Whole Masoor Dal (Brown Lentils)

Whole Masoor Dal, also known as Sabut Masoor Dal or Brown Lentils, is a North Indian lentil curry made with whole brown lentils, onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices. The cooked lentils have a soft, creamy texture with a medium-thick consistency. This mildly spiced dal makes a wholesome and satisfying everyday meal. Serve it with rice, roti, paratha or naan.

About Whole Masoor Dal

Whole masoor dal has a brown husk and an earthy, slightly nutty flavor. It should not be confused with split and hulled masoor dal, which is orange or pink and cooks much faster.

You can check my Masoor Dal Recipe if you want to make the dish with split red lentils. For a spicier regional variation made with whole brown lentils, try Akkha Masoor, a dish from the Kolhapuri cuisine of Maharashtra.

In this Whole Masoor Dal recipe, the lentils are first cooked until tender. For the masala, cumin seeds are crackled in oil, followed by onions that are cooked until golden and caramelized. This is an important step, as the caramelized onions give the dal much of its flavor.

Ginger-Garlic Paste, tomatoes, green chilies and ground spices are then sautéed before adding the cooked lentils, salt and water. The dal is simmered on low to medium heat and finished with Garam Masala and dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi). A little cream can also be added for richness, but it is optional and can be skipped for a vegan version.

Keep the dal thick when serving it with roti, chapati or paratha. For plain steamed rice, Jeera Rice or Ghee Rice, make it medium-thick or slightly thinner. Avoid making it watery, as whole masoor tastes better with a creamy consistency.

More Indian Lentil Recipes To Try

• Dal Makhani
• Dal Tadka
• Moong Dal
• Chana Dal
• Toor Dal

How To Make Whole Masoor Dal (Stepwise)

Pressure Cook Lentils

1. Pick and rinse ½ cup brown lentils (120 grams) for a couple of times in water. If you have time, then you can soak the lentils for about 30 to 40 minutes after rinsing.

Then, in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker, take the brown lentils and add 2 to 2¼ cups water.

Note that you can choose to cook the lentils in an Instant Pot or in a pan on the stovetop. If cooking these lentils in a pan/pot, soak them for 1 to 2 hours before you boil them.

2. Pressure cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or till the lentils are softened and cooked thoroughly.

Let the pressure drop naturally in the cooker. Open the lid only once all the pressure is dropped.

If the lentils are undercooked, add some water if needed and pressure cook for some more minutes.

Note that the timing to cook the lentils will vary depending upon the quality and age of the lentils.

Make Onion Tomato Masala

3. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Keeping the heat to a low, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them splutter.

4. Then, add ⅓ cup chopped onions. On low to medium heat, sauté till the onions are golden or brown stirring often.

This is an important step in making this dal. You have to caramelize the onions as it is this caramelization that gives a lot of flavor and taste to this dal.

5. Sauté the onions till they become golden or are caramelized. But make sure you don’t burn them.

6. Once the onions are browned, add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.

7. Stir and sauté for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

8. Then, add ¾ to 1 cup of chopped tomatoes and 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies.

9. Stir and fry again for a few minutes or till the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy. You will also see oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste.

10. Then, add ½ teaspoon red chili powder and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.

11. Mix the ground spices with the rest of the sautéed onion and tomato masala base.

Cook Brown Lentils Further

12. Now, add the cooked brown lentils to this tomato masala paste.

13 . Stir and mix thoroughly.

14. Add salt as required.

15. Add 1½ to 2 cups water or as required to get a medium consistency. Mix again. Simmer the dal on low or medium heat.

16. Mash some dal with a ladle or spoon at the sides of the pan. This is done to get a creamier consistency.

17. Next, add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.

For a more creamier consistency and rich taste, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of light cream. The addition of cream is optional and you can skip if you don’t have.

18. Next, add ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Crush the kasuri methi in your palms and add. Stir to combine and switch off the heat.

19. Before serving, garnish the Sabut Masoor Dal with some chopped coriander leaves.

20. Serve creamy Whole Masoor Dal or Brown Lentils with steamed basmati rice, roti, plain paratha, lachcha paratha or rumali roti.

Dassana’s Recipe Tips

1. Soaking Lentils: If you have some time at hand while making this recipe, then you can soak the rinsed lentils in water for about 30 to 40 minutes. If not, then directly pressure cook. Soaking lentils will reduce the cooking time.
2. Quality of Lentils: The time to cook the brown lentils will depend on the age and quality of the lentils. Older or aged lentils will take more time to cook and soften.
3. Caramelizing onions: Make sure to properly brown the onions till golden, as this is what imparts a lot of flavor in this dal. But do ensure that they don’t get browned too much or get burnt as this can make the dal taste bitter.
4. Consistency: The best way to cook this dal is to keep a medium consistency in it. Depending on what you are serving it, you can even keep it thick or slightly thin, but not extremely thin. Add water accordingly.
5. Spiciness: This recipe gives you a spicy dal. So add less of the green chillies and red chilli powder according to your spice preferences.
6. Creamy Consistency: To get a creamier consistency in the dal, you can mash some dal with a ladle or spoon, while cooking it with the spices. Adding cream in this recipe is optional. You can skip it, if you want a less rich version of the dal.
7. Scaling: To make for more servings, easily scale up the recipe.

Brown Lentils vs Red Lentils

Brown lentils and red lentils come from the same type of lentil but are processed differently. Whole lentils retain their brown husk and are known as whole masoor dal, brown lentils or sabut masoor dal.

When the husk is removed, the lentils appear orange, pink or red. They may be split or left whole and are commonly called red lentils or dhuli masoor dal.

In Hindi, both varieties are known as masoor dal. The word sabut means whole, so sabut masoor dal specifically refers to whole lentils with their brown husk intact.