Pin
Masoor dal tadka recipe - a simple dal tadka recipe using red lentils or masoor dal. This dal tadka recipe needs no pressure cooker so it’s perfect for bachelors or those of you who don’t use or have a pressure cooker handy. Masoor dal cooks easily and I usually pre-soak the lentils, making it cook even faster.
- Masoor Dal Tadka Recipe Ingredients Instructions
Although it started well into my 20s, dal and rice is comfort food for sure. In Kerala cooking, masoor dals rarely feature and we usually stick to moong dal and toor dal to make the usual kootu and sambar. Masoor dal has a distinct reddish-pink colour that turns yellow on cooking, and a flavour that goes so well with a strong tadka or tempering.
Pin
While dal is most efficiently cooked to a mush in a pressure cooker, you don’t have to have one, especially if you want to make dal tadka with easier-to-cook lentils. I pre-soak all dal before cooking because not only does it help to cook the dal quicker, it also helps break down complex sugars and carbs in the dal. Apparently, watering plants with the water used to soak the dal works well but I haven’t tried this yet. My balcony garden is going through a rough patch currently, need to re-pot and re-sow everything.
More dal recipes on Edible Garden: Tomato capsicum dal Beetroot leaves dal Bok choy dal Jeera dal Sweet and sour moong dal Methi dal
Masoor Dal Tadka Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup masoor dal red lentils
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon sugar or jaggery optional
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For tempering
- 2 teaspoon ghee or oil
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 3-4 dry red chillies
- A few curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon hing or asafoetida
- ½ cup chopped ripe tomato
Instructions
- Wash and soak the dal for 1-2 hours. One hour should be sufficient, but leave it a bit longer if you have time
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, add enough water to cover the dal by two inches and bring to boil
- Add turmeric powder and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked soft
- Cook covered on very low heat to speed up the process
- Once the dal is cooked, mash it with the back of a spoon and add more water to bring to the right consistency
- In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients, chop the onion, garlic, and tomatoes
For tempering
- Heat the ghee and add mustard seeds and cumin
- When the mustard seeds pop and the cumin seeds sizzle, add the onions
- Fry until the onions turn soft and then add garlic and red chillies
- When the garlic turns a light brown and the onions start to brown, add curry leaves and hing
- Fry for another minute or so or until the onions turn a golden brown
- Now add the tomatoes, salt, and sugar (if using)
- Cook until the tomatoes turn soft (around 4-5 minutes) and add to the cooked dal
- Mix well and add lime juice. Test for salt levels and add more as needed
- Serve hot with rice and any curry
Step by Step Masoor Dal Tadka Recipe
Wash and soak the dal for 1-2 hours. One hour should be sufficient, but soak it a bit longer if you have time
Pin In a heavy-bottomed pan, add enough water to cover the dal by two inches along with turmeric powder and bring to boil
Pin Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked soft
Pin Cook covered on very low heat to speed up the process
Pin Once the dal is cooked, mash it with the back of a spoon and add more water to bring to the right consistency
Pin Pin In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients, chop the onion, garlic, and tomatoes
Pin For tempering, start with heating the ghee
Pin
and add mustard seeds and cumin
Pin When the mustard seeds pop and the cumin seeds sizzle, add the onions, red chillies, and garlic (remove stems from the red chillies, don’t be like me)
Pin When the garlic turns a light brown and the onions start to brown, add curry leaves and hing
Pin Fry for another minute or so or until the onions turn a golden brown
Pin Now add the tomatoes, salt, and sugar (if using)
Pin Cook until the tomatoes turn soft (around 4-5 minutes)
Pin
Add tempering to the cooked dal
Pin Mix well and add lime juice. Test for salt levels and add more as needed
Pin Serve hot with rice and any curry
Pin
Notes:
- You can use a mix of different dal to make this dish. For speedier cooking, pressure cook the dal for 15 minutes or 3-4 whistles before tempering
- If you want a spicier dal, use red chilli powder or green chillies when cooking the dal or tempering
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves if you have some handy
If you try this masoor dal tadka recipe, please share a picture and tag with #ediblegarden on any social media channel. Also, don’t forget to comment and rate the recipe!
For masoor dal tadka recipe in Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, etc use the Google translate button in the sidebar
Masoor Dal Tadka Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup masoor dal red lentils
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon sugar or jaggery optional
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For tempering
- 2 teaspoon ghee or oil
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 3-4 dry red chillies
- A few curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon hing or asafoetida
- ½ cup chopped ripe tomato
Instructions
- Wash and soak the dal for 1-2 hours. One hour should be sufficient, but leave it a bit longer if you have time
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, add enough water to cover the dal by two inches and bring to boil
- Add turmeric powder and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked soft
- Cook covered on very low heat to speed up the process
- Once the dal is cooked, mash it with the back of a spoon and add more water to bring to the right consistency
- In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients, chop the onion, garlic, and tomatoes
For tempering
- Heat the ghee and add mustard seeds and cumin
- When the mustard seeds pop and the cumin seeds sizzle, add the onions
- Fry until the onions turn soft and then add garlic and red chillies
- When the garlic turns a light brown and the onions start to brown, add curry leaves and hing
- Fry for another minute or so or until the onions turn a golden brown
- Now add the tomatoes, salt, and sugar (if using)
- Cook until the tomatoes turn soft (around 4-5 minutes) and add to the cooked dal
- Mix well and add lime juice. Test for salt levels and add more as needed
- Serve hot with rice and any curry
