Brown Lentils
Lentils(daal) are one of the most common proteins in several places in the subcontinent. Just about everyday, my mom would have a different dal in front of us for lunch or dinner, the most common being the brown lentils, because they are ready in half an hour to an hour depending if it is prepared in a pressure cooker or stovetop.
Lentils are an incredible way of eating a high fiber and protein diet. Whole Masoor Dal, also known as sabut masoor ki dal or brown lentils, is one of the easiest, most flavorful which pairs well with rice, naan, paratha, or even bread. Don’t confuse it with green lentils because they do almost look alike.
You will love this brown lentil recipe because:
- Doesn’t need a lot of ingredients or spices to be flavorful.
- Ready in about an hour.
- No pre-soaking needed.
- Vegan and gluten-free.
- Goes well with rice, quinoa, breads, boiled/steam vegetables, naans or even by itself as a lentil soup
This brown lentil is “whole” which is not to be confused with peeled or “split” masoor dal which is red. They are the same exact dal, but the brown skin, or husk of the lentil, is removed to reveal the red lentil inside.
Masoor dal tends to be on the thicker side and gets creamier as it cooks. Simmering the dal over some time is the best way to get creamy dal without adding any cream! Just don’t simmer it for too long, otherwise the daal’s structure will break down and the texture will be mushy.
Meal Prepping and Storing Dal
It is ideal for meal prep for the week. Refrigerate the cooked daal and it will be good for 5-7 days.
Check out my other vegetarian meal ideas:
Brown Lentils
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown lentils
- 5 tablespoons oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1/4 cup tomatoes diced or 1/2 a tomato
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 10 cups water
Instructions
Boiling the lentil:
- Wash the brown lentil a few times until the water runs clear.
- Place a pressure cooker on medium high heat and add the washed brown lentils along with 10 cups of water.
- Place the lid on the cooker and secure it along with its weight.
- Once the pressure cooker starts to whistle, time it for 15 minutes.
- Then turn off the heat, allow the pressure to go down to safely open up the pressure cooker.
Prepare the tarka:
- In a frying pan or small wok on medium high heat, add the oil and the chopped onions. Saute until it becomes translucent.
- Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add in the diced tomatoes along with the spices- salt, red chili powder, turmeric, cumin powder and coriander powder.
- Add 1/4 cup water, stir and saute until the tomatoes soften and oil starts to appear on the sides. You may need to keep adding water.
- Then finally add the tarka or the spiced oil to the boiled brown lentils.
- Now turn on the heat to medium under the brown lentils and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, stir occasionally.
- Finally turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
- Give it a taste test and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve hot with naan, roti, parathas or even rice.
