Whole Masoor Dal is a delicious Indian red lentil recipe that is easy to cook, healthy, and tastes fabulous. This lentil soup is a great source of vegetarian protein. Here is how to make it.
Here are some more Dal Recipes, that can be prepared for your everyday meals – North Indian Style Toor Dal, Dal Palak, Gujarati Dal, Navratan Dal, Dhuli Urad Dal, Lauki Chana Dal, Malwa Dal, and Dal Amritsari.
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About This Recipe
Masoor Dal is a lentil soup that is prepared by boiling the soaked brown dal and giving it a nice desi ghee tadka.
Whole Masoor is also known by the name of Sabut Masoor, Khadi Masoor, Akha Masoor, or Whole Brown Lentils and is dark brown in color. This lentil dish is consumed as a part of our main course meal and if you wish you can also pack it in your office or kids’ lunch box as well.
Masoor Dal can be split and de-skinned and is also called Red Masoor, Malka Masoor or Dhuli Masoor.
Red Masoor Dal is a very special variety of dal which turns from a pinkish to a golden yellow colored dal post-cooking. You can prepare it in the same way as you would prepare brown dal.
The only difference which would arise is that the pink dal will get cooked only in one whistle whereas the brown dal would take you around 3-4 whistles on medium flame.
Some people consider this Dal ‘Tamsik Bhojan’ just like onion and garlic and they prohibit from eating it. But considering it has many health benefits, I make sure to include it in meals.
This Dal is,
- Gluten-Free
- Healthy
- Vegan (When cooked in oil instead of ghee)
- Comforting
- Cooked with minimal spices
- Economical
Ingredients
Making this Dal is an easy affair and can be prepared in a jiffy. Just like the process, the ingredients are also simple and is already available in our pantry.
To boil the Dal, you will need – Whole Masoor Dal, Water, Salt, Dry Mango Powder, and Turmeric Powder.
Dry Mango Powder adds a slight hint of tanginess, whereas Turmeric Powder lends it a nice yellow color.
For the tadka – Once the lentil is made, a ghee tadka is poured on the top which has ingredients such as hing, cumin seeds, red chili powder, and garlic.
To make a vegan version, you can use vegetable oil or olive oil instead of ghee and for Gluten Free Masoor Dal, simply avoid adding hing or asafoetida in the tadka.
Finely chop or grate the garlic before adding in the tadka. This single ingredient does its magic in the dal.
With Greens – You can add greens like spinach, kale, mustard leaves, or fenugreek leaves in masoor dal.
Step By Step Recipe
Wash the dal and soak in enough water for 20 minutes. This dal is a little tough to cook, so soaking it for a sometimes makes the cooking process easier.
Drain the water and add the dal in a pressure cooker. Add salt, turmeric powder and water in the cooker and pressure cook until dal is softened. Try to slightly overcook the dal. It tastes the best when it is slightly mushy. I generally cook it on high for one whistle. Then simmer the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release. Whisk the dal well using a wire whisk. Add dry mango powder and mix well. You can add more water if the dal is too thick.
Heat ghee in a pan.
Once the ghee is hot, add hing, cumin seeds, and garlic and fry for a few seconds.
Remove the pan from heat and add red chili powder and pour the tempering over the dal and mix well. After adding red chili powder, the tempering must be immediately poured over the dal otherwise the chili powder will get burned and it will have a very foul taste.
Serve hot with steamed rice or Roti and dry sabzi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this lentil is very healthy and nutritious to eat. These are great sources of protein, fiber, and potassium and keeps you full for a long time despite being low in calories.
Having a bowl of Daal Masoor in our regular meals is quintessential for our bodies.
This is because it keeps our heart healthy by lowering down the cholesterol levels and also helps in our weight loss journey.
This dal contains a lot of antioxidants that keep our skin healthy and our immune system strong. Since it contains calcium and magnesium it helps in nourishing the teeth and bones of our body. Maintaining a healthy vision is also an important benefit of having this dal in our diet.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, fret no! You can still make Daal Massor.
