This daal recipe is one of the most comforting, scrumptious and easy-to-make dish that can satisfy one’s heart, soul and gut. Daal is the most versatile dish, you can thin it and make it into a soup, or throw in some handful of spinach to give some extra boost of greens, or you can make the consistency as thick as you wish.
You can enjoy the daal with rice, naan or bread. You can also serve daal as a side dish; any extras you can fridge it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of red lentils
- 3 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 1 large finely chopped red onion
- 1 large finely chopped tomato
- 2 medium cloves of garlic, made into a paste in a mortar and pestle or mash it with the back of large knife and finely chop it
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 ½ teaspoon of cumin power,1 ½ teaspoon of coriander powder
- Some chopped coriander to garnish
Method
- Rinse the lentils with cold water two to three times.
- Cook the lentils into a sauce pan; add 3 cups of boiled water; add a pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon of turmeric; bring the lentils to boil under a medium heat. Let it cook for 10 minutes; skim any scum from the surface.
- While the lentils are cooking- in a different sauce pan, heat the oil in a medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add the cumin and mustard seeds. Once the seeds start crackling, add the chopped onion and garlic; keep stirring for 2 minutes (don’t take your eyes away from it as it burns very quickly).
- Add the bay leaf and the chopped tomatoes; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water and keep stirring for few minutes in a medium flame by mashing the tomatoes. Then add all the dry ingredients and salt to your taste.
- Separate the cooked lentils and the water and add the cooked lentils into the onion and spices. Cook the lentils for 3- 4 minutes in a low flame; add the water from the cooked lentils and adjust salt if necessary.
- Add more water as necessary to loosen and stir the daal.
- To add more flavour and create that authentic Indian daal, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat; add ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds. Cook for 1 minute or so until the seeds start crackling.
- Immediately tip this aromatic hot oil over the daal and stir in gently. Finish with the coriander to garnish on the top.
Photography Credit: Elise Bauer
Easy Red Lentil Dal Recipe | Vegan Dal Recipe | Indian Dal Recipe
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Ingredients
- • 1 cup of red lentils
- • 3 cups of water
- • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- • 1 large finely chopped red onion
- • 1 large finely chopped tomato
- • 2 medium cloves of garlic, made into a paste in a mortar and pestle or mash it with the back of large knife and finely chop it
- • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- • 1 bay leaf
- • 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 ½ teaspoon of cumin power,1 ½ teaspoon of coriander powder
- • Some chopped coriander to garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils with cold water two to three times.
- Cook the lentils into a sauce pan; add 3 cups of boiled water; add a pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon of turmeric; bring the lentils to boil under a medium heat. Let it cook for 10 minutes; skim any scum from the surface.
- While the lentils are cooking- in a different sauce pan, heat the oil in a medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add the cumin and mustard seeds. Once the seeds start crackling, add the chopped onion and garlic; keep stirring for 2 minutes (don’t take your eyes away from it as it burns very quickly).
- Add the bay leaf and the chopped tomatoes; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water and keep stirring for few minutes in a medium flame by mashing the tomatoes. Then add all the dry ingredients and salt to your taste.
- Separate the cooked lentils and the water and add the cooked lentils into the onion and spices. Cook the lentils for 3- 4 minutes in a low flame; add the water from the cooked lentils and adjust salt if necessary.
- Add more water as necessary to loosen and stir the daal.
- To add more flavour and create that authentic Indian daal, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat; add ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds. Cook for 1 minute or so until the seeds start crackling.
- Immediately tip this aromatic hot oil over the daal and stir in gently. Finish with the coriander to garnish on the top.