There are many cultures where lentils and legumes are quite a staple food. For your awareness, lentils and legumes is one of the richest sources of proteins in vegetarians. However, preparation of dal is equally common for people who eat non-vegetarian as well. There are many different kinds of lentils available in the market. This helps a user to break the monotony and taste of having only one variety. It is always a better option to use different types of dal for cooking and eating to get more benefits for the health. Among the diverse dals in the market, one of the common and quite a popular one come in the form of masoor dal also known as red or pink lentils.
A lot of people are really fond of the curry made from masoor dal especially in cultures like India. A spicy recipe of masoor dal will definitely add a taste and a twist to the boring everyday meals.
See More: How To Prepare Yellow Dal
For the convenience of the users, a simple masoor day preparation is given below that they can use. Check out:
Method to Prepare Masoor Dal:
Ingredients Required:
♦ Masoor Dal: ¾ cup
♦ Water: 2 cups for cooking dal
♦ Lemon Juice: 1 teaspoon
♦ Onions: 1, chopped
♦ Tomato: 1, chopped
♦ Garlic: 2-3, chopped
♦ Ginger: ¼ inch, finely chopped
♦ Green Chillies: 1, chopped
♦ Red Chillies: 1-2, whole
♦ Cumin Seeds: 1 teaspoon
♦ Red Chilli Powder: ½ teaspoon
♦ Asafoetida: a pinch
♦ Garam Masala Powder: ½ teaspoon
♦ Turmeric Powder: ½ teaspoon
♦ Coriander Leaves: 1 tablespoon, for garnishing the dish
♦ Dry fenugreek/kasuri methi: 1 teaspoon
♦ Oil/Ghee: 2 tablespoon
See More: How To Prepare Dal Makhni
Method to Prepare the Dal:
Take the dal in a bowl and rinse it well from running water. Now add this masoor dal in the pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and let it cook till it becomes soft, mushy and edible. You can also cook the dal in a pot instead of the cooker as per your convenience. However, make sure you soak the dal in water at least 30-40 minutes prior to cooking to ensure the right outcomes.
Once the dal is cooked, whisk it with a whisker and then keep it aside. Take a pan on heat and add the ghee or oil to it. To this add the cumin seeds and fry it for a while. This should be followed by the onions that should be cooked till golden brown. Ginger and garlic follows next in the cooking and give it about 10-15 seconds to give out the flavour.
Green chillies and red chillies should be added now along with all the dry spices mentioned in the list including asafoetida. To this add the tomatoes and let it cook until the oil separates out from the mixture and the tomatoes are soft and mushy. To this add the cooked dal that you had kept aside.
Along with the dal add about 1 ½ cups of water along with salt and stir it well. This should be simmered on low heat for the next 10 minutes. This should be done till the consistency that you desire is achieved. Usually masoor dal is neither thick nor thin and is known to have a medium consistency.
See More: How To Make Arhar Dal
It is time to add the dry fenugreek leaves and then simmer the dal for about a minute. At the end, the lemon juice and the chopped coriander leaves should be added that will even add the appeal to the dal.
Stir well. Serve hot with cooked rice or with hot chappatis. This is definitely going to enhance your taste buds and give you a spicy and tangy taste in the daily meal without compromising on the health.
