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Dal, or stewed lentils, is so ingrained in Pakistani and Indian culture that you’d be hard-pressed to find a pantry in the Indian Subcontinent without some variety of it. This recipe for masoor dal, or red split lentil curry, is my go-to dal. It’s wholesome, satisfying, and simple to make. This recipe includes stovetop, Instant Pot, and pressure cooker instructions.
My go-to Masoor Dal Recipe
When grocery is running low and dinner isn’t planned, masoor dal is to be made. Unlike many other dals, masoor dal requires no pre-soaking and cooks in minutes when using a pressure cooker or instant pot (more on that below).
Several years ago when I lived in Midland, TX, I would drive 30 minutes home from work, make this dal, and drive 20 minutes back to night class.
To this day, I hastily prepare some version of this recipe whenever I come back from trips and my digestion system needs a break.
Speaking of digestion, because we’ve grown up with dal, it’s easy to take for granted how nutritious it is. Just 1/4 cup of red lentils are packed with:
- 12 grams of protein
- 14 g fiber
- 3 mg of iron (that’s more than spinach!)
- folate, potassium, and magnesium among other nutrients.
Tips for cooking dal
This is a very simple recipe, but there are some universal tips for cooking masoor dal.
- I prefer cooking this dal in an Instant Pot. Because red lentils cook so quickly, this recipe is perfect for cooking the dal and it’s tarka (tempering) concurrently. I usually get the red lentils started in the Instant Pot and immediately start preparing the tarka.
- If you’re cooking it over the stovetop (instead of a pressure cooker), remove the foam that rises to the top. Otherwise, the dal might become bitter.
- Masoor dal is naturally soupy in texture, so it’s forgiving in terms of over-cooking. That’s why it works so well in many different forms of cooking.
- Be generous with the salt. If your dal tastes bland, it likely needs a sprinkle of salt.
- Dal tends to thicken as soon as it’s cooled, so be mindful of that when cooking down to your preferred consistency.
How to cook this Masoor Dal – 3 ways
There are several ways to cook Masoor Dal. This recipe cooks requires cooking the dal and Tarka (tempering) separately and then combining them. You can cook the red lentils 3 ways: stovetop, pressure cooker, and instant pot.
- Stovetop Method: In a large pot, add dal and 3 1/4 cups of water. Bring this to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover, leaving the lid slightly open. Cook the dal for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to remove the white scum that rises to the top of the pan.
- Instant Pot Method: Add lentils along with 1 1/4 cup of water and cook on low pressure for 7 minutes. Manually release the pressure. If you’re interested in making this curry in one pot in an Instant Pot, check out my Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal recipe.
- Pressure Cooker Method: Add the dal along with 2 cups water and pressure cook on high heat for 3 minutes.
If you like this dal, you’ll also love my:
If you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments below. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I love hearing from you!
My Go-To Masoor Dal Recipe (Red Lentil Curry)
Ingredients
- 1 cup masoor dal or red lentils
- 3 1/4 cups water or 2 cups for pressure cooking
- 1/4 cup canola grapeseed or other neutral oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 4-5 garlic cloves crushed
- 1/2 inch piece ginger crushed
- 2 small tomatoes chopped
- 1 green chili chopped or sliced (chopped for more heat, sliced for less)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili powder or cayenne or more to taste
- 1 1/8 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1 tsp kasuri methi or dry fenugreek leaves optional
- 1 tbsp ghee not suitable for vegans
- 1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp garam masala optional
Instructions
To Wash
- Place lentils in a medium-sized bowl and fill with water. Use your hand to swirl the dal around until the water becomes murky. Tip the bowl to take out the excess water and repeat until the water runs clear. Remove any debris and strain the excess water.
Stovetop Method
- In a large pot, add dal and 3 1/4 cups of water. Bring this to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover, leaving the lid slightly open. Cook the dal for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to remove the white scum that rises to the top of the pan.
Pressure Cooker Method
- Pressure cook the masoor dal with 2 cups water for 2-3 minutes or until well cooked and slightly mushy.
Instant Pot Method
- Add lentils along with 1 1/2 cups of water and cook on low pressure for 7 minutes. Manually release the pressure.
For the tadka (or tempering)
- In another large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and sauté for about 15 seconds. Add the onions and sauté until slightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to sauté until the raw smell disappears (about 30 seconds). Add the tomatoes, green chili, and dry spice powders (red chili, turmeric, cumin, coriander) except the garam masala. Cook until soft and you see the oil leaving the sides, about 3 minutes.
- Stir the cooked dal into the tadka and add 2 cups of water. Stir well and raise the heat to bring to a simmer.
- Lower the heat and add the salt. Simmer this dal, stirring occasionally, for at least 5 minutes or until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Add in the ghee. Rub the fenugreek leaves, if using, between your hands to crush them a little and add this to the dal.
- Turn off the heat. Add lemon juice, chopped cilantro, and garam masala, if using. Give it a stir.
- Serve dal hot with rice, roti, naan or anything else your heart desires. I like to serve it with some sliced onions, carrots or cucumber on the side.
I made this recipe today as per your instructions and it turned out great! It took me about an hour since the dal took 40 minutes to cook plus after I mixed the dal+tadka it took at least 20 minutes to reduce the liquid. I soaked the rice and then cooked it in another pot at the same time.
We prefer our food somewhat spicy so after taste testing, we decided to add 2 tsp of “shahi daal masala”. I am happy to say daal was finished in my home. I think next time to save time I may try canned pureed tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. I will be trying more recipes from your blog now.
Thank you, Sidra!! I’m glad to hear you all liked it! I generally cook the dal in a pressure cooker/instant pot while doing the tadka so that saves me time. Please do try more and let me know how you like them! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
I am not a regular cook so I needed a Recipe to cook lentils. I was lucky that I found this recipe on my search. As a novice to cooking I was pleasantly surprised that I could make a lentil so delicious. I wanted to appreciate you for posting such a great easy to cook and easy to understand recipe. Everyone in the family loved it…….
Thank you!
Thank you so much! I am so glad to hear that!
Hi Izzah! Anna and I made this dish today. It was so so so good! I was already full from a late lunch but after I tasted it, I wanted to eat the whole pot. I’m going to make it again for myself to eat without sharing it with Anna. Hahaha! It’s easy to make and it’s healthy. It is so flavorful and had a kick to it. Love it! Please keep on sharing your recipes. We all use your website to cook for our love ones.
Trude, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear this! Thank you for the thoughtful and encouraging comment. I sincerely appreciate it and hope you continue to make and enjoy the recipes on here. 🙂
I have been searching for the perfect daal to serve with rice. At last, I have found it! I customized it according to your suggestions by decreasing methi to a pinch (hubster isn’t a fan) and added a few extra chilis and doubled the red chili powder, because the men in my family like things on the Flaming Hot side of hot. Thanks for the recipe, the fam and I loved it!
Thanks so much for trying and for the wonderful feedback. 🙂 This dal is a favorite in my family too..And we always serve it over rice, with some veggies on the side. I amp up the spices at times too! So glad you all enjoyed it!!!