Classic Red Lentil Dal

A comforting, incredibly flavorful Indian staple featuring red lentils simmered with warm spices and tomatoes.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Dal is the everyday food of much of India, and for good reason. It is cheap, it is quick and it tastes deeply comforting. Red lentils (masoor dal) are the fastest of all, because they have no skins and break down into a soft, creamy purée in about 20 minutes.

The method has two parts. First, the lentils are simmered with turmeric until they are tender and thick. Meanwhile, you make a tarka (also called tadka): a small pan of hot oil with whole cumin seeds, chili, onion, garlic, ginger and tomato. Stirring that sizzling mixture into the lentils is what gives dal its depth.

It serves four, takes about 35 minutes and is excellent with rice or naan.

Read this first

1. Rinse the lentils until the water runs mostly clear.
2. Let the cumin seeds sizzle for 30 seconds. They flavor the oil.
3. Add water if the dal gets too thick. It thickens as it sits.

Prep time: 10 mins · Cook time: 25 mins · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup Red lentils (Masoor Dal), rinsed
• 3 cups Water or vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp Olive oil or ghee
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Ginger, grated
• 1 Tomato, diced
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Red chili flakes or 1 dried red chili
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, combine the rinsed lentils, water, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 15-20 minutes until tender. Look for: Yellow-orange lentils that are soft, and a thick, creamy mixture that coats a spoon.
2. In a separate small skillet, heat oil or ghee over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and red chili flakes. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Look for: The oil is hot, and the cumin seeds sizzle and smell toasty.
3. Add the chopped onion to the skillet and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Look for: A golden, soft onion, with no dark burnt edges.
4. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cooking for 1 more minute until fragrant, then add the diced tomato and cook until soft. Look for: Fragrant garlic and ginger, and a tomato that has melted into a thick paste.
5. Pour this spiced tomato mixture into the cooked lentils, add garam masala, and stir well. Simmer together for 5 minutes and serve with rice or naan. Look for: A thick, creamy dal with a rich, spiced color, with a layer of oil on the surface.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 170
• Fat: 8g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 19g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 4g
• Protein: 6g
• Sodium: 310mg
• Cholesterol: 0mg

Notes

• Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: Freezes well for up to 3 months; red lentils break down further on reheating, so add a splash of water if it's too thick.
• The Tadka: The sizzled cumin-and-chili oil poured into the lentils is what gives this dal its signature aroma — don't skip that step.

Cook It With Me

Cook the lentils

Rinse the 1 cup of red lentils under cold water until it runs mostly clear. In a medium pot, combine the lentils, 3 cups of water or vegetable broth and the 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender and falling apart. Skim off any foam.

Start the tarka

In a small skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee over medium heat. Add the 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and the 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes and let them sizzle for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Brown the onion

Add the finely chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Garlic, ginger and tomato

Stir in the 3 minced garlic cloves and the grated 1 tablespoon of ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced tomato and cook until it is soft and starting to break down.

Combine

Pour the spiced tomato mixture into the cooked lentils. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala and stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve with rice or naan.

The Ingredients, One by One

Red lentils

They break down quickly, so there is no soaking. Rinse them well to remove dust and excess starch.

Turmeric

Adds the golden color and an earthy flavor. A little goes a long way.

Cumin seeds and chili

Whole seeds sizzled in oil give a toasty flavor that ground cumin can’t match. Use dried red chili for a whole chili, or flakes.

Onion, garlic, ginger and tomato

They make the flavor base. The tomato adds tang to balance the earthy lentils.

Oil or ghee

Ghee has a nutty, rich flavor. Olive oil keeps the dish vegan.

Garam masala

A warming spice blend. Stir it in at the end so its aroma stays fresh.

The Technique Behind It

Why a separate tarka

Frying whole spices in hot oil releases their flavor in a way that simmering can’t. The sizzling oil carries that flavor through the whole pot.

Why red lentils get creamy

They have no skins, so they break down as they cook and thicken the liquid into a purée.

Why you add the garam masala at the end

Its fragrance is delicate and fades with long cooking.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Not rinsing The dal can taste starchy and foam a lot.
• Burning the spices They taste bitter. Keep the heat at medium.
• Skipping the tarka The dal tastes flat.
• Salting too little Lentils need generous salt.
• Overcooking dry Add water if it gets too thick.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Dal is too thick	It reduced or sat	Stir in hot water until the consistency is right.
Dal is too thin	Too much liquid	Simmer uncovered for a few minutes.
Dal is bland	Not enough salt	Add salt, then a squeeze of lemon.
Spices are bitter	They burned	Start the tarka again.
Lentils are grainy	Undercooked	Simmer longer.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Red lentils	Fast, creamy base	Yellow split peas (toor dal) take longer.
Water or broth	Cooking liquid	Vegetable broth adds flavor.
Oil or ghee	Fat for the tarka	Coconut oil works.
Cumin seeds	Toasty flavor	1/2 teaspoon ground cumin works.
Fresh ginger	Warm, sharp flavor	1/2 teaspoon ground ginger works.
Chili flakes	Heat	Fresh green chili works.

Plan Ahead

• Make ahead: It tastes even better the next day.
• Fridge: Up to 5 days.
• Reheat: With a splash of water, as it thickens.
• Freezer: Freezes well for up to 3 months.

What to Serve With It

Serve with steamed basmati rice, warm naan or roti. A squeeze of lemon, fresh cilantro and a spoonful of yogurt on top are good.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.