Masoor Dal (Pink Dal)
Dal is such a hearty and delicious food to eat. It’s typically made of lentils and is a staple in Indian cuisine. Although it is simple, dal chawal (lentils and rice) was one of my favorite meals growing up. I remember my Dadi making Masoor Dal for lunch. My family makes dal using a pressure cooker. The flavor comes from the tempering process.
Masoor Dal (Pink Dal)
Course: SidesCuisine: IndianDifficulty: MediumServings
4
servingsTotal time
1
hourIngredients
½ cup masoor daal (red lentils)
3 cups water
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
- Tarka (Temporing)
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped tomatoes
½ teaspoon red chili powder or cumin powder
Directions
- Rinse the masoor daal thoroughly under cold water. Rub the lentils with your hands while rinsing to remove any excess starch.
- In a pressure cooker, combine the rinsed daal and 3 cups of water. Add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of salt to the daal and water mixture.
- Close the pressure cooker with the lid and place it over high heat.
- Wait for one whistle (or pressure release), then turn off the heat. Be careful while opening the lid, as the steam will be hot. Allow the pressure to release naturally until there is no more pressure inside the cooker.
- In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds to the hot ghee/oil and wait for them to crackle.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the 2 tablespoons of chopped onion to the pan. Sauté the onion until it becomes lightly browned.
- Add the 2 cloves of garlic to the pan and sauté until it becomes fragrant and slightly brown.
- Stir in the chopped 2 teaspoons of tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes until they soften and incorporate into the mixture.
- Add the ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cumin powder to the tempering mixture. Stir quickly to prevent burning the spices.
- Immediately, pour the tempered mixture into the cooked daal in the pressure cooker. Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Serve and enjoy!
