Best Masur Dahl Recipes

EASY MASOOR DAAL

Steps:

• Rinse lentils thoroughly and place in a medium saucepan along with ginger, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper. Cover with about 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that forms on top of the lentils. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and soupy.
• Meanwhile, in a microwave safe dish combine oil, dried onion and cumin seeds. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute; be sure to brown, but not burn, onions. Stir into lentil mixture.

MASOOR DAL (SPICED RED LENTILS)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil, and sauté onion until softened. Add sweet potato, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic; stir, and reduce heat to low.
• Finely dice chili, keeping seeds if you wish to add more heat. Add chili, lentils, coriander, cumin, turmeric and ground ginger to pan. Stir until lentils are well coated with oil. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat until mixture is at a fast simmer. Cook uncovered until lentils and potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt, and continue to simmer until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk dal to amalgamate lentils and sweet potatoes. If dal is too soupy, increase heat and cook for a little longer.
• To serve, place dal in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. If desired, shave thin strips of fresh coconut on top. Serve hot.

EASY MASOOR DAL

Steps:

• Pick and rinse the pink lentils (dhuli masoor dal) well.
• Pressure cook the pink lentils in a 2-litre pressure cooker with 1.5 to 1.75 cups water, till they become soft and mushy. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on medium flame.
• When the lentils are cooked, beat with a wooden spoon or wired whisk lightly.
• Keep the cooked pink lentils aside. If lentils are not cooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for a few whistles more.
• In another pan or pot, heat oil. Fry the cumin seeds till golden.
• Then add onions and fry till they are light golden.
• 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.
• Add all the dry spice powders one by one including asafoetida (hing) and stir.
• Add the tomatoes and fry till the oil separates and the tomatoes become soft.
• Add the cooked pink lentils. Pour 1 to 1.5 cups water. You can adjust the quantity of water as required.
• Add salt and stir. Simmer for 6 to 7 minutes more on a low or medium flame till you get the desired consistency.
• This dal is neither thick nor thin and has a medium consistency.
• Lastly add kasuri methi and simmer for 1 minute.
• Towards the end add lemon juice and 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves and stir. Switch off the flame.
• You can also garnish the dal with coriander leaves if you want while serving. Serve this masoor dal hot with steamed basmati rice or roti or chappati.

RAGHAVAN'S PALAK MASOOR DAL (RED LENTILS WITH SPINACH)

Steps:

• Rinse lentils in a 3- to 4-quart pot with water, rubbing lentils between the fingertips of one hand, then drain. Repeat 3 or 4 times or until the water runs clear.
• Place drained lentils in the pot and add 2 cups water, tomatoes, ginger, chiles, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming and discarding foam. When tomato skin is loosened and wrinkled, after about 5 minutes of cooking, transfer tomatoes to a plate to cool.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer lentils, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very tender and almost mushy, about 15 minutes. (The lentil color will change from salmon to pale yellow as they cook.) Keep warm over low heat.
• Meanwhile, peel and core cooled tomatoes; discard skins. Transfer tomatoes to a blender, along with the ginger and chiles from the pot and the cilantro. Pureé, scraping down the sides as needed, until you have a thick, green-flecked tomato sauce.
• Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add cumin seeds and let sizzle until they turn reddish brown and smell nutty, about 10 seconds. Immediately add spinach in handfuls, stirring to wilt.
• Stir spinach mixture, tomato sauce, and salt into warm lentils. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors mingle, about 5 minutes.

SABUT MASOOR DAL (SPICED BROWN LENTILS)

Steps:

• In a large (about 6-quart) pot, add 7 cups of water, the whole masoor dal and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on as high heat as possible until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the masala: In a medium-sized (8-inch) frying pan, heat ghee over medium heat for 30 to 45 seconds or until melted. Add onion, ginger and garlic, and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, chile powder, turmeric and coriander. Mix well. Stir in tomatoes, add salt and Thai green chiles. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and the oil separates (it will form an outline around the jammy tomato), about 10 minutes.
• Remove 1 cup water from the pot of dal with a ladle (remove more if you want the dal to be thicker, or less or none of you prefer it thinner). Stir the masala from the frying pan into the pot of dal. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or for 10 minutes for more tender dal. Turn off the stove, and stir in lemon juice. Sprinkle with garam masala and cilantro. Serve with rice, roti or by itself.