Masoor Dal Recipe | Red Lentil Curry

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Masoor Dal is an everyday kind of dal preparation made with red lentils tempered with garlic, dry red chillies and cumin, and some aromatic herbs and spices.

This is one of the most popular dal that is often paried with paratha or jeera rice.

This is a vegan, gluten-free, protein-rich, diabetic-friendly & beginner-friendly recipe.

About Masoor Dal

Masoor dal is a simple, delicious everyday kind of Indian lentil curry made with split red lentils also called as Dhuli Masoor Dal in Hindi.

This is a nutritious, vegan, diabetic-friendly, protein-rich, beginner-friendly recipe that makes a perfect option for dinner along with flatbread and rice.

There are two varieties of masoor dal, one is the whole masoor dal also called sabut masoor dal and the split & husked one which have an orange-pink colour.

You will find many Indian recipes made using both types of dals.

I have also shared the recipe of sabut masoor dal (whole brown lentil curry) on my blog. Do check it out if interested.

Dal / Lentils are a staple food and are considered the main source of protein for many vegetarians. Dal of any kind is prepared almost every day for meals.

In Indian cuisine, dal is often mixed with green leafy vegetables such as spinach (dal palak), fenugreek (Dal Methi), and Amaranth (Dal Chavali) which enhances the nutritional value of the dish.

Masoor dal / red lentil curry is often made in Indian households with slight variations depending from region to region.

We often include this masoor dal / red lentil curry for our weeknight dinners along with rice. This is a flavourful, light, filling and totally satisfying curry.

Making this dal at home is easy and you hardly need any exotic ingredients.

This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes with precooked dal. This dal can be done in a pressure cooker on the stovetop or in an instant pot.

This curry is rich in dietary fibre and protein, making it the best source of protein for a plant-based diet.

This dal gets a wonderful garlicky flavour with the fried garlic that goes into the tempering along with cumin seeds.

Including lentils & legumes in everyday meals is a great way of including proteins when on a plant-based diet to get your daily intake of necessary nutrients.

I love this masoor da along with jeera rice, tava paratha, and spicy mango pickle by the side. This is what comfort meal mean to me!

If you love dals / lentils then this recipe is for you! do give it a try and you are going to fall in love with it!

lngredients

Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) – For making this curry, we need to wash the dal couple of times with water and then pressure cook till 5 whistles.

Onion & Tomatoes – Onion and tomatoes makes the base for this curry and gives nice texture to this dal. You can skip onions if you do not like.

Spices & Herbs – To enhance the taste of this curry, we will use roughly crushed ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, garam masala, coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder.

Seasoning – Salt to taste. Lemon juice while serving

Oil – I have used sunflower oil for making this curry. You can make it in ghee or in butter.

For Takda (Tempering) – Tadka adds a burst of flavour to this dal. We will temper this dal using, roughly crushed garlic, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, and Kashmiri red chilli powder ( which gives a bright red colour instead of heat).

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Variations

You can make use of other dals / lentils like pigeon peas (turdal), sabut masoor dal (whole brown lentils) or yellow moong dal.

You can add vegetables like eggplants, spinach or methi (fenugreek leaves) to enhance the flavours.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this with paratha, naan, jeera rice or with steamed rice along with some pickles and popadums.

Storage Options

This dal stays good for about a week in the refrigerator. Store it in a container with a lid. Reheat before serving.

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More Dal Recipes

Sabut Masoor Dal (Brown Lentil Curry), Lasooni Dal Tadka (Garlicky Lentil Curry), Phodnicha Varan (Simple Dal), Green Moong Dal Curry, Methi Dal (Fenugreek Lentil Curry)

Step-by-Step Red Lentil Curry With Pitcures

How to make red lentil curry recipe.

• Wash 1 cup of masoor dal / red lentils with water a couple of times till the water runs relatively clear.

• Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook the dal for 5-6 whistles.

• Heat oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions and saute for 2-3 minutes.

• Add finely chopped green chillies and roughly crushed ginger-garlic paste.

• Cook onions till translucent.

• Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till tomatoes soften.

• Add spices, coriander powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, and turmeric powder. Mix well.

• Add 1/2 cup of water to prevent spices from burning.

• Add the cooked dal and salt to taste.

• Mix dal with the onion tomato masala. Add water to adjust the consistency of the dal as per your preference.

• Simmer the dal and let it come to a boil.

Let’s make tadka

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add roughly crushed garlic, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and saute till garlic turns golden brown in colour.

• Add a teaspoon of Kashmiri red chilli powder. This chilli powder gives bright red colour to the tadka.

• Turn off the flame immediately and pour the tadka over the dal. Keep some tadka for later to garnish.

• Mix tadka with dal and adjust the consistency of the dal by adding water.

• Let the dal come to a boil.

• Lastly, add finely chopped coriander leaves.

• Delicious & flavourful masoor dal / red lentil curry tadka is ready. Serve with paratha, naan or rice.

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