Indian Red Lentil Dal Recipe
How to make Indian Dal. This Red Lentil Dal recipe makes the perfect plant-based Indian meal! Rich, fragrant, and packed with protein for a meal you can feel good about.
Nutrition Facts
Ingredients
Instructions
Place the rinsed lentils in a large saucepan along with room temperature water. Turn the heat to medium and allow the lentils to cook for 20 minutes. You can cook them covered or uncovered, just make sure that you turn down the heat if needed to keep them at a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cinnamon stick; cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the onion, green chili pepper, garlic, and ginger; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are turning translucent.
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Continue Reading at Thewanderlustkitchen →Chef's Notes
Expert Tips
Stir Frequently: Lentils tend to stick to the bottom of the pan, so it’s important to stir the mixture frequently to prevent it from burning.
Don’t Skip Tempering: The tempering process is essential for bringing out the full flavor of the spices.
Storage and Reheating
You can store this recipe in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you are wanting to freeze this dish you can do so as well and it will last up to 3 months. To reheat this dish on your stovetop you can place the dal in a pot and heat it on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until it’s heated through. You may need to add a splash of water or vegetable broth to thin it out if it has thickened in the fridge.
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Reviews from the Original Source
This is AMAZING!!! I find red lentils really difficult to source in the small town where I live in rural WI, so I use green/brown lentils, which are easy to source! The flavors of this are Off. The. Chain!!! I have an Autistic child who has texture issues with lentils, so I typically puree it with an immersion blender so it's smooth; if my peppers were too hot for her, I add a splash of 1/2-1/2 or some coconut milk to smooth out the flavors. Amazing in a bowl (for my keto hubbie), over Basmati rice pilau, or schlepped up onto fresh, hot naan!!!
Want a laugh? Your recipe reminded me of the differences in languages! When my friend, Anshu, taught me this recipe (and yours is IT, almost to the exact measurement!), it was in her kitchen, and she measured basically nothing, just eyeballed it, and I guesstimated and wrote down what she did (and I cook a lot, so I'm pretty accurate! lol). BUT... she said, "Use a green pepper." Well, in the States, a green pepper is a green bell pepper. She meant a SERRANO GREEN CHILE PEPPER!! Imagine how the flavor profile would have been off if I'd just listened to what she said, and not seen it!!! Too funny!!! So glad for your global posts; they make my heart happy!!! This is my kind of cooking!!!
Absolutely fabulous! I offered a taste to four of my friends (who had never eaten Dal) and each wanted this recipe!
I really like the recipe, it was easy to make and tasty. Will continue to follow your cooking ideas. Thank you so much!
Angel
Bland compared to other dal recipies I've made. Will not make this again.
So good! I didn’t have two ingredients so I had to go without the hot pepper & I used a different dal that was in my pantry. Those are the only changes. Did everything else and I’m so happy with how it tastes.
I did try this tonight. Did not have all the ingredients in onion, but with daal and spices it smells great. I Laired with sauteed kale and rice. I hope my daughter likes it. Thank you for sharing.
Very easy to make, and perfect as a side dish. The family loved this
Sooo good! Thank you!
Love this recipe! I've made it many times. Thank you.
I have come back to this recipe time and time again. My family adores this dish (the vegan palak paneer also). like other comments, I increase the spices to the level my family enjoys. I feel like this is a very easy dish to make and a great introduction to cooking Indian dishes at home Thank you for another winner.
Really enjoyed it thanks!
We love this recipe and cook it all the time. My teenager says he could eat it every day and not get sick of it. We have made this with many different types of lentils and enjoy each of them. We might like French green lentils the best. I tend to double up on the spices and we like it spicier so I just add a handful of chopped peppers from the freezer. Maybe they are serranoes. And we can't live without the ghee. We always serve it with rice and fresh cilantro too.
Yum! Thanks for sharing. Dal turned out delicious despite missing 2 ingredients. Such comfort food. I thought it might not have enough flavour but it did. On the downside this website has cluttery ads and pop ups, and the recipe video doesn’t play all the way. Awful, irritating interface. Hope the site and its data collection comply with applicable privacy laws…
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