Add in water, dal, turmeric powder, and salt in a pan and let it come to boil. Cook till masoor dal softens. Cooking it in a pan will take much more time as compared to a pressure cooker and even more water.
Once done, smash it with the back of the spoon and pour the tadka on the top. Give it a mix and serve.
Akha Masoor, when soaked for 20 minutes, needs to be boiled in a pressure cooker for three to four whistles on a medium flame, which would roughly take you about 15 minutes or so.
I generally cook it on high heat for one whistle, then simmer the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes. Red Masoor on the other needs less time to cook.
To prepare it for babies, use only pink dal as it is lighter as compared to the whole dal.
Boil the dal as per the instructions given below. Now grind it in a mixer and pass it through a sieve. Thin it with some boiled water. You can feed the resulting dal paste to your babies.
This recipe doesn’t use Onion, but it does have Garlic in the tadka. In order to make No Onion No Garlic Masoor Dal, you can give dal a tadka of hing, cumin seeds, and red chili powder. You can also add one or two dry red chilies in the same.
You can also add chopped tomatoes in the tadka and cook it for about 30 seconds before adding it to the dal.
Instant Pot Recipe
If you like to make Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes, here is how to make it in an Instant Pot.
Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot and heat ghee in an Instant Pot. Add hing, cumin seeds, and garlic and fry for a few seconds. Next, add in the spices such as red chili powder, dry mango powder, turmeric powder, salt, and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add in the washed and soaked masoor dal, water and mix everything well. Add half the amount of water as you would add in a normal pressure cooker recipe. Close the Instant Pot with the lid and press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high for about 10 to 12 minutes, with the pressure valve in sealing position.
Once it is done, let the pressure release automatically. Open and serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
This Dal can be served with some Steamed Rice, Jeera Rice, Quinoa, Pulav, or with some hot Chapati or Tawa Paratha by its side. I sometimes for weekend meals, serve it with Punjabi Missi Roti.
Serve them along with some raw onions, Papad, and green chutney to make it a full-fledged complete meal.
I also like to serve a day sabji like Bharwan Bhindi, Besan Bhindi, or Baingan Methi along with this dal.
You can also serve this lentil with cauliflower rice or couscous.
Storage Suggestions
This dal freezes well. Just transfer it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, thaw, and heat properly.
You might have to add some more water to it as the dal gets thickened after freezing.
This dal can be refrigerated in an airtight container for about 2-3 days.
Tadka Variations
You must be wondering what is tadka?
Tadka is the tampering that is made by adding spices in hot ghee or oil and then pouring it over the cooked dal or vegetable to enhance its flavors.
When I make dal for everyday meals, I just add a thing, cumin seeds and red chili powder in hot ghee and add it over the dal.
But sometimes for a change, I play with the tempering for a whole new flavor.
Here are some more Variations that you can try.
Onion Tomato – Fry onion, tomato, and green chilies in ghee or oil. Add some curry leaves and red chili powder. Add the tadka in the dal.
Panch Phoran – Heat mustard oil for tadka. Add panch phoran and dry red chilies. Pour the tadka over the dal.
Coconut Milk Masoor Dal – You can add coconut milk at the end to get a creamy whole masoor dal.
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Recipe Card
Masoor Dal Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Black Masoor Dal
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 4 cups Water
- 2 teaspoon Dry Mango Powder
For tempering
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- ¼ teaspoon Heeng
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Garlic (Chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
Instructions
- Wash the dal and soak in enough water for 20 minutes.
- Drain the water and add the dal in a pressure cooker.
- Add salt, turmeric powder and water in the cooker and pressure cook until dal is softened.
- Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release.
- Add dry mango powder and mix well.
- Heat ghee in a pan.
- Once the ghee is hot, add heeng, cumin seeds and garlic and fry for a few seconds.
- Remove the pan from heat and add red chilli powder and pour the tempering over the dal and mix well.
- Serve hot with steamed rice or Roti and dry sabzi.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!