Free recipe
Red Lentil Dal
Built around red lentils and water -- the method starts by put the rinsed lentils.
A simmered, deeply spiced sauce that clings to every bite -- scoop it up with naan. Here it's built on red lentils, water and onion -- a medium, Indian recipe that starts by put the rinsed lentils, and is ready in roughly 20 minutes.
Ready in 20 minutes -- genuinely doable on a weeknight.
A few technique steps to focus on, but nothing that needs special equipment.
Built around red lentils, so the flavor comes from real ingredients, not a spice packet.
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic and 1-inch ginger, minced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, cilantro, salt
Nutrition (estimated, per serving)
Calculated from this recipe's own ingredient list; treat as an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Method
Put the rinsed lentils, water, and turmeric in a pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and creamy. Skim off any foam.
While the lentils cook, heat the ghee in a small pan over medium heat.
Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle 20 seconds, then add the onion and cook 5 minutes until golden.
Add the garlic, ginger, ground cumin, and chili powder and cook 1 minute, then add the tomato and cook 3 minutes until soft. This fragrant tempering is called a tarka.
Stir the tarka into the cooked lentils with 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer together 5 minutes so the flavors meld; add a splash of water if too thick.
Finish with cilantro and serve with rice or naan.
The step worth not rushing: Put the rinsed lentils, water, and turmeric in a pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and creamy. Skim off any foam.
