June 5, 2018 / By / 135 Comments
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whole masoor dal recipe with step by step photos – north indian style spiced, tasty and quick dal made from whole masoor dal or pink lentils. this sabut masoor dal recipe is one of the easy and breezy dals i make at home with sabut masoor which are brown-skinned lentils.

this sabut 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 masoor dal.

whole masoor dal

this is a north indian punjabi style masoor dal recipe. you can add the spices as per your taste requirements. the consistency of the dal can also be kept thick or medium consistency. if you are serving the dal with rotis then you can keep thick consistency in the dal. for serving with rice keep the medium or slightly thin consistency in the dal.

the masoor dal can be relished with rice, rotis or paratha or even bread. you can also just have it plain like a soup.

if you are planning to prepare dal at home then do check these dal recipes:

whole masoor dal recipe below:

whole masoor dal recipe
4.36 from 31 votes
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whole masoor dal recipe | sabut masoor dal recipe | easy masoor dal recipe

whole masoor dal recipe - spiced and tasty dal made from whole masoor dal or pink lentils

course main course
cuisine north indian
prep time 10 minutes
cook time 20 minutes
total time 30 minutes
servings 3 to 4
author dassana amit

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

for pressure cooking sabut masoor dal:

  • 1 cup whole masoor dal (sabut masoor dal)
  • 2.5 to 3 cups water for pressure cooking the dal

other ingredients for sabut masoor dal:

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic (adrak-lahsun paste)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 green chili, chopped (hari mirch)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
  • ½ teaspoon punjabi garam masala powder or regular garam masala powder
  • 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoon cream (optional)
  • 2 tablespoon oil or ghee
  • a few chopped coriander leaves or some crushed kasuri methi or cream for garnishing
  • salt as required
  • 1 cup hot water or as required

how to make recipe?

pressure cooking whole masoor dal:

  1. pick and rinse 1 cup whole 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 after washing.

  2. in a pressure cooker take 1 cup sabut masoor dal and add 2.5 to 3 cups water. pressure cook for 10 to 12 minutes or 3 to 4 whistles or cook till they are softened. timing will vary depending upon the quality and age of dal.

making whole masoor dal recipe:

  1. heat 2 tablespoons oil for tempering the dal in the pan.

  2. add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle. then add 1 medium sized chopped onion.

  3. now fry till the onions are golden or browned. this is an important step in making this dal.

  4. you have to brown the onions as the browning gives a lot of flavor and taste to the dal.

  5. add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

  6. add the tomatoes and green chilli and fry again for a few minutes till the tomatoes become soft and pulpy. you will also see oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste.

  7. add ½ teaspoon red chili powder and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. mix well.

  8. now add this mixture to the cooked masoor or add the masoor dal to the tempering - whatever suits you. mix well and add salt as required.

  9. simmer the masoor dal on a low or medium flame. if the dal is too thick then add some hot water or as required to get the right consistency. i have added about 1 cup of water to the dal.

  10. mash some dal with your ladle or spoon at the sides of the pan. this is done to get a creamier consistency.

  11. finally add 2 to 3 tablespoons cream (optional) and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.

  12. next add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi. stir well. switch off the burner. 

  13. garnish masoor dal with kasuri methi or cream or a few chopped coriander leaves.

  14. sabut masoor ki dal is ready to be served with some basmati rice or rotis.

recipe notes

if making sabut masoor ki dal in a pan or pot:

  1. soak the masoor dal for 1 to 2 hours in water.
  2. then use 4 to 4.5 cups more water to cook the dal. then follow the recipe.
  3. amount of extra water needed depends upon quality of the dal. e.g. if the dal is aged then it will take more time to cook and will also need more water.
  4. cooking dal/lentils in a pressure cooker is easier and quicker.


how to make sabut masoor ki dal recipe:

1. pick and rinse 1 cup whole 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 after washing.

masoor dal recipe

2. then in a pressure cooker take 1 cup sabut masoor dal and add 2.5 to 3 cups water. pressure cook for 10 to 12 minutes or 3 to 4 whistles or cook till they are softened. timing will vary depending upon the quality and age of dal.

masoor dal recipe

4. in a pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil for tempering the dal.

masoor dal recipe

5. add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera) and let them splutter.

masoor dal recipe

6. then add 1 medium sized chopped onion.

masoor dal recipe

7. saute till the onions are golden or brown. 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 this masoor dal.

masoor dal recipe

8. saute the onions till they become golden.

masoor dal recipe

9. once the onions are browned then add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste (adrak-lahsun ka paste).

masoor dal recipe

10. fry for a minute or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

masoor dal recipe

11. then add 2 medium sized chopped tomatoes and 1 chopped green chilli.

masoor dal recipe

12. fry again for a few minutes till the tomatoes become soft and pulpy. you will also see oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste.

masoor dal recipe

13. then add ½ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder) and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi).

masoor dal recipe

14. mix well.

masoor dal recipe

15. now add this mixture to the cooked masoor dal or add the cooked masoor dal to the tempering… whatever suits you.

masoor dal recipe

16. stir and mix very well.

masoor dal recipe

17. add salt as required.

