Red Lentil Dahl (Easy Indian Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

Is red lentils the same as dhal? ›

Yes, masoor dal and split red lentils are the same thing, though masoor dal commonly refers to Indian-spiced red lentils specifically, like this dish. Here, our red lentils are enlivened with cumin, fennel, and turmeric and perfumed with garlic, ginger, and chiles.

You can thicken lentils by simmering it a little more or adding a table spoon of cream ( malai) into it…. You can add 1 or 1/2 teaspoons of coriander powder in order to thicken dal. If you cooked them correctly they should be plenty thick. If the lentils or dal are still runny keep cooking until they are not.

Do red lentils need to be soaked before cooking? No, there is no need to soak red lentils before cooking but it is a good idea to give them a quick rinse.

Once the dhal has simmered for about 20-25 minutes, turn the heat off, add the onion-spice mixture and stir it through. Garnish the dhal with your chopped coriander, then serve with rice, chapati, roti, naan bread or any other kind of flatbread.

Masoor (also known as red lentil, Hindi: masoor, Gujarati: masoor) is a brown skinned lentil that is orange on the inside. Masoor dal has a pleasant earthy flavor and is very common in Northern India. It is commonly used to make dal, soups and stews.

Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the lentils will double or triple in size. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender. For whole lentils, cook time is typically 15-20 minutes. For split red lentils, cook time is typically only about 5-7 minutes.

How To Soak Right? Soaking lentils for two- eight hours is mostly recommended. In a bowl add the dal and rinse it with water, changing the water 3-4 times and clean it gently by stroking with your fingers. Now add water to a bowl and soak the dal for about 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the type of lentil.

It makes sense together because you get the carbohydrates from the rice while deriving your protein from the lentils. The thing that makes them delicious is proper cooking techniques. Adjusting the amount of salt and other seasonings alongside some acidity can make almost any combination of food taste good.

Be generous with the salt. If your dal tastes bland, it likely needs a sprinkle of salt.

Lentils do not require it but can be soaked in order to reduce cooking time by about half. Before cooking, rinse lentils in cold water, pick over to remove debris or shrivelled lentils, then drain.

Can you overcook red lentils? ›

Can you overcook red lentils? Overcooking red lentils is much less of a concern compared to heartier brown or green lentils. When split red lentils are cooked through, they lose most of their shape and are incredibly soft and creamy, making them perfect for using in soups and recipes like Dal Tadka (Spiced Lentils).

Don't worry about soaking lentils, split peas, or black-eyed peas (or cowpeas). Lentils and peas are softer than dried beans. They'll cook within 5 to 20 minutes without any soaking time. Nearly all traditional cookbooks tell you to soak dried beans before cooking them.

In Indian households, we eat our dal with roti, rice, or dosa. With the carb component you have a complete protein and an amazing meal at that. I encourage folks that take my classes to think of dal as a side to bread and/or rice or as a soup.

It's nourishing, inexpensive, healthy, protein-rich, and, most important, harmoniously balanced when infused with herbs and spices. The variation in regional dal dishes is so vast that you could make a different dal every day and not repeat for months.

Basically, you need dal (lentil) to make dal (lentil soup). While you can make a dal out of any pulse, typically, the word “dal” only shows up in the name of a pulse if it is a split lentil. For example, chana dal = split chickpeas, whereas if I am referring to whole chickpeas, I would say chana or chole.

Dal is a pulse or lentil that grows in pods. Whole dal are the lentils that are removed from their pods, dried, and sold whole, whereas split dal is split into thinner flatter discs. Whole dal can either have its skin on or off (shelled vs. non-shelled) whereas split dal is more commonly hulled.

Lentils for dal aren't interchangeable.

You can't substitute one lentil for another willy nilly in a dal unless the recipe blesses it. Lentils have different cooking times, density of texture and levels of nuttiness/sweetness.

Common Substitutes

Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) can be used instead of Petite yellow lentils (Mung Dal). Mung Dal will take a few minutes longer to cook through. Mung Beans and Lentils can also be used interchangeably.

Masoor dal, commonly known as red lentil, is a legume and belongs to the Fabaceae family. They are small bushy plants which have small branches. The seeds (red lentils) grow inside their dark flat pods.