Whole Masoor Dal

5 from 6 votes

A recipe for whole masoor dal made with masoor lentils or brown lentils in a spiced and flavorful tomato onion sauce. Serve the dal with rice and/or roti for a tasty, hearty and healthy Indian meal that's also soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course/Dal

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 85kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Pressure cooker or Instant Pot (optional)
Saucepan with lid
Blender

Ingredients

1 cup whole masoor dal (brown lentils)
2 teaspoon coconut oil (divided)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large onion (finely chopped, divided)
4 cloves garlic (peeled and left whole)
2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 dry red chili pepper (optional, you can skip if sensitive to heat and if the garam masala you use has red chili peppers added to it)
2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
2 tablespoon cilantro (plus more for garnish)
2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoon paprika (optional, for color)
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon garam masala
Salt to taste
Wedges of lemon (for serving)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook the whole masoor on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot until tender.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and, when they darken, add half the onions and the cloves of garlic and saute until they turn golden-brown. Add the coriander seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and the dry red chili pepper, if using. Saute until these ingredients are lightly colored and very fragrant. Then remove them to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Once the ingredients have cooled, add them to a blender along with the tomatoes. Blend into a very smooth paste. Add a bit of water if needed to keep the blades moving, although it should not be necessary.
Heat the remaining oil in the same saucepan and add the remaining onions and cilantro. Add a pinch of salt and saute the onions until they are golden-brown. Stir in the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
Add the blended masala and the cooked masoor to the pot along with a cup of the lentil cooking stock, if any, turmeric, paprika, if using, and the sugar. Mix well and let the lentils cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you see pools of darker liquid float to the top, which tells you everything is cooked as it should be. You can add more liquid to the pot at any time for a runnier dal.
Sprinkle on the garam masala, stir well, and add more salt as needed. Turn off the heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze on the dal and rice.

Notes

Storage and reheating instructions:

Refrigerate: Store leftover masoor dal in the fridge for up to three days.
Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container up to three months.
Reheat: Heat frozen dal in a saucepan or in the microwave. If heating the dal in a saucepan add a little bit of water to the saucepan to buffer the frozen dal as it thaws. Stir frequently and let it boil, then turn off heat. If you add more water to the dal check if more salt is needed.

Nutrition