18. simmer sabut masoor dal on a low or medium flame. if the dal is too thick then add some hot water or as required to get the right consistency. i have added about 1 cup of water to the dal.

19. mash some dal with a ladle or spoon at the sides of the pan. this is done to get a creamier consistency.

20. finally add 2 to 3 tablespoons cream (optional) and ½ teaspoon punjabi garam masala powder. you can also use regular garam masala powder.

21. next add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). stir and switch off the flame.

22. while serving, garnish the whole masoor dal with kasuri methi or cream or few chopped coriander leaves.

23. the sabut masoor dal is ready to be served with some basmati rice or rotis or plain paratha or lachedar paratha or rumali roti.

recipe of masoor dal




135 thoughts on “whole masoor dal recipe | sabut masoor dal recipe | easy masoor dal recipe”

  3. Neeta

    I added some dhansak masala and some boiled rajmah, the dish was amazing. Didnt need the cream!

  4. Terry

    Today finally I did it with so rich and taste fully, to satisfy the senses thank you so much for such nice blogs and describing so softly.perfectly cooked with aromatic ambience . wandering for such taste started from Himachal ends today at home . thank you so much.

  5. Poonam

    Dassana I love you. Thank you for all your efforts. I’m learning to cook well because of you. Please do post on how to make kala masoor dal paratha and healthy red rice idling too with more lentils less rice. Looking forward muah your brilliant and very patient and very sincere. Thankyou again

  7. JK

    Thank you for sharing with us this lovely recipe. Made it for dinner tonight, saved the rest for packing lunches throughout the week. Topped with a dollop of yoghurt, I could not stop eating it. The various spices lend such a strong punch and depth of flavour to the dish. Have a wonderful day!

  8. Sushrita

    Roughly upto how many whistles should I pressure cook masoor?
    And, I really appreciate your recipes. You are like a savior?
    I’m giving 5 stars because I’m so sure this will turn out amazing just like every single recipe that I’ve tried of your’s.

    1. dassana amit

      sushrita, for masoor which has not been soaked bef, you can pressure cook for 8 to 9 whistles. if the dal is fresh and not aged, it will cook fast. and thanks a lot 🙂

  10. Niki

    Whenever i go through your wwbsite,the pictures detailed steps help a lot and are indicative that you must be a very patient person in real life too .I admire your zest towarda cooking .this dal cams out to be really tasty .my husband loves all dal recepies more than veggies .so it was good when he said please make it more often thanks to you

  12. Olivia

    I was a little confused by some of the steps as I have never cooked dal before… Firstly, you didn’t say IF any water needed to be added with the dal in the first place (before you said to add more if its too think) so I ended up guessing a little. Also because I’m not too familiar with cooking dal or even eating it, I wasn’t sure what the consistency should be like or the texture of the lentils. With all this said however, it ended up fantastic and tasted amazing! I’m sure the recipe is fabulous, just maybe a bit hard to follow for an amatuer!

    1. dassana amit

      fine olivia. the consistency is medium. but as per one’s preference, one can make a thick or thin consistency. water is added while pressure cooking the lentils. for pressure cooking 2.5 to 3 cups of water is added. if cooking in a pot, more water needs to be added. like 4 to 4.5 cups. i will make a change in the notes section of the recipe. nice to know that the end result was good 🙂

  13. Olivia

    This recipe was really tasty, you are so right about browning the onions : ) thanks so much for sharing

  17. zakia

    Very easy recipes thnx for sharing, i trying to follow ur style of recipes, yesterday i made aloo palak as per ur style it turnedout very tasty. Thnx

  18. Aparna

    Hey Dassana,
    I’m a big time fan of ur blog. I have tried so many recipes published in ur blog n got compliments for the same. I like ur step by step guidance with pictures. This dal is again one of the favourite dishes with my family. I have learnt many north indian dishes from this blog.

  19. sana Khan

    I have made the recipe exactly as per your instructions it came out very well thanks a lot. I want to ask one question can I do tempering first and add all the masalas and then add dal and pressure cook will it come out same or the taste will differ.

  20. Sumaya wasim

    Very nice….I wanna prepare more of delicious north Indian recepies… Keep it up..love cooking according to the steps mentioned here…easy n simple…

  21. Sushila

    I simply loved this dal. The dal tadka was also lovely. Can’t wait to try the other recipes. 🙂

  22. kiran

    Hi dassana i tried most of your recipes and they are awsome. Thank u for sharing your recipes. This is really helpful for the beginners. Good job keep it up.

  24. Ashley

    Thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful recipes! For the first time I feel like the Indian food I make at home is as good as much of what I get in a restaurant…and so easy! This recipe has become yet another easy but delicious weeknight meal for me when I have “nothing in the fridge”!

