This easy Indian dal is ready in under an hour and makes a satisfying vegetarian lunch or dinner. Serve with rice or naan. This soup also keeps well and can be frozen for up to three months.
One of the things I love about red lentils is that they cook so quickly. Unlike their more robust brown and green lentil cousins, red lentils break down quickly when cooked to a smooth, mushy consistency.
So if you get a craving for some lentils late in the morning, you can easily whip up a batch in time for lunch.
This red lentil dal recipe came from my friend Kerissa Barron who has been living and traveling in India for several months. According to Kerissa, every region of India has its own version of the Indian staple dal, which is essentially a lentil soup.
This particular version comes from the state of West Bengal and contains Bengali five spices, called panch phoran, a fragrant blend of fennel seed, fenugreek, black cumin seed, caraway seed and mustard seed. If black cumin seeds are not available, you can use black (or white) sesame seeds instead.
In West Bengal and throughout India, dal is eaten with almost every meal, and is used as a sauce, soup, and as a way to mash and stick food (traditionally eaten with hands in this region).
I’ve made Kerissa’s recipe a few times and love the flavors and how easy it is to make. Do you have a favorite Indian dal recipe? Please let us know in the comments.
What to serve with dal
You can serve dal as a simple meal with rice, naan, or papadams on the side. You can also serve dal as a side dish with chicken or lamb.
How to store and freeze dal
Dal keeps refrigerated for about five days and can be gently reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also freeze dal for up to three months (try this method).
Try these other Indian recipes
- Indian Butter Chicken
- Pressure cooker Saag Tofu
- Lambcurry
- Chicken Korma
- Chana Masala
Red lentil dal
To make a garlic paste, finely chop the garlic, then sprinkle with some kosher salt (as an abrasive) and mash over the mixture with the side of a large cleaver until the garlic breaks down and becomes paste-like.
No fresh tomatoes? You can substitute 1 cup of canned tomato passata.
ingredients
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1 Cup Red lenses (Yellow lentils work too)
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3 cups water
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3 plum tomatoes
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2 teaspoon vegetable oil
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1/2 Cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
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2 medium cloves garlicfinely chopped and made into a paste (see recipe note)
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2 teaspoon Bengali Five Spice Blend (panch phoron) OR 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds or black (or white) sesame seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, and (if available) 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
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1 bay Sheet
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1 teaspoon turmeric
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1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
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1 limejuiced (about 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice)
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8th branches corianderdestalked and chopped
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Cooked basmati riceOptional
method
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Cook lentils:
Place 1 cup of red lentils in a metal colander. Rinse well with cold water.
Pour the cleaned lentils into a medium sauce pan. Add 3 cups of water. Bring lentils and water to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes or until lentils are tender.
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Blanch and dice tomatoes:
While the lentils cook in step 1, bring a separate small saucepan of water to a boil.
Score the skin of the tomatoes in an “X” shape with a sharp knife. Put the tomatoes in the boiling water and blanch for a minute.
Place the tomatoes in a bowl to cool. Once cool, peel the tomatoes and cut out the tough stalk end and discard. Dice or puree the tomatoes and set aside.
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Sweat onions with spices:
After the lentils have cooked for at least 5 minutes in step 1, start preparing the onions and spices.
In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic paste and cook for a further 1 minute, stirring constantly, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the Bengali Five Spice. Cook and stir for another 2-3 minutes. Add bay leaf and turmeric. stir.
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Add cooked lentils:
Add the cooked lentils and the lentil cooking water to the onions and spices. Add salt. Boil 10 minutes.
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Finish the soup:
Add lime juice and tomatoes. Cook for 3-5 more minutes. Adjust salt if necessary.
Stir in the chopped cilantro and remove from the heat. Garnish with more chopped cilantro.
Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 230 | calories |
| 4g | Fat |
| 39g | carbohydrates |
| 13g | protein |
