Description
A warm, flavorful Indian Red Lentil Dal made with red lentils, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and aromatic spices. A simple, comforting vegetarian dish that cooks quickly and pairs beautifully with rice or naan.
Ingredients
- Red Lentils: 1 cup (rinsed)
- Water: 3 cups
- Tomatoes: 3 plum tomatoes
- Vegetable Oil: 2 teaspoons
- Onion: 1/2 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
- Garlic: 2 medium cloves (finely chopped and formed into a paste)
- Bengali Five Spice Panch Phoron: 2 teaspoons
- Bay Leaf: 1
- Turmeric: 1 teaspoon
- Kosher Salt: 1 teaspoon (plus more to taste)
- Lime Juice: 2 tablespoons (from 1 lime)
- Cilantro: 8 sprigs (de-stemmed and chopped)
- Cooked Basmati Rice: Optional (for serving)
Instructions
- Place the red lentils in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Transfer the rinsed lentils to a medium saucepan and add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and beginning to break down.
- While the lentils cook, bring a separate small pot of water to a boil. Score the tomatoes with an “X” using a sharp knife and blanch them in the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the tomatoes and allow them to cool. Peel and discard the skin, remove the tough stem end, and chop or lightly mash the tomatoes. Set aside.
- After the lentils have simmered for at least 5 minutes, begin preparing the aromatics. In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add the garlic paste and cook for 1 additional minute, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Add the Bengali five spice blend and cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf and turmeric.
- Add the cooked lentils and their cooking water to the saucepan with the aromatics. Add the salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the flavors to combine.
- Stir in the lime juice and the prepared tomatoes. Cook for an additional 3–5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if necessary. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro. Garnish with extra cilantro if desired.
- Serve the dal warm, with basmati rice or naan if preferred.
Notes
- This dish is vegetarian and can be made vegan by using vegetable oil.
- Adjust the spices according to your taste preference.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg