Easy Dal Recipe
We are cooking with Red lentils or masoor dal! This is one Easy Dal Recipe you will ever come across.
Masoor Dal or Red Lentils
Dosha: V↑ PK↓
Taste: Sweet and Astringent
Energetic: Cooling
Quality: Light and soft
Nutrients: Fiber, folate, molybdenum, tryptophan, manganese, iron, phosphorus, copper, B1, and potassium.
Masoor dal is one of the staple foods in Bangladesh! I grew up eating rice, dal and fish, so I can honestly say that I am made from these foods. Because you are what you eat! I never liked like rice or any vegetable dishes if there was no dal or lentil soup on the table. So my mother made dal with love every day. She made it thick or thin (consistency), she made it with vegetables or plain, she used different spices in the dal and for tarka or tempering. Tempering is extremely simple and makes a dal recipe taste delicious. Since I have my mother with me this winter you can image how much fun we are having in the kitchen. I am giving you one of my favourite recipe here. It is super easy and packed with flavour.
Once you become an expert in making dal or lentil soup – you can play with flavours and consistency. This simple food can easily be made into gourmet dishes.
Check my blogpost about the benefits of lentils in your diet.
- 1. 2 cups of red lentils or masoor dal
- 2. 5 cups of water
- 3. 1 tomato, roughly chopped
- 4. Sea salt to taste
- 5. 1 tsp. turmeric
- 6. ½ tsp. cumin Powder or Jeera powder
- 7. A pinch of hing or asafoetida (optional)
- 8. ½ tsp. of ginger paste or grated ginger
- 9. 2 Indian Bay Leaves (Tej patta/Cinnamon leaves)
- 1. 1 shallot, julienned
- 2. 1 Tbsp. of ghee or coconut oil
- 1. Wash the lentils twice and soak it in water for 20 minutes.
- 2. Transfer the lentils in a cooking pot and add water.
- 3. Once water is boiled then add turmeric, salt, ginger, hing, cumin powder and bay leaves.
- 4. Stir the spices in the lentil soup and lower the heat to low-medium.
- 5. Add the tomatoes.
- 6. Cover the pot and let it cook for 25-25 minutes.
- 7. We use a wooden hand blender to smooth the lentil soup. This special ‘old school’ blender is available in any Indian/Pakistani grocery store. Or you can use an electric hand held blender to do the work. But much more fun using the wooden one.
- 8. In a small frying pan add ghee or coconut oil.
- 9. When the oil is hot add the julienned shallots and fry them until they are golden brown.
- 10. Once the onions are ready – pour the shallots including the oil on soup and stir the soup well.
- 11. You can use some of it to garnish.
