It’s always a great day for a batch of dal, the tasty and easy staple of Indian cooking. More than anything, dal is comfort food at its finest…as nourishing as it is soothing.
Here’s a great starter recipe for dal-curious folks out there, using split mung beans and red lentils – two options that are relatively easy to find.
Ingredients
- ½ cup moong dal, soaked ½ – 1 hour and drained
- ½ cup masoor dal (split red lentils), soaked ½ – 1 hour and drained
- 2/3 cup white onions, chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped, or canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 inch ginger, peeled/finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 3 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 5-6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ – ½ tsp cayenne
- 3 ½ cups water, plus more if needed
- Salt to taste
- Optional: ½ – 1 jalapeño, seeded/deveined/chopped
- For serving: cooked basmati rice, fresh chopped cilantro, lemon wedges
- Optional accompaniment: Naan bread
Directions
- Rinse drained moong and masoor dal in strainer and set aside.
- Press “sauté” button on Instant Pot and once it’s hot add ghee/oil. Allow to heat 1 minute and add cumin and black mustard seeds. Be careful – mustard seeds may splutter a bit!
- Add ginger and half of garlic, cook 1 minute. Add onions and jalapeño (if using) and cook about 3 minutes until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes. Stir in coriander, cayenne and garam masala powders.
- Add moong and masoor dal, stir to combine. Add 3 ½ cups water and turmeric powder, stir again and close lid. Cook on high pressure 7 minutes and then let pressure release naturally.
- Once pressure is released, open lid and stir dal. Add water to thin out as desired and salt to taste. Serve with basmati rice, fresh chopped cilantro, lemon wedges and naan bread.
- If cooking on the stovetop, use a large pot and add everything in the same order as above and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring 2-3 times along the way. Remove lid and check consistency – dal is done when it’s porridge-like. Add a little more water if needed and continue simmering as needed. Add salt to taste and serve with garnishes/accompaniments.