Beautifully balanced, creamy, comforting Masoor ki Daal that always always feels like a hug from your grandmother. A secret ingredient makes this daal extra special!
This Masoor ki Daal is one of my top 5 foods. True Story. It is utterly fabulous with or without tomatoes and friends if you are wondering if the iterations then take up two spots instead of one then I shall tell you that for this daal I would gladly sacrifice two.
To Tomato or not to Tomato
The version of this daal made the most by my mother was the tomato paste one (left). I still adore it, but the version I now make the most often is the simple tomato-less one because my kids (and I) adore it. It is also more traditional to chop tomatoes and add them in and my sweet spot for fresh tomatoes is 2 because otherwise I feel that the texture of the daal suffers.
While the tomato forward version of this daal is characterized by an over the top tanginess which is a result of the double whammy of tomato paste and lemon, the tomato-less version reads more like a clean mellow flavorful comfort akin to that of moong ki daal.
Daal Tips & Tricks I learnt from my Mama
1.) A little diced onion adds creaminess, body, and flavour.
2.) Soaking your daal before cooking doesn't just make it cook faster it also makes the daal easier to digest.
3.) Daal freezes beautifully - always make a big batch and freeze it once it's boiled for quick weekday fixes.
Instant Pot?
While I wholeheartedly support making chanay ki daal or even sabut masoor in the Instant Pot for this variation I really truly don't think it's worth the effort. Here is why:
1.) daal is a fair bit of liquid so between the time it takes to come up to and then release pressure you could have just boiled it stove top.
2.) easier to wash a pot than the instant pot.
The ONLY time I use the Instant Pot for this daal is when I am making a big batch to portion off and freeze.
What to Serve, What to Serve
Made this daal? Would love to hear which version you tried and what you thought! rate it below!
Masoor ki Daal - with and without tomatoes
Equipment
- 1 pot 8 inches or so
Ingredients
For the Daal
- 1 cup Masoor Daal (red lentils)
- 1.5-2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 cloves Crushed Garlic
- ⅓ cup diced onion
- 2 diced tomatoes for 4 tbsp of tomato paste for a rich tangy red (optional)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 3-4 Green Chilies For optimum heat slice them thinly, for medium cut into halves and for less leave them whole.
- Lemon Juice according to taste
Baghaar/tadka/tempering
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 3-4 dried whole red chilies
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3-4 cloves garlic - sliced
- ½ tsp Kalonji / Nigella Seeds (optional)
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Bring the daal to a boil with along with the, garlic, onion, and spices with 3-3.5 cups of water till tender. I recommend starting with 1 tsp of salt.
- Add the tomato paste and whisk energetically or use an immersion blender to make a smoothish daal
- Now turn off the heat and add the Cilantro, Green Chillies and Lemon Juice. Stir and adjust seasoning.
Baghaar
- Heat oil in a small frying pan - you can use less if you prefer
- Add the remaining ingredients, be careful!
- When the garlic cloves turn a golden brown colour pour them over the daal. You can simmer on low for a minute or two at this point if you want.
Notes
- Salt tastes different based on where you are so please start with less and then adjust accordingly. The difference between an average daal and a great daal is seasoning because daal really soaks it up!
- This daal cooks quick so I don't typically use the IP unless I am making a huge batch. 10 Minutes is plenty of time for it to cook and then just natural release.
Are you a daal fiend like me? If so then I have quite the collection going. Just click here! Happy Daal-ing friends.
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honey says
Can't wait to try this, thank you for the lovely story accompaniment!
PS: RE: "...run your daal through a couple of changes of water to get rid of that white bubbly stuff. There’s a technical term for it..." The technical term you are looking for is:
Saponins! Legumes produce saponins as a form of protection from being eaten in the wild. Soaking or thorough washing removes that layer, makes them more digestible and reduces foaming in the pot.
Sarah Mir says
thank you SO much for sharing that!!! Appreciate it!