Simple Masoor Dal Recipe (Red Lentil Dal)
Published Feb 19, 2025
Add CommentThis homemade Masoor Dal is easy to make yet extremely filling and flavor packed. This protein packed dal is best enjoyed with boiled rice or soft rotis. Learn how to make this simple dal at home with this step by step recipe!
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This is my go-to recipe for easy, flavor packed and wholesome masoor dal (red lentil dal). Seasoned to perfection with garlic, onions, curry leaves and tomatoes, this dal is packed with protein and fiber. The addition of ghee adds depth of flavor to this vegetarian recipe but you can also substitute it with oil to make it vegan. I prefer pressure cooking the dal in the Instant Pot and then do the tadka (tempering) on the stove-top but you can also cook the dal entirely on the stovetop. Pair with fluffy jeera rice for the most comforting meal.
I grew up eating dal everyday, there was no exception. Mom made sure that we always had a bowl of dal for our lunches. Her everyday dal was very simple and made with minimal spices. Now, when I crave mom’s simple dal, I either make my easy moong dal or this masoor dal which is made with split and husked masoor dal, also known as lal masoor dal or dhuli masoor dal.
It’s important to mention here that this recipe is made with split masoor dal, because there’s another version of masoor dal called whole masoor dal (unhusked red lentils), which takes a little more time to cook than the split version. Although, I have to admit that I greatly enjoy cooking and eating both varieties of masoor dal. I have a simple, rustic whole masoor dal recipe on the blog already, and I thought it’s about time I share my favorite version using the split variety too.
Since the red lentils cook pretty quickly, you don’t need to do any prep work in advance. They need no soaking and cook quickly in Instant Pot or even stovetop.
My Tips To Make The Best Masoor Dal
Or actually any dal in general!
- The key is to use fresh ingredients, it sounds basic but actually is so important. How many times do we grab that tube of minced garlic or a can of ginger-garlic paste or can of tomatoes during cooking at home? Yes, it’s convenient but all these ingredients don’t work as well as fresh ingredients in a dal. You need to use fresh ginger, fresh garlic and tomatoes for that fresh flavor.
- My next big tip is to make the tadka (tempering) in ghee. You can use oil if you plan to make this vegan but ghee brings all ingredients together and adds to the depth of flavor.
- Make sure the onions are cooked well before you add the cooked dal to the tadka. They should be nice golden brown in color, stir them constantly to ensure they get caramelized from all sides.
- A lot of Indian curries/sabzis call for a bunch of spices but less is more when it comes to basic Indian dal. My mom would actually just add a tadka of cumin seeds and hing to our everyday dal. That’s how simple it used to be, I still make a lot of our dals like that. Here, I have not used many ground spices except red chili powder and turmeric. This helps in the bringing out the flavor of the dal rather than the dal being overshadowed by all the spices.
Let’s Make My Simple Masoor Dal!
- Add rinsed dal to the inner steel pot of your instant pot along with chopped ginger, tomatoes, turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt and water. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. We need the dal to be completely cooked and soft. If using a stove-top pressure cooker, cook on medium heat for 4 to 5 whistles.
- Make the tadka while the dal is cooking. For the tadka, I like using ghee but you can use oil if you want to keep this recipe vegan. Add ghee to a pan and once it melts, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Then add garlic, dried chilies and cook for a minute. If you prefer spicy dal, you can add a couple of chopped green chilies to the tadka as well, and add it along with the chopped garlic.
- Next add in the chopped onions along with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and curry leaves. Cook the onions until light golden brown in color.
- Add some Kashmiri red chili powder for a little kick and flavor and cook for a few seconds. If you prefer spicy food, you can add the regular chili powder in place of Kashmiri red chili powder. Then add the cooked dal into the pan and mix it with the tadka. Add some water to adjust the consistency as per your liking. Taste test the salt and adjust as needed. Let the dal simmer for a few minutes. Add in the cilantro and serve the dal hot with plain rice or with warm homemade rotis. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. It does get very thick as it cools down so you might need to add a little water while reheating the dal.
Make it on stovetop: If you neither have an instant pot nor a stove-top pressure cooker, then you can make this dal on the stovetop as well. Rinse the dal and add it to a pan. Add around 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil on high heat. Then lower the heat to medium and let the dal cook until it’s completely soft (white foam will appear on top as the dal cooks, just remove it occasionally with a spatula). It will take around 25 minutes for the dal to become soft. Then make the tadka as usual and add it to the cooked dal.
Simple Masoor Dal Recipe (Red Lentil Dal)
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentil dhuli masoor dal, dry
- ½ inch ginger grated
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt divided, adjust to taste
- 3 & ½ cups water divided
- 1 & ½ tablespoons ghee or use oil
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 large garlic cloves chopped
- 2 whole dried red chilies broken
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 5-6 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped, or add as much as you like
Instructions
- To the steel pot of your Instant Pot, add 1 cup of dry dhuli masoor dal/red lentils (approx. 185 grams). To that now add 1/2 inch ginger (grated), 1 medium tomato (chopped), 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water.
- Close the lid and press the pressure cook button. Make sure the valve is in the sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. The dal will be completely soft once done.
- While the dal is being pressure cooked work on the tadka, this way you can mix the dal with the tadka as soon as it's done. To a wide pan on medium heat, add 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of ghee. Once it's done, add 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and let them seeds sizzle. Then add 3-4 chopped garlic cloves, 2 broken red chilies and sauté for 1 minute until the garlic starts changing color.
- Then add the chopped onions, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, curry leaves and cook for around 3 minutes stirring often until the onions caramelize or turn light golden brown in color.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add in the pressure cooked dal and mix until everything is well combined. I added additional 1/2 cup of water at this point to adjust the consistency of the dal.
Video
Notes
- The dal becomes super thick in the fridge. Add water while reheating to bring it to the desired consistency. I like reheating it in a pan over stovetop.
- To make this dal spicy, add chopped green chilies in the tadka. Also, replace Kashmiri red chili powder with regular chili powder.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
