Go Back

Red lentil dhal

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.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g 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

Method
 

  1. 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.
  2. When the lentils are soft and creamy, turn off the heat, remove the ginger pieces and season with salt.
  3. 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.
  4. Stir the tadka into the dhal. If it's not thick enough, cook for a further few minutes to your liking.
  5. Serve with fresh, chopped coriander scattered on top.