Looking for a cozy, comforting dal? This masoor dal (red lentil dal) topped with crispy garlic oil is easy and flavorful.
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What is Masoor Dal?
Masoor dal is also known as red lentils that are cooked in water until they disintegrate into a thick, soupy liquid. I ate some form of bean or lentil dish almost every day growing up. Years later, I developed a recipe for a fun weeknight dal. You build a flavorful base for your lentils with onion, garlic, tomato, and spices. Once the lentils are cooked, you mix the liquid into the base and top it with a crispy garlic oil topping, otherwise known as a tadka (What is a tadka?). A tadka is a mixture of spices sizzled in oil. You can use any sort of spices you’d like, from cumin seeds to coriander seeds to ground chili powder. In this case, I opt for thinly sliced pieces of garlic (inspired by Nik Sharma’s recipe) and mustard seeds in my tadka. To finish the dal, you pour the sizzling garlicky oil on top of the liquid for an even more robust flavor. Garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime for acidity, and the dish is done.
How can I adapt this masoor dal recipe?
There are so many options for flexibility here. You absolutely can omit either the base (tomato onion mixture) or the tadka. In fact, most dals traditionally don’t have both a starting tadka (used to make the base) and a finishing tadka — I happen to like it for the additional flavor. You can swap out the lentils for another kind, but keep in mind, red lentils do not need soaking and cook quickly, unlike some of the other varieties. You can add ginger, or swap out the spices for your own flavor profile.
Use this recipe more as a guide than a “strict” set of instructions. I’d love to see what you come up with!
What should the texture of dal be?
The optimal texture depends on your own preference — but generally, you want the lentils to almost fully disintegrate into a mushy texture. Some people like dal quite soupy, while others like a thicker puree. You can always add more water. Additionally, when lentils cool, they will thicken so you may need to add more water later on (or if reheating the dish).
My spices burned when making tadka. Can I still use the oil?
No. Unfortunately, burnt spices taste bitter and inedible. You’ll need to throw the oil/spice mixture out and redo it.
What type of pan should I use for making tadka?
You want to use the smallest, narrowest pan you have. The reason for this is that you’re essentially trying to fry the spices in the oil. So, if you use a larger pan, you can still make the tadka, but you may need to tilt the pan to ensure the spices are fully submerged/coated in the oil. There is also a special type of small pan called a tadka pan that you can purchase if you make Indian food often — see here for more details on a tadka pan.
Recipe: Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Dal) With Garlic Tadka
Ingredients
For the dal
- 200 g red lentils (about 1 packed cup, rinsed and drained a couple of times to remove any dirt or debris)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 large red onion (finely diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 fresh tomato (diced with the juices; avoid small tomatoes, like cherry or grape. i prefer roma/plum tomatoes.)
- 1 fresh green chili (slit in half lengthwise; or, substitute ½ teaspoon Kashmiri (mild) chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- Salt
- A handful of cilantro (minced, for garnish)
- A squeeze of lime (for garnish)
For the crispy garlic tadka
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or ghee
- 1 large garlic clove or 2 small garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds (optional)
Instructions
For the dal
- In a medium sized stockpot, add lentils and 3 cups water and cover the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to skim off any of the white foam that comes to the surface.
- Add the turmeric and let cook for about 15-25 minutes until lentils disintegrate and become mushy. If you notice the water has reduced too much, you can add about 1/2 cup at a time.
- Meanwhile, in a saute pan, add oil or ghee at medium heat. Then add in cumin seeds until sizzling.
- Immediately add the red onion and let cook for about 8-10 minutes until onions are lightly browned and translucent. You're looking for a golden brown color here, not burnt onions.
- Add the garlic and green chili, and let cook for 1 minute until aromatic and very lightly golden brown.
- Add in the tomato, and let simmer until tomatoes break down about 7-8 minutes. At this point, the tomato onion mixture should be thick and almost paste-like.
- Season with garam masala, ground coriander, and salt and pepper.
- Once the lentils are cooked, add them to the saute pan and stir, simmering for 1 minute. Season again.
- To finish the dish, pour the hot garlic tadka topping (recipe below) on top of the lentils.
- Garnish the dal with a handful of cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.
For the crispy garlic tadka topping
- Heat oil in a small pan at medium heat.
- Add the garlic, then as they just begin to turn a pale golden brown color on one side, flip the garlic on the other side with a spoon.
- Add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds sizzle and pop, immediately take the tadka off the heat and pour into the dal.
Humaira G
Hey thanks for the recipe! What would you do differently if this was Moong daal (yellow lentils)?
Karishma
Hi Humaira!
Moong dal takes significantly longer to cook compared to masoor dal, so I’d definitely soak it for a few hours to speed up that process (especially if cooking on the stove). If you have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, it will be much faster. Other than the longer time to cook, the recipe can easily be used for moong dal as well with the same flavorings. I’d cook the moong dal separately, and while it’s cooking, saute the onion/garlic/spices, then stir the dal in and top with the finishing tadka. Let me know if you have any more questions on this!