one of the easy and breezy dals i make at home is from sabut masoor – whole lentil dal (brown-skinned lentils which are orange inside).
the whole masoor dal recipe is how we prepare at home. the dal is not thin nor thick but has a medium consistency. adding cream is optional but it does enhances the taste of the dal.
the masoor dal can be relished with rice, rotis or even bread. you can also just have it plain like a soup.
the photos are also quick shots that i took. most of the food pics i take are always quick pics with minimal or no styling as the hubby is always waiting… i will have to keep him waiting more if i click photos lazily and keep on changing the styling and the angles.
so there i add the dal or curry in the bowl and just take some shots manually. thats it….. in two to three minutes i have captured the food pics 
if you are planning to prepare dal at home then do check these dal recipes: dal makhani, dal tadka, palak dal, panchmel dal and chana dal fry.
masoor dal recipe details below:
- 1 cup whole masoor dal
- 2.5 to 3 cups water
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp punjabi garam masala powder or regular garam masala powder
- 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves
- 2-3 tbsp cream (optional)
- 2 tbsp oil
- a few chopped coriander leaves or some crushed kasuri methi or cream for garnishing
- salt as required
- pick and rinse the lentils.
- if you have time you can soak the lentils for some 30-40 minutes.
- or else just pressure cook the lentils with 2.5 to 3 cups water till they are cooked soft.
- heat oil for tempering the dal in the pan.
- fry the cumin first.
- then add the onions.
- now fry till the onions are browned.
- this is an important step in making this dal.
- you have to brown the onions as the browning gives a lot of flavor and taste to the dal.
- add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute or till the raw aroma of ginger garlic disappears.
- add the tomatoes and fry again for a few minutes till the tomatoes become soft.
- finally add all the dry powders, except garam masala powder and kasuri methi.
- mix well.
- now add this mixture to the cooked masoor or add the masoor dal to the tempering… whatever suits you.
- mix well and add salt.
- simmer the dal on a low or medium flame. if the dal is too thick then add some hot water to get the right consistency.
- mash some dal with your ladle or spoon at the sides of the pan. this is done to get a creamier consistency.
- finally add the cream, punjabi garam masala powder and crushed kasuri methi. stir. switch off the burner.
- the masoor dal is ready to be served with some basmati rice or rotis.
- garnish the masoor dal with kasuri methi or cream or chopped coriander leaves.
{ 51 comments… read them below or add one }
I tried this dal today. Very very tasty. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
welcome kamala
you have made my husband and I very happy, so glad I found dassana’s recipe in your file. so very nice, I’ve impressed my husband I think. my onions were cooked with care and love….so pretty. thank you muchly! I will make this again, he said i must!
thanks
I made the Punjabi garam masala powder recipe you had linked btw. thanks for that recipe also, I now have a fresh supply on hand. it sure was fun making this dish!
will keep in touch either way
Thanks
My favorite.
This is the first recipe I tried in kitchen after marriage.
My husband called me back from office and said u should send more chappatis with this dal.
In my office everyone loved it.
You rock
thanks anu. glad to know this.
it was a great experience to cook masoor daal in this authentic way….
Hello,
Love your pics! you are a talented photographer. Every other week I make this dal and you showed me a different way of cooking it. What I do I put everything expect onions in the pressure cooker and cooked it until it is tender. Then I fry onions until they are brown and put it on the dal (it always comes out delicious). Next time I will be trying your recipe to see if it taste different or even more yummier. Thank you Dassana.
thanks hina. frying the onions and adding to the dal will for sure make it tasty. even i do this method sometimes. do try this method too.
Tried this recipe.. Turned out awesome… Thank you !
thanks kavya.
Hello, If i dont have cream can i put butter on top instead ?
dear shivani, yes you can serve the masoor dal with some butter or even with some ghee on top.
I made this daal, and it was good ……. i made it for the first time since i am alone at home and was fed up with outside food…
great taste and great recipe…..
thanks for trying the recipe kanishk
This dish turned out very yummy today…..before i could polish all the quantity I ensured to put aside some qty in the fridge for another meal
:):):)
Would like to ask what other whole grams/dals would be suitable for this recipe ?
you can make the same recipe with whole moong dal and even whole urad dal – with the black skin. with whole moth dal/matki also the recipe comes out well.
I’ve known this dish from my Indian foodie bloggers. Thanks for submitting your photo to DMBLGiT July.
mmmmmmmmm it yummy!
hello….
I got it….looking at the pics, got excited and overlooked the step which mentions about Garam masala….sorry!! I tried it today, it was just awesome….
thanks nandu…
Hi,
Yummy dal with great pics….was wondering when to add the Garam masala?? I will be making this pretty soon….
add the garam masala when you add the kasuri methi. forgot to update in the post. will update. thanks.
Dassana I also have made same dal today as my mom makes quite similar to your barring cream … lovely and fresh pics!
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for such yummy recipes. The good thing with your recipes is I do not have to rush to the grocery store each time, the ingredients are pretty much off-the-shelf.
Can you please post a malai-kofta recipe. I have some guests coming for dinner on Monday (02/07/12) and I wanted to make malai kofta. The one I tried last time was a bit of a disaster
so to speak! Thanks.
thanks aartee. i will try to post malai kofta recipe before the mentioned date. lets see…..
dear aartee, as much as i would have liked to to i am unable to post the recipe of malai kofta. i suggest you to watch these videos which will help you in making the malai koftas at home. hope this helps. also there a few recipes on the blog which you can make for occasions like these:
1: methi matar malai: http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/methi-matar-malai-recipe-methi-matar-malai/
2: kadai paneer – http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/kadai-paneer-recipe-kadai-paneer/
3: hyd veg biryani – http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/hyderabad-veg-biryani-hyderabadi-vegetable-dum-biryani-recipe/
4: paneer tikka – http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/paneer-tikka-recipe-paneer-tikka/
videos listed below:
chef harpal’s video which shows has the malai kofta in white gravy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsNwmt59UcM
&
vah chef’s video where the malai kofta is in tomato gravy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_LNnIf-u5k
&
for a punjabi style of malai kofta, check manjula’s video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAUEiuk9b20
hope these are helpful.
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for your help! I followed the vah chef’s recipe and they were a success this time around. Thanks and let your yummy recipes keep coming!
cheers,
Aartee
welcome aartee.
Ooooo! I could eat a huge bowl of this right now. Looks incredible! You are so talented Dassana and post such wonderful recipes
I cannot wait to make this!
I love dahl. It’s becoming comfort food.
yes katie, dal is a comfort food.
This spells comfort for me and I can eat it by itself. Won’t need rice or roti with it:)
i never had this dal but its looking so tempting that i cannot wait to try it..i like all kind of dals with rice..m sure it would go with the rice too..
this masoor dal goes very well with rice. in fact just this dal, rice with sirke vale pyaaz (vinegar pickled onions) is yum.
I m going to try it for 2mws lunch
alright malini… do give your feedback
this is perfect comfort food. i love the simple and crisp shots. i usually cook some hours before hubbs gets home, and some days go overboard with trying to find a setting, which i can never tell if its working:)
even sometimes i cannot figure out if the setting will work or not
thanks for posting this recipe masoor dal is one of my favorite…………….. but have never tried this way ……….will surely give it a try………
welcome muskaan and do try the masoor dal.
Will make this on the weekend and let you know how it turns out. Looks delicious
sure radha…
made it today. It was delicious. Had no time to take pictures … next time. Thanks for a great recipe
thanks radha and welcome. it is alright as there is always a next time…
That looks so Yumm!!! I have so many recipes to try from your blog
thanks shruthi
This looks totally yummy. I love those spices and your photos are appetizing. Lovely!
Hey a typical punju dish, your pics remind me that I havent made this dal from long…dal fixed for tomm dinner..
, we prepare it exactly the same way as you said not thin nor thick but medium consistency.