This is simple recipe of Red lentil dal with rice. We cook this quite often. There are multiple variations for this recipe. I like cooking this in the simplest possible way with onions and tomatoes with an optional tempering on top.
Red lentils are easily available and cook much faster in compared to other lentils.Dahl is a great way of having proteins. Just add a dash of lemon juice for easy iron absorption.
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Different types of lentil recipes
Generally, thoor dhal/tuvar daal/toor dahl is used to make it. However, we can used mixed lentils too. This improves nutrient value as well as makes it easy to digest it. You do not need a meat based diet to get your protein.
Lentils are easy to digest as well as cheap. A packet lasts long and makes multiple meals. You can make variety of dishes with lentils and never get bored.
Indian lentils for reference:
- Moong - yellow split lentils
- Sabut moong/Hari moong - green gram split lentils
- Chilke wali moong -split green gram
- Urad dal chilka- split black gram
- Kali /Maa ki dal - black gram whole lentils
- Urad - split black gram
- Toor /arhar - yellow pigeon peas split lentils
- Chana -split Bengal gram
- Masoor -red lentils
- Moth - Turkish gram
Other important ones are turai dhal, lauki chana dhal, daal makhni,Yellow dal recipe sambar, rasam, amti. Dal fry & jeera rice is a match made in heaven. Indian cuisine has a variety of lentils and many ways to use them. Be it as a curry, appetizer and even a dessert. See the space below to learn how to make mixed lentils.
Ingredients
For cooking lentils in pot
- Red lentils
- Tomato
- Onion
- Ginger,garlic,green chillies
- Cumin seeds
- Curry powder
- Ghee/oil if vegan
- Coriander leaves
- lemon juice (optional)
For tempering
- Oil/Ghee
- cumin seeds
- Garlic
- red chilli powder
Instructions
- Soak the mixed lentils in a bowl of water for 20-30 minutes. Drain the water.
- In a pan, heat oil or ghee and cook ginger, garlic, chilly with onion.
- Once the onions are brown, add tomatoes with little salt.
- Cook until the tomatoes are soft, add the curry powder.
- Add the soaked red lentil dal along with water.
- Generally we add twice cups water to 1 cup of lentils. You can adjust according to your choice. Add a small bowl of water if you feel the dal is too thick later.
- Cover and cook until the lentils are soft and start breaking apart.(around 20-25 minutes)
- For tempering, heat oil/ghee in a separate pan, add cumin seeds and sliced garlic. Tempering is an optional step, you can skip this if you are happy with the flavors in the pot. This step helps to add more flavor/spice.
- Add red chilli powder (as per taste)
- Pour the tempering over the cooked dal, garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve warm with Rice. You can adjust the thickness of the dal by adding more water if you like.
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Read the recipe for Red lentil dal recipe
Red lentil dal recipe
Equipment
- Pot for cooking lentils
- small pan for tempering
Ingredients
For cooking lentils in a pot
- 1 cup Red lentils also known as Masoor dal in India
- 2 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon green chilli as per taste/ optional
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 2-3 tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon curry powder can be replace with turmeric powder,garam masala
- 2 cups water or more
- 1 teaspoon Coriander for garnish
- Salt as per taste
- lemon juice optional
For tempering / tadka
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or paprika if you do not like it spicy
- ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1-2 garlic cloves sliced
Instructions
Step to cook the dal
- Soak the mixed lentils in a bowl of water for 20-30 minutes. drain the excess water
- In a pan, heat oil or ghee and cook ginger, garlic, chilly with onion
- Once the onions are brown, add tomatoes with little salt
- Cook until the tomatoes are soft, add the curry powder
- Add the soaked red lentil dal with water. Generally we add twice cups water to 1 cup of lentils. You can adjust according to your choice. Add a small bowl of water if you feel the dal is too thick later.
- Cover and cook until the lentils are soft and start breaking apart.(around 20-25 minutes)
Steps for tempering (optional)
- In a pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds and let it splutter.
- Add chopped garlic,once the garlic is golden brown,add red chilli powder
- Pour the tempering over the cooked dal, garnish with coriander leaves
- Optionally add some lemon juice if you prefer it to be bit sour.
- Serve hot with jeera rice/pulao.
Notes
Nutrition
Equipment
I have used a heavy bottom pot here in this recipe. However, you can always use your instant pot for it. I am yet to try this in mine though. Will update the recipe card as soon as I do. 🙂
Variations
You may choose to just a different variety of dal, for eg. moong (yellow lentil) and it will be called moong dal tadka.
If you like your food spicy, increase the red chili powder in tempering. If you like your food mild, use paprika or Kashmiri red chilly powder which are a milder variety. You may also temper the red chilies separately along with a teaspoon cumin seeds in ghee/oil in a tadka pan. Always let the seeds splutter and then add the red chili and optionally, heeng Add it over the hot lentils for extra flavor.
Substitutions
You can use ghee for tempering instead of oil if you are vegetarian.
Equipment
You can cook lentils in any heavy bottom pan or even a slow cooker. You can use a instant pot or a pressure cooker too. The cook time will differ depending on the equipment. Check if the lentils are ready, by mashing a spoonful by using your thumb and index finger. Otherwise let it cook for 10-15 mins.
Storage
If you are short of time on a weeknight? Boil the lentils in a a bigger quantity which lasts two days together. Use half and remaining the next day. Always temper the lentils fresh, it tastes perfect. If you have lots of dhal left, strain it to use water for making rasam.Use the boiled lentil to make paratha.
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