This easy masoor daal is made with split red lentils and tempered spices and aromatics (tadka) for the best comfort food.
Daal is a staple in many Indian/Pakistani households. And just like there are a variety of lentils, there are a ton of recipes for daal.
Usually, at least for us, daal is this mixed dal recipe, served with rice and a side. But this masoor dal recipe is a close second.
This masoor daal recipe is:
- Simple and easy to make
- Really nutritious
- Uses only one type of daal
- Can be served as a soup, on the side, or main dish.
This masoor daal is simple to this mixed dal chawal recipe, but instead of mixed daal, we’re using just split red lentils rather than a variety of daal.
Ingredients
- Masoor daal – Split Red Lentil – these lentils are typically readily available in the grocery store. They don’t take too long to cook. These lentils result in daal that has a thinner, more soup-like consistency
- Whole Spices – curry leaves, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds – these are all added at the beginning of the tempering process, to allow them to bloom.
- Onions – Fresh onions or fried onions can be used for this recipe. The fried onions will take a little longer to cook
- Ground Spices – cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chili powder – are all added to the daal for an earthy, slightly spicy flavor. These get added later on so that they do not burn.
- Ginger-garlic paste – This is a popular addition to lots of Pakistani and Indian dishes. It is made with equal parts of crushed ginger and crushed garlic. If you opt to make your own, you can make a big batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for about two weeks.
- Tomatoes – fresh or crushed work for this recipe – fresh tomatoes will take longer to cook. For quicker daal, we recommend using crushed tomatoes.
How to make Masoor Daal
This masoor daal recipe is very similar to the mixed daal recipe we have, which is a staple in our house.
Step #1: Cook Masoor Dal
Soak the Masoor daal (split red lentils) for at least an hour or longer.
Then wash the daal and boil in a pot with about 4 cups of water, until the lentils are tender.
Step #2: Blend
Once the dal is cooked, blend it using a blender or a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. If you prefer a chunkier daal consistency, then don’t blend it as much.
Step #3: Tadka or Temper the Spices
This step is also referred to as the tadka or tempering the spices. The spices and aromatics are cooked in oil to allow them to maximize their flavors, before being added to the daal.
In a separate pot, heat a little oil, along with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and/or fenugreek seeds. Once these whole spices are fragrant, and the mustard seeds start to crack then add, the rest of the ingredients.
Mom adds the ingredients in the following order. Allow each ingredient to cook for a few minutes, before adding the next.
- Chopped onions – until golden, or use fried onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Ginger/garlic paste
- Ground spices (cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder turmeric, and salt).
- Chopped or crushed tomatoes
Step #4: Simmer the Daal
Finally, add the blended and cooked masoor dal to the aromatics. Add water to adjust to your desired consistency at this point.
Let everything simmer for at least 15 minutes.
What can you serve with Masoor Daal?
Depending on the consistency of this Daal, you can either serve it as a soup or over plain rice or khichdi.
You could serve this masoor dal with a side dish like these beef cutlets, or this spicy tuna fish side dish for a more hearty, complete meal.
We often enjoy dal with roti or even slices of bread. It pairs well with a simple salad and a little pickle (or achar) on the side.
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it!
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Masoor Daal Tadka
Ingredients
- 1 cup Masoor daal split red lentils
- 4 cups Water
- ¼ cup Oil
- 1 -2 Red chilli, whole or 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds optional
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- 4-6 Curry leaves
- 1 Onion small finely chopped or fried red onion 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic paste
- 2 Tomatoes, chopped 4 tablespoons crushed tomato
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Salt as per taste
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro finely chopped
- 2-4 Green chilis optional depending on preference
Instructions
- Wash, then soak daal for at least one hour (or longer).
- In a large pot, add the soaked dal with 4 cups of water along with fenugreek seeds and whole red chili.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- Add the daal to a blender or blend using an immersion blender for a smooth texture.
- Next, in a pot, add the oil, curry leaves, mustard seeds, chopped onion (if using fresh onions) on medium heat.
- Fry till the onion is golden brown and the spices fragrant.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste
- If using fried onion, add them now.
- Lower the heat and add in the powdered spices, cumin powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder. Cook for a few minutes, add in a couple of tablespoons of water now, if it looks like the spices are burning.
- Add in the tomatoes, and cook until softened and blended with the spices.
- Add in the cooked daal, mix and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until desired consistency.
- Garnish with cilantro and green chili, and serve with rice, roti or your preferred sides.