Masoor Dal is a creamy spiced lentil dish that’s delicious to enjoy over rice. This popular Indian recipe features lovely red lentils cooked with onions, tomatoes, and lots of rich and savory spices. Follow my simple steps to make a healthy, tasty Masoor Dal recipe for a satisfying and healthy meal.
About Masoor Dal
Masoor Dal is Hindi for ‘orange lentils’, ‘red lentils’ or ‘pink lentils’. Basically these are the same lentils with different names. But note that these are not the same as Puy lentils, which are a green French lentil.
The Masoor Dal lentils can be split or whole, and both types are used in Indian cuisine. The split and husked red lentils are called Dhuli Masoor Dal in Hindi.
Split and husked lentils have an orange-pink color. However, the whole Masoor Dal with the husks have a dark brown color and thus called Brown Lentils.
While wonderfully unique, both of these lentils are equally delicious and easy to make with whatever pantry staples you have. Keep reading for step-by-step photos and instructions for making this tasty Indian Red Lentils.
If interested, you can have a look at a comforting and healthy North Indian style Brown Lentils (Whole Masoor Dal) recipe that I have also posted.
This Masoor Dal recipe is a creamy spiced preparation made with the husked and split red lentils (also known as orange lentils or pink lentils).
The recipe is very easy to make and is ready in about 30 minutes. It’s perfect for a hearty and healthy weeknight dinner or to enjoy during a relaxing weekend.
I have cooked these red lentils in a pressure cooker to save time. You can even cook them in a pan on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot.
The Red Lentils recipe is easily adjustable and scaleable. You could any time tone down on the usage of various spices and seasonings.
How to make Masoor Dal
Preparation
1. To start, rinse ½ cup of masoor dal (split and husked red lentils) under cool running water for a minute or so. Drain the water.
Then add the rinsed red lentils to a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker along with 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups of water.
You can opt to cook the lentils in the Instant Pot, adding water as needed. These lentils also cook easily in a pot or pan on the stovetop. Add about 1.5 to 2 cups water or more when cooking in a pan.
2. Pressure cook the red lentils on a medium to medium-high heat for 5 to 6 whistles, or until they become soft and mushy.
Let the pressure drop naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid. Check the cooked red lentils.
The lentils have to be tender and softened completely. Mash lightly with a wooden spoon or a whisk lightly with a wired whisk. Set aside.
Make Onion Tomato Masala
3. In another large skillet or pot, heat 2 tablespoons of your preferred cooking oil on medium heat.
Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and fry until they crackle and change color.
4. Next add ⅓ cup chopped onions. Stir and sauté the onions on low to medium-low heat.
5. Continue to sauté and stir for some minutes until they are light golden. Do not burn or you’ll wind up with an unpleasant bitter taste.
6. Then add 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and 2 or 3 peeled and crushed garlic cloves (small to medium-sized).
Stir and sauté them for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic goes away.
7. Add 1 green chili (chopped or slit) and 1 or 2 whole dry red chilies (broken and seeds removed), optional. Stir and mix well.
8. Next add the following ground spices:
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Skip adding asafoetida if you do not have it.
9. Stir and mix well. Next add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes.
10. Stir the tomatoes and mix them well with the onions and spices. Sauté the tomatoes on medium-low heat until the oil separates and the tomatoes become soft.
Make Masoor Dal
11. Now add the cooked and lightly mashed lentils to the skillet.
12. Mix thoroughly.
13. Pour in 1 to 1 ½ cups water, depending on how firm, thick or thin you like your masoor dal.
Start with just 1 cup and stir, and then add more water bit by bit as needed. Taste and season with salt.
14. Simmer the dal for 6 to 7 minutes more on a low or medium heat. The dal will get thicker as it cooks, so simmer just until you get the desired consistency.
15. I prefer my dal as shown, with a medium consistency that isn’t too thick or thin.
16. I also like to add 1 teaspoon of crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) for a slightly nutty and earthy bite. Feel free to leave out if you prefer.
17. Simmer for 1 more minute to combine the flavor of the leaves.
18. Once the dal has reached desired consistency, stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves. Give another stir and turn off the heat.
