This recipe is delicious and a great main along with rice or a good addition to a lineup of curries for dinner. I prefer to eat over rice but this curry is perfect for dipping naan or flatbread. Freezer friendly and make-ahead friendly.
It’s high in protein and fiber along with being a fantastic vessel for turmeric, ginger, and garlic which are wonderful when you feel like you need a health boost.
Types of Lentils
We are using whole red lentils in this recipe but there are many types of lentils out there. When you start looking at all of the lentils, peas, and beans that are used in Indian cooking, you will find dozens of crazy varieties – all with their own unique flavours and texture.
These are some of the most common you will find in your grocery store:
Red Lentils: Sweet and earthy. Cooks swiftly within 15-20 minutes and tends to break down and become creamy as it cooks, making it perfect for dal or thickening soups.
Brown Lentils: The earthiest of the lentils, tends to take 20-40 minutes to cook depending on variety. Best used in soups and vegan recipes to replace “meat”. Tends to retain its texture when cooked making it a good choice in shephard’s pie.
Green Lentils: These tend to take the longest to cook at 45-60 minutes. These lentils will retain their shape once cooked. Green lentils tend to be more expensive than red and brown.
To Prepare Masoor Dal
In a large saucepan with a lid, bring the water, lentils, salt, turmeric, and chili powder to a gentle simmer. Cover and reduce heat to lowest setting for 20 minutes. If preparing rice, start now.
Once the lentils are softened and the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat and set aside until the rest of the dish is ready.
In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling lightly, add the diced onion. Cook until lightly golden brown and beginning to bubble (about 7 minutes). Once the onions reach this stage, add the garlic and ginger and stir. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the chopped tomato and its juices to the onion mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. The colour of the onions will begin to take on the colour of the tomato and turn orange and the butter will begin to separate and bubble again.
Once the lentils are cooked and the onion-tomato mixture is done, combine them both in the larger saucepan. Add the garam masala and yogurt, mixing well before serving.
Enjoy!
Easy Red Lentil Curry | Masoor Dal
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry red lentils not split
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp Indian chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3 cups water
- 3 tbsp butter*
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tbsp garlic** minced
- 1 tbsp ginger** minced
- 1 large tomato finely chopped
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1-2 tbsp cream or yogurt*
- fresh cilantro for serving
- fresh lemons sliced for serving
Directions
- In a large saucepan with a lid, bring the water, lentils, salt, turmeric, and chili powder to a gentle simmer. Cover and reduce heat to lowest setting for 20 minutes. If preparing rice, start now.
- Once the lentils are softened and the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat and set aside until the rest of the dish is ready.
- In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling lightly, add the diced onion. Cook until lightly golden brown and beginning to bubble (about 7 minutes). Once the onions reach this stage, add the garlic and ginger and stir. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped tomato and its juices to the onion mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. The colour of the onions will begin to take on the colour of the tomato and turn orange and the butter will begin to separate and bubble again.
- Once the lentils are cooked and the onion-tomato mixture is done, combine them both in the larger saucepan. Add the garam masala and yogurt, mixing well before serving.
- Serve with additional yogurt to taste and fresh cilantro over fresh basmati rice or alongside naan/flatbread.
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