  27. Tanu

    I am sort of an ‘okay’ cook but oh this simple recipe makes dal so yummy! My hubby is so impressed with the taste, he insists on making every alternate day! It’s so simple and quick, I love how yummy it is and my hubby is a happy hubby! Thank you!

  28. Salima Veriah

    Tried the whole masoor daal receipe beats my mum’s recipe, the dry methi adds excellent flavour

  29. Tanvi Verma

    Hi Dassana,
    Wanted to ask you if there is a way to make this dal in a pan and not pressure cooker? Please let me know 🙂

    1. dassana amit

      tanvi, you can make the masoor dal in the pan also. soak the masoor dal for 1-2 hours. then you have to use more water than what is mentioned in the recipe. rest all instructions are same.

      1. Ashley

        The lentils I have (basic ones from Walmart) say on the package that soaking is not necessary. I boiled them for about 25 minutes and they tasted delicious to me; of course this is my first time eating this dish, so I don’t know if I’m missing out….

        1. dassana amit

          soaking is not essential ashley. i soak as the cooking is faster. the lentils should soften. if they have softened and have become smooth, melt in the mouth, than they are cooked very well.

  30. Tanvi Verma

    Hi Dassana,
    I live abroad and recently made this dal while I had some foreigners home for dinner. They loved it and want me to teach them to make it. I just wanted to ask you if I can make it without the pressure cooker because I know nobody here will buy a pressure cooker ?

    1. dassana amit

      thats nice to know tanvi. you can make without pressure cooker. just soak the lentils for about an hour or even two hours. then proceed with the recipe. you will need to alter the water proportion as more will be required that what is needed while cooking in a pressure cooker.

  34. appy

    will it taste good if i use a chole masala powder or sambar powder or any other curry powder as a garam masala substitute??

    1. dassana amit

      appy, you can use chole masala. but don’t use sambar powder or other curry powder. with the chole masala also the taste will change. but the chole masala is a good alternative amongst the options you gave.

  36. Mina

    This recipe is for most the best to perfection. Anyone trying it for the first time need to search no more.
    give this a try!!!

  38. Heena

    Hello there,

    Last night I was looking for whole masoor dal recipe and I found yours. I made it and it was a hit with my family. The kids and my husband loved it. I followed your instructions carefully especially about the part of frying the onions well without burning them. It always makes such a difference when one works with attention to all the finer points. Only the colour of the dal I made was slightly different but that was because I added a lot more of Amul fresh cream to it. It was very very tasty and I will definitely be adding this to my repertoire of easy everyday cooking.

    Thank you Dassana. Keep it up. Your blog is wonderful and was quite a life saver for me when I just wanted to grab a quick cooking dal out of the fridge and make a meal of it for my family.

    1. dassana amit

      thanks a lot heena. glad to know your family enjoyed the meal. paying attention to the details makes a lot of difference whilst cooking. in fact something as small as mustard seeds if not crackled while tempering, dampens the flavor somewhere.

  39. lakshmy

    Thank you so much for this recipe.My four year old son and my husband liked it so much that they are asking me to make it so often and they are not complaining for the same repeat recipe.thanks a lot.Easy to make and very healthy.

  40. Annu

    Thanks Dassana for this dish!, my daughter loved it so much that for the 1st time she wanted me to pack rice with this dal for her school tiffin 🙂

  42. Pallavi

    Hi Dassana!!

    I am a big fan of all your recipes. You make it loo so easy. And evetthing that I have tried turns out so yummy. And 100 points to you for presentation! Thanks so much for taking time out for all this. I am sure its helping millions of people like me 🙂

  43. Harshita

    Came across your blog today. I love the photography and recipes. And for a amateur cook like me, step by step images are life saving.

    🙂

  45. Pam

    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!

      1. Pam

        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!

  47. anureit

    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

  49. Hina

    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.

    1. 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.

  52. kanishk

    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…..

  53. LAKSHMI

    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 ?

    1. dassana

      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.

  56. nandu

    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….

  57. nandu

    Hi,
    Yummy dal with great pics….was wondering when to add the Garam masala?? I will be making this pretty soon….

  58. Maria

    Dassana I also have made same dal today as my mom makes quite similar to your barring cream … lovely and fresh pics!

  59. Aartee

    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.

    2. dassana

      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: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/methi-matar-malai-recipe-methi-matar-malai/
      2: kadai paneer – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/kadai-paneer-recipe-kadai-paneer/
      3: hyd veg biryani – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/hyderabad-veg-biryani-hyderabadi-vegetable-dum-biryani-recipe/
      4: paneer tikka – https://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.

      1. Aartee

        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

  60. Courtney Rae Jones

    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!

  63. suhani

    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..

    1. dassana

      this masoor dal goes very well with rice. in fact just this dal, rice with sirke vale pyaaz (vinegar pickled onions) is yum.

  65. Richa@HobbyandMore

    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:)

  66. muskaan

    thanks for posting this recipe masoor dal is one of my favorite…………….. but have never tried this way ……….will surely give it a try………

  70. Anamika @ madcookingfusions

    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.

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