What does a person think of when visualising a comfort food? For many Indians, the masoor dal recipe comes to mind. Shopping for groceries always included masoor dal, a staple for many Indians.
Quite like the flavourful fragrance, the memories waft in, and you’re bound to the masoor dal recipe. So, we come as saviours with a recipe as simple as following a few basic steps of the moonwalk. Just make sure you have the ingredients, or you might need to moonwalk to the grocery store to go shopping for groceries.
A Classic Masoor Dal Recipe
Lentils, or dals, have been trendy for the last 2,500 years and don’t look like they will shed the title any sooner. Here is a simple and comforting masoor dal recipe.
For the pressure cooker:
● Masoor dal: ½ cup
● Water: ⅕ to ⅛ cups
For cooking:
● Oil: 2 tbsp
● Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
● Onions: ⅓ cup
● Garlic cloves: 2-3
● Ginger: 1 tsp
● Green chillies: 1-2
● Dry (whole) red chillies: 1-2
● Tomatoes: ½ cup
● Red chilli powder: ¼ or ½ tsp
● Garam masala: ¼ or ½ tsp
● Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
● Asafoetida: a pinch
● Salt: as required
For garnish:
● Fenugreek leaves: 1 tsp
● Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp
● Lemon juice: ½ tsp
At times, you wouldn’t need to go shopping for groceries because most of the ingredients will be found at home, right in your kitchen.
Cooking Instructions to Follow
Here are the instructions for cooking this masoor dal recipe:
Cooking masoor dal:
● Rinse the dal a few times and drain the water.
● Add the dal to a pressure cooker or a pot and the ⅕ cup of water.
● Cook the dal for 4-5 whistles on medium to low heat.
● Don’t open the cooker, and let the heat drop on its own.
● When the dal is cooled and softened, mash it well with a wooden spoon or a whisk.
● Keep it aside.
Making the homely masala base or tadka:
● Heat oil over medium to high heat.
● Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
● Add onions and fry until golden.
● Add ginger and garlic and continue to sauté for a few seconds.
● Mix in the whole red chillies and green chillies, and stir.
● Add all the spices one by one and stir on a low heat.
● Add tomatoes and sauté on low heat until tomatoes become mushy.
The Final Steps
● Mix in the cooked and mashed dal into this pan.
● Pour 1 to ⅕ cup of water, depending on the consistency.
● Add salt as required.
● Mix in fenugreek and lemon juice, and cook for a minute.
● Garnish with coriander leaves.
If you are still missing some ingredients, shopping for groceries will be the right way to go about it. It’s just because this dal is worth every bit of your effort that you won’t regret.
Final Words
Until you have tried and tasted this delicious, super easy masoor dal recipe, you will not understand what it means to be an Indian. And, if not in the mood for shopping for groceries? Swiggy Instamart is here to make it easy with doorstep delivery.