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You are here: Home / Dal Recipes / Masoor Dal Tadka Recipe, Tadka Dal with Masoor Dal

Masoor Dal Tadka Recipe, Tadka Dal with Masoor Dal

February 13, 2016 14 Comments

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker

Masoor dal tadka recipe – a simple dal tadka recipe using red lentils or masoor dal. This dal tadka recipe needs no pressure cooker so it’s perfect for bachelors or those of you who don’t use or have a pressure cooker handy. Masoor