Red Lentil Dal

Published on March 13, 2020 | By
red lentil dal

Legumes are the foundation of Indian cuisine. The most common way to cook Indian style lentils or other types of beans is to prepare a “dal.” A dal is simply a dish of cooked legumes flavored with spices or aromatics. Here is my rendition of dal using red lentils. You can serve the lentils with rice or a good Indian style bread such as chapati, a flatbread, or pooris, a deep fried puffy crisp bread.

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of red lentils
  • 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 TBSP ginger, minced
  • 2-3 hot green chili peppers such as jalapeños or 2 dried red chilis
  • 2 TBSP ghee or oil
  • 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 TBSP roasted and ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 3-4 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  1. Rinse the lentils until water runs clear. Melt ghee or use oil and heat in a large pot. Add chopped onions and sauté over medium heat until soft. Add minced green chili peppers or dried red chilis, and tomatoes. Continue to sauté over medium heat until cooked through.
  2. In a small skillet, roast the cumin seeds and the coriander seeds separately . Add the whole cumin seeds to the onion and tomato mixture. Grind the coriander and add to the onions and tomatoes. You can grind the coriander in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Add the remainder of the spices.
  3. Add the red lentils to the pot. Cover with water until 2 " over the lentils. Should be about 3-4 cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat and cover. Stir frequently.
  4. The lentils are usually cooked in about 30 minutes. Taste to see if they are the consistency that you like. Adjust all seasonings.
  5. Before serving add fresh lime juice. Garnish each bowl of lentils with chopped cilantro and a dollop of plain yogurt if you desire.
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