Whole Masoor Dal Recipe (Brown Lentil Curry)
The whole masoor dal recipe or brown lentil curry is a delicious lentil-based dish made with whole brown lentils, onion, tomatoes, and spices. The dal is cooked first, then simmered in an onion or tomato masala until it reaches a good consistency. It pairs beautifully with simple roti, rice, and naan in everyday meals, making it a perfect choice for your lunch and dinner.
Table Of Contents
About Whole masoor dal
There are two types of masoor dal; one is whole masoor (sabut masoor dal), which is brown in color. The second one is husked from sabut masoor without skin, which is pink or orange in color. The red masoor dal is often easier to prepare and ready within a few minutes. You can read about red lentil curry on my blog.
Now, come to our whole masoor dal recipe; this is also easy to prepare but needs more time than simple masoor dal to prepare. We have to cook it first till they soft in a pressure cooker with water and simple spices.
After that, the cooked dal is simmered by tempering cumin seeds in oil, adding onions to caramelize, then adding ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes to sauté until they release oil themselves. Now add cooked dal and adjust the consistency by adding more or less water; season with garam masala and simmer until a creamy consistency comes.
In some versions, cream is added for a creamier or richer taste, but I don’t use that; I make my dal in the desi or in a very simple way that I learnt from my mother.
In the summer, this brown lentil curry is made more frequently than other lentil curries because my sister and I like it the most. We both love it with plain steamed rice and sometimes with phulka. Learn how to make it and make it family-friendly too.
More lentil recipes you can try:
Ingredients
- Masoor Dal- Use good-quality brown lentils, small or big, whichever size you like. Avoid using old lentils, as they take a long time to cook. You can soak lentils for 30 minutes before cooking or directly cook them.
- Water- The correct water ratio is also important. For one cup of dal, you need 2 to 2.5 cups of water, depending on what consistency you like. But this ratio is good enough to give you the right medium-thick consistency.
- Spices- Turmeric powder, red chili powder, asafoetida, and garam masala are enough to create a balanced taste of dal.
- Salt- Rock salt or regular white salt; use any one whichever you like.
- Tempering- Cumin seeds are used; you can add dried red chili for extra heat.
- Oil- I have used mustard oil; if you want a richer taste, you can choose ghee over it.
- Onions- They are the main ingredient that boosts the overall flavour of the dal; sauté them in the oil until light golden. Avoid sautéing them dark brown and chop them into even pieces for best texture.
- Tomatoes- A good amount of tomato puree or chopped tomatoes adding in dal creates a tangy flavour. It’s an optional skip if you don’t like make your dal without them is also tastes amazing.
- Ginger-Garlic paste- It is also a main ingredient and not skippable, as it creates a unique aroma in the overall dal.
How to make whole masoor dal recipe
1. Take one cup of sabut masoor dal or brown lentils and wash it in clean water twice or thrice. If you have time, you can soak it for 30 to 40 minutes; if short of time, you can directly add to a pressure cooker.
2. Now add the washed lentils to a 3-litre stove-top pressure cooker.
3. Season spices: 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder, 1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing), and 1 tsp of salt.
4. Now pour 2.5 cups of water and mix well. Then cover the cooker lid and pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles or until it softens.
5. When the pressure drops, open the lid and the dal is completely cooked. It takes 12-15 minutes on high heat, then transfer it to a bowl.
6. Now, in the same pressure cooker, heat 1 tbsp of oil on medium heat with 1 tsp cumin seeds. Let them crackle for a few seconds.
Note that you can use a kadai to simmer dal or the same pressure cooker, any you like.
7. When the cumin seeds start crackling, add chopped onions to it and saute them until they are light golden, not dark brown.
8. Then add 1 tsp of ginger garlic to the golden onion and sauté the paste for a few seconds.
9. Next, add tomato puree or chopped tomatoes to them and sauté until they release oil.
10. When the tomato masala starts releasing oil, it means it is ready.
11. Add the cooked lentils to the masala and simmer until the masala is infused properly in the dal.
12. Then add 1/4 garam masala and mix well. If you want to add water, you can add it here to your preferred consistency. My dal consistency is good, so I don’t need to add water.
13. When the dal is infused properly in masala and gets a creamy texture, turn off the flame. It takes only 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. If you want to add some chopped coriander leaves, add them, or the dal is ready to serve.
Serving
» Serve this sabut masoor dal hot with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, and ghee rice for a wholesome meal.
» Pair it with roti, naan, phulka, and paratha for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
» Enjoy it with a side of cucumber raita and lauki raita for a refreshing meal.
» Add a spoonful of ghee on top of sabut masoor dal just before serving for a rich taste.
Pro Tips
- Soak dal- This step is not mandatory, but if you have enough time, then you can soak dal for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This helps the lentils cook faster and cook evenly, but if you are short of time, you can directly cook dal.
- Cooking- Cook the dal until it is soft but not mushy so the grains remain and maintain a pleasant texture.
- Caramelized onion- Saute the onions until light golden to develop a mild sweetness. If they turn dark brown, they will ruin the taste of the dal.
- Tomato Masala- Cook the tomatoes until the oil separates from them for a flavorful taste.
- Simmering- Simmer the cooked dal with masala for 4 to 5 minutes so the flavors blend properly.
- Consistency- Adjust this to your taste; if you want to eat with rice, keep it medium-thick, and if you pair with rice, then the thin consistency works well. If the dal thickens after simmering, adjust it by adding hot water.
- Texture- If making without cream, the texture of dal is simple; you can fix this by mashing some dal with a ladle or a spoon to make it cream. Until then, you can use the fresh cream.
More healthy Indian recipes:
Whole Masoor Dal Recipe (Brown Lentil Curry)
Ingredients
- 1 cup masoor dal (brown lentils)
- 2½ cups water
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp red chili powder
- â…› tsp asafoetida
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 medium tomatoes puree
- ¼ tsp garam masala
Instructions
- Rinse brown lentils in clean water and add to a pressure cooker.
- Then add turmeric, red chili, asafoetida, and salt.
- Now pour water and mix well.
- Cover the cooker lid and cook on high heat for 6 to 7 whistles, then turn off the flame.
- When the pressure drops, the lentils are soft; if not, cook again for 2 whistles.
- Transfer the cooked lentils to another bowl and heat ghee in the same pressure cooker.
- Add cumin seeds to sizzle for a few seconds.
- Then add chopped onion and saute it until golden.
- When the onion is golden, add ginger garlic paste and saute it for a few seconds.
- Then add tomato puree and saute until the oil releases from its sides.
- When the oil starts to release, it means the masala is sauteed properly.
- Add cooked brown lentils to it.
- Simmer it for 4 to 5 minutes or until the masala has properly absorbed into the lentils.
- Now season with some garam masala and mix well.
- After a minute, turn off the flame.
- Serve it hot with rice or roti.
Notes
- If you have time, soak the dal for 30 minutes to decrease cooking time.
- Cook the dal just until soft, not mushy.
- Adjust consistency by adding more or less water to your preference.
- Add some coriander leaves to add freshness at the end.
- Add some ghee on top of the dal before serving for a richer taste.