19. You can also garnish with coriander leaves if you prefer while serving the dal.
FAQs for Masoor ki Dal
Serve Masoor dal with some steamed basmati rice, pickle and papad and you have a comforting Indian meal.
Even a side of Onion Raita or Cucumber Raita or a Vegetable Salad or Kachumber Salad can be accompanied with the masoor dal.
It’s also perfect for enjoying with Indian flat breads like Chapati for scooping.
The consistency and the flavor of Red lentils change over a period of time. I would suggest to eat them as soon as you prepare the dish. Try to consume the lentils on the same day.
I would not recommend to freeze masoor dal. Lentils are best eaten when they freshly cooked. Freezing cooked lentils or storing them in the refrigerator for a few days is not considered a healthy practice according to Ayurveda.
Yes. As-is this recipe is enough for 4 servings, but can be halved for 2 or doubled to make a large batch.
More Lentil Recipes To Try!
Dal (Lentils) & Legumes
Dal (Lentils) & Legumes
Dal (Lentils) & Legumes
Dal (Lentils) & Legumes
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Masoor Dal Recipe | Indian Red Lentils Recipe
Ingredients
For stovetop pressure cooking
- ½ cup masoor dal or red lentils (husked and split)
- 1.5 to 1.75 cups water for pressure cooking dal
For making masoor dal
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅓ cup chopped onions or 1 medium-sized
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves (small to medium-sized), crushed or finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger finely chopped or 1 teaspoon
- 1 to 2 green chillies chopped or slit or ½ to 1 teaspoon
- 1 to 2 dry red chilies – broken and seeds removed, optional
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium-sized
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon Garam Masala (homemade garam masala powder can be just ¼ teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 1 to 1.5 cups water or add as required
- salt as required
- 1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) – crushed, optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- ½ or 1 teaspoon lemon juice or as required
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish, optional
Instructions
Cooking Lentils
- Pick and rinse the red lentils (masoor dal) a few times in water.
- Drain the water and add the lentils to a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker. Also add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water to the lentils in the cooker.
- Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on medium heat until the lentils become soft and mushy.
- Let the pressure drop naturally in the cooker, and then only open the lid.
- When the lentils are softened and cooked well, mash lightly with a wooden spoon or whisk lightly with a wired whisk.
- Keep the cooked red lentils aside. If lentils are undercooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for a few minutes more.
Making onion-tomato masala
- In another pan or pot, heat oil. Keep the heat to a low. Add cumin seeds and fry the cumin seeds till they crackle.
- Then add onions and sauté stirring often till they are light golden on low to medium-low heat.
- Add chopped ginger and garlic. Stir and fry for 10 to 15 seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
- Add green chilies and red chilies. Stir to mix.
- Add all the ground spices – turmeric powder, red chilli powder or cayenne pepper, garam masala powder one by one including asafoetida (hing) and stir to mix on a low heat.
- Add the finely chopped tomatoes and sauté on medium-low heat till the oil separates and the tomatoes become mushy and soft.
Making Masoor Dal
- Add the cooked and lightly mashed red lentils. Pour 1 to 1.5 cups water depending on the consistency you prefer. So you can adjust the quantity of water as required and add bit by bit as you go on mixing.
- Add salt as required and stir again. Simmer for 6 to 7 minutes more on a low to medium heat till you get the desired consistency in the dal.
- Masoor dal is neither thick nor thin and has a medium consistency.
- Add crushed dry fenugreek leaves and simmer for 1 minute.
- Lastly add lemon juice and 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and stir to mix. Switch off the heat.
- You can also garnish the Masoor Dal with coriander leaves while serving. Serve the Red Lentils hot with steamed basmati rice or roti or chapati.
Notes
- The red lentils can also be cooked in a pot or pan. Just soak the dal for 30 to 40 minutes, so that they cook faster if cooking in a pot. Adjust the quantity of water as required.
- Add less or more of the spices and seasonings in masoor dal according to your taste preferences.
- If you have the Instant Pot, then cook the red lentils in it adding water as needed.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Masoor Dal Recipe from the archives first published in July 2013 has been republished and updated on November 2022.
