Name: Red lentil dhal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Ingredients: 200g red lentils; 1 litre water; 4 cm of fresh ginger, cut into two pieces; ½ tsp ground turmeric; ½ tsp salt; For tadka (tempering):; 3 Tbsp oil or ghee; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp ground coriander; A pinch of asafoetida; ¼ tsp chilli powder; To garnish:; 1 Tbsp fresh coriander

Red lentil dhal

12 Jan 2017

by Dinna

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

60 minutes

Total Time

1 hour, 5 minutes

Background

My absolute favourite dish in Indian restaurants is Masoor dhal which is made of red lentils. It’s actually a very easy dish to make at home, and if you have a pressure cooker, can be quick too (just cook the lentils and ginger for 8-10 minutes, then continue the recipe). This authentic recipe uses tempering (tadka) which means that the spices are cooked separately and added to the cooked lentils at the end. Serve it as a side dish in an Indian menu or with basmati rice.

Ingredients

200g red lentils
1 litre water
4 cm of fresh ginger, cut into two pieces
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp salt
For tadka (tempering):
3 Tbsp oil or ghee
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
A pinch of asafoetida
¼ tsp chilli powder
To garnish:
1 Tbsp fresh coriander

Instructions

Rinse the lentils thoroughly then put them in a pan water. When the water is boiling, remove the foam, then add the turmeric and ginger pieces and cook at a low temperature, under cover for about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the lentils are soft and creamy, turn off the heat, remove the ginger pieces and season with salt.
Make the tadka (tempering): in small pan fry the onions and garlic in the oil until soft, then add the spices (cumin, coriander, chilli) and fry for 1-2 minutes on low temperature.
Stir the tadka into the dhal. If it's not thick enough, cook for a further few minutes to your liking.
Serve with fresh, chopped coriander scattered on top.