka to be absorbed before pouring the dal into a serving dish.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.
Tempering Style (Regular)
- Heal oil in a small sauté pan.
- Add cumin seeds. As soon as they start to splutter, add the onions and sauté until half brown.
- Add tomatoes and cook for about 3 mins until the moisture evaporates and the oil starts to surface on the sides. Turn off the heat.
- Add the chili, cumin, and garam masala powder. Stir into the cooked dal.
- Let sit for 5 minutes more before serving, so the flavors of the tadka are absorbed.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.
Notes
1. Serve with plain boiled rice and any Indian styled vegetable or curried meat or chicken.
2. You can also serve the dal with just pickles and yogurt..
3. If you are using a manual pressure cooker or InstaPot, follow the cooking directions in the manual. Use about 3 cups of water. If the consistency of the dal is too thick, you can always add hot water to thin it out.
4. Remember dals are thick and soupy never watery!