Whole Masoor Dal: Brown Lentil Curry
Heartwarmingly delicious is the best to describe this whole masoor dal. It is a dal brown curry that is best enjoyed with plain basmati rice. Though any flatbread can be equally delicious to have it with.
Servings: 6 portions
Equipment
- Mixing bowls.
- Wooden spoon
- Pressure cooker.
- Cooking pan with a lid.
- Instant pot.
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole masoor dal/ brown lentils.
- ½ inch ginger.
- 4 cloves cloves garlic.
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder.
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- 1 tomato, chopped into small pieces. medium size.
- 1 teaspoon table salt.
- ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds.
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds.
- 2-3 fresh green chilies or dry chilies (optional)
- ¼ cup olive oil.
- 4 cups water.
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils, and leave them to soak in plenty of water for at least 4 hours.
- When you are ready to cook, bring 4 cups of water to boil in a cooking pan. Or, you can use the hot boiling water from the kettle or hot boiling water tap.
- Peel and mince the ginger and 3 cloves garlic. Add them to the boiling water together with cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, ground black pepper, and salt. Let it simmer for about a minute or two.
- Drain the lentils and put them into the water.
- Add the chopped tomato and give it a stir.
- Put the lid on the pan and cook at medium-high heat until the water reaches boiling point again.
- Once it reboils, turn the heat down and cook at medium-low heat.
- Check and stir the masoor dal every now and again.
- It takes approximately half an hour for the dal to cook.
- When you think the dal is fully cooked and soft, get your tadka/ tarka ready.
- Chop the remaining garlic. Then heat the oil in a small frying pan.
- Add the black mustard seeds and whole cumin seeds to the oil. Fry them for a few minutes before adding the chopped garlic and green chilies/ dried chilies (if using).Once the garlic turns light brown, carefully pour the oil together with all the spices into the whole masoor dal.
- Give the dal a good stir and leave it cook for about five minutes.
- Serve the lentil with plain basmati rice, a dollop of yogurt, and chili achar. Garnish with chopped cilantro and chopped green chilies (if you like). You can, of course, eat your dal with flatbreads such as roti/ chapati, naan bread, or pitta bread.
Notes
- You can use ordinary red chili powder, cayenne pepper, or paprika powder. The difference is the heat of each spice. As a comparison, I find Kashmiri red chili powder has milder heat than some red chili powder.
- Cayenne pepper and paprika powder are definitely not as hot as Kashmiri red chili powder. Making them a good choil if you are not up for spicy food.
Nutrition
Serving: 6portions | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 456mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 291IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 3mg
Disclaimer
Nutritional info in this recipe is only estimate using online calculator. You should refer to it as a guide only. Please verify with your own data if you seek an accurate info.