Red lentil dal

Equipment

• Heavy saucepan (3 l) with a lid
• Frying pan (24 cm)
• Small pan or tadka ladle
• Whisk
• Sieve
• Wooden spoon

Before you start

1. Chop the onion and tomatoes, grate the ginger and slit the chillies.
2. Slice the garlic thinly and keep it next to the cumin seeds, dried chillies and asafoetida: the tadka moves fast.
3. Chop the coriander and squeeze the lemon.

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the lentils

   300 g split red lentils (masoor dal)

   Rinse the lentils in the sieve under cold running water, rubbing them with your fingers, 3–4 times.

   Done when The water runs almost clear instead of cloudy and orange, and no grit or husks float to the top.
2. 2

   Bring to the boil

   300 g split red lentils (masoor dal)1 l water1 tsp ground turmeric

   Put the lentils, water and turmeric in the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off the foam with a spoon.

   Done when The water is bright yellow and a layer of white foam has gathered on top; once skimmed, it stops forming.

   Tip Skimming stops the pot boiling over and keeps the dal clean-tasting.
3. 3

   Simmer the lentils

   Turn the heat to medium-low, partly cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom.

   Done when The lentils have turned pale yellow and collapse completely when pressed against the side of the pan with a spoon.

   Start 18 min timer
4. 4

   Whisk and salt

   5 g salt

   Whisk the dal for 30 seconds to make it creamy, then stir in the salt. Add a splash of hot water if it is thicker than a pouring soup.

   Done when The dal is smooth with only a few whole lentils left, and it flows slowly off a spoon.
5. 5

   Brown the onion

   3 tbsp sunflower oil150 g onion

   While the lentils cook, heat two thirds of the oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often.

   Done when The onion is soft and evenly golden brown at the edges and smells sweet.

   Tip Golden, not dark brown: burnt onion makes the whole dal bitter.

   Start 9 min timer
6. 6

   Add ginger and chilli

   15 g fresh ginger2 green chillies

   Add the ginger and green chillies and stir for 1 minute over medium heat.

   Done when The raw smell of ginger has gone and it smells warm and fragrant.

   Start 1 min timer
7. 7

   Cook the tomatoes

   200 g ripe tomatoes1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

   Add the tomatoes and chilli powder and cook over medium heat for 5–6 minutes, mashing with the spoon.

   Done when The tomatoes have broken down into a thick paste and the oil starts to separate at the edges.

   Start 6 min timer
8. 8

   Combine and simmer

   Scrape the masala into the lentils, stir well and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, partly covered.

   Done when The dal is an even orange-yellow with flecks of tomato and gently plops on the surface.

   Start 5 min timer
9. 9

   Make the tadka

   3 tbsp sunflower oil2 tsp cumin seeds4 cloves garlic2 dried red chillies1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

   Heat the rest of the oil in the small pan over medium-high heat to about 170 °C. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 20–30 seconds, then add the garlic, dried chillies and asafoetida and fry for 30–45 seconds more.

   Done when The cumin crackles and darkens a shade, the garlic is light golden and the chillies have puffed and darkened.

   Tip Test the oil with one cumin seed: it should sizzle at once. Pull the pan off the heat the moment the garlic is golden; it turns bitter within seconds.

   170 °C · 338 °F Start 1 min timer
10. 10

    Pour over the tadka

    Pour the sizzling tadka straight over the dal and put the lid on immediately for 1 minute.

    Done when The dal hisses loudly as the oil hits it and the smell of toasted cumin and garlic fills the kitchen.

    Start 1 min timer
11. 11

    Finish and serve

    ½ tsp garam masala½ lemon15 g coriander leaves

    Stir in the garam masala and lemon juice, then scatter over the coriander.

    Done when Streaks of red oil swirl through the dal and it tastes bright, savoury and lightly tangy.

Common mistakes

Variations