Whole Masoor Dal, also known as Brown Lentils or Sabut Masoor Dal, is a flavorful North Indian lentil curry made with whole brown lentils, onions and tomatoes. It is cooked with aromatic herbs and everyday spices. This hearty and vegan dal pairs well with roti or steamed rice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • ½ cup/120 grams whole masoor dal ((sabut masoor dal or brown lentils))
  • 2 to 2¼ cups water (– for pressure cooking)
  • 2 tablespoons oil (– can also add ghee or butter)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ⅓ cup/50 to 60 grams or 1 medium-sized onion (– chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or ½ inch ginger + 4 to 5 small to medium garlic cloves, crushed to a paste in a mortar)
  • ¾ to 1 cup/130 grams or 2 medium-sized tomatoes (– chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon or 1 green chilli (– chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
  • 1½ to 2 cups water (or add as required)
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves ((kasuri methi), crushed – optional)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cream (– optional)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (– chopped)
  • salt (as required)

Method

Pressure Cooking Brown Lentils

  1. Pick and rinse masoor dal for a couple of times in water. If you have time then you can soak the lentils for about 30 to 40 minutes hours after rinsing.
  2. In a pressure cooker take the whole masoor dal and add 2 to 2.25 cups water. Pressure cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or till they are softened and cooked thoroughly. Timing will vary depending upon the quality and age of dal.

Making Onion Tomato Masala

  1. Heat oil for tempering the dal in a pan. Keep the heat to a low
  2. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Next add the chopped onions.
  3. Sauté the onions stirring often until are golden or browned. This is an important step in making this dal.
  4. You have to caramelize the onions as it gives a lot of flavor and taste to the dal.
  5. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
  6. Add the chopped tomatoes and green chillies and sauté again until the tomatoes become soft and pulpy. You will also see oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste.
  7. Once the tomatoes have softened and look mushy, add red chili powder and turmeric powder. Mix to combine to an even mixture.

Making Whole Masoor Dal

  1. Now add this mixture to the cooked dal or add the cooked dal to the tempering. Mix well and add salt as required.
  2. Add water as required to get a medium consistency in the dal.
  3. Simmer the dal on a low or medium heat stirring as needed. If the dal looks too thick then add some more water or as needed to get the right consistency.
  4. Mash some of the lentils with your ladle or spoon at the sides of the pan. This is done to get a creamier consistency.
  5. Add garam masala powder and crushed kasuri methi. Mix and turn off the heat. Optionally, you could also add light cream to get a richer flavor and more creamier consistency.
  6. Garnish the Sabut Masoor Dal with chopped coriander leaves.
  7. Serve the Brown Lentils with some steamed basmati rice or roti or paratha or naan.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.