• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Playful Cooking
  • About
    • Know Me
    • Contact
    • My Cookbook
    • Mention
  • Recipes
  • Tutorials
    • How To Style Curries
    • Play with Light
    • ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed
    • Live Zoom on Food Styling
  • Hire Me
  • Portfolio
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Know Me
  • My Cookbook
  • Portfolio
  • Hire Me
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Side Dish

    Masoor Dal

    September 9, 2022 by Kankana Saxena

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Out of all the different varieties of Lentils, the most common one that I prepare very frequently is Masoor Dal. Now, this particular dal can be prepared in several different ways, but this Everyday EASY Masoor Dal is my go to when I need a meal to be ready in less than 30 minutes.

    What is Masoor Dal ?

    Masoor Dal is Red Lentils, one of the most common lentils prepared on a regular basis in Indian household. It cooks very fast and is very easy to digest, which makes it one of the lentils that is given to babies when they start solid meals.

    Red Lentils paired with rice is a healthy gluten free meal and if you avoid ghee for tadka or use Vegan ghee/oil, you can turn it into an effortless Vegan food too.

    If you are new to cooking lentils, then red lentils are the best option to start with. It works as a great blank canvas to add flavors.

    Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Indian Food)

    TRY THESE RED LENTILS RECIPES:

    Aam Daal (Green Mango Lentil Stew)

    Peyaj Mushuri Dal

    Masoor Palak Dal (Red Lentil Spinach Stew)

    Based on your liking, you can keep the consistency of the dal (also sometimes pronounced as dahl or daal) thin or thicker by adding more or less water.

    How to prepare red lentil in Pressure Cooker

    Red Lentils doesn't need overnight soaking or any soaking at all. It can cook very fast in stove top or pressure cooker.

    If you want to boil the daal in stove top, it takes roughly 20 minutes. And in Electric Pressure Cooker (This is the brand I use) it takes 15 minutes.

    I personally go for the Pressure Cooker only because I don't have to keep an eye on it. Once it boils, I add the tadka, and it/s ready to eat.

    HERE IS THE VIDEO

    What I use for Tadka ?

    For me, a good tadka with ghee always manages to uplift any variety of Dal. I like to give Tadka with ghee, but you can use oil or vegan options too.

    Tadka is very common finishing cooking steps used in several Indian dishes. Few aromatic whole spices, fresh herbs, garlic and dry red chili or fresh chili is cooked in sizzling hot oil/ghee to bring out the flavor of the spices. It is then poured straight on the dish, which gives a sizzling effect and a beautiful finish touch to the dish.

    Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Indian Food)

    Is Masoor Dal different from Whole Masoor Dal ?

    YES! Masoor Dal is split red lentils, whereas Whole Masoor Dal is not split and has a light brown husk on it. Whole Masoor Dal takes tad bit longer to cook and has a very hearty flavor to it.

    Here is a recipe you should try:

    Whole Masoor Dal with Fresh Fenugreek leaves

    Steps to prepare this EASY Everyday Red Lentil Stew

    Wash the lentils a few times to remove any dirt. I wash until I see clear water.

    Then place it in the pressure cooker with a couple small tomatoes chopped in quarters or half. Boil the lentils for 15 minutes.

    In the mean times prepare the tadka:

    Chop garlic cloves, cilantro leaves and few fresh curry leaves if using.

    Heat a small pan and add ghee, once the heat heats up, add the garlic, cumin seeds, slit green chili and curry leaves. Let it sizzle for a few seconds, then switch off the heat and add chili powder.

    Pour the hot tadka on the boiled dal and give a mix.

    Serve with rice or bread.

    Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Indian Food)

    Red Lentils are known to be good for heart, and it levels high blood pressure. It is easy to digest, which makes it great for kids too. It is a great source of daily protein, and it is naturally gluten free.

    Everyday Masoor Dal

    Kankana Saxena
    Out of all the different varieties of Lentils, the most common one that I prepare very frequently is Masoor Dal. Now, this particular dal can be prepared in several different ways, but this Everyday EASY Masoor Dal is my go to when I need a meal to be ready in less than 30 minutes.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Basics
    Cuisine Indian

    Ingredients
     

    • ⅓ cup red lentils (masoor dal)
    • 1 and ½ cup water
    • 2 medium size tomato
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • salt to taste
    • 2 tablespoons ghee/oil
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1 or 2 green chili
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • few curry leaves
    • ¼ teaspoon chili powder

    Instructions
     

    • Wash the red lentils a few times and then place it on the pressure cooker along with the tomatoes, sliced in half or quarter. Sprinkle the turmeric and salt. Let it pressure cook for 15 minutes.
    • In the meantime, prepare for the tadka by slicing the garlic, chopping the cilantro leaves. The green chili, you can either finely chop or slit in half.
    • Once the dal is boiled, prepare the tadka by heating a small pan with ghee or oil. Then add the garlic, cumin seeds, green chili and curry leaves. Curry leaves will splatter, so be careful when you add.
    • Once the tadka sizzles for a few seconds, switch off the heat and mix in the dry red chili powder. Give a swirl and pour it on the dal.
    • Enjoy warm dal with rice and salad on the side.
    Keyword Dal, easy recipe, glutenfree, Indian food, Lentils, masoor dal, weeknight meal
    Weeknight meal with lentils and rice

    More Side Dish

    • Air Fried Paneer
      Air Fried Paneer
    • Air fried tofu
      Air Fried Tofu
    • Cheena Badam Bhendi - Okra with peanuts
      Cheena Badam Bhendi
    • Vegetable Sambar
      Mixed Vegetable Sambar

    Primary Sidebar

    About

    Hey there! I am Kankana and this is my culinary space where I unfold memories, share stories and try new flavours. Easy effortless cooking with fresh ingredients is my mantra and I like to carry that in my everyday meal.

    Learn more about me →

    Seasonal

    • Congee With Miso Sauce
    • Apple Almond Cake | Playful Cooking #apple #cake #foodphotography #applecake #playfulcooking
      One Bowl Apple Almond Cake
    • Creamy Garlic Mushroom Soup
    • How To Make Makhani Sauce

    Cookbook

    cookbook front cover
    Taste of Eastern India has an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, street foods, snacks, drinks, comfort hearty food, desserts and some long-lost dishes.
    Learn More and Order

    Subscribe

    Kitchen tips and tricks
    Receive exclusive articles and eBooks on Kitchen Tips and Tricks, Photography Tutorial, Meal Prep Ideas and Simple Recipes for Busy Lifestyle. Plus Weekly Fresh Seasonal Recipes.


    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio

    Copyright © 2011-2023 Playful Cooking. All content on this blog is copyrighted. It may not be republished in part or whole without permission and proper credit. Please contact me to seek republishing or syndication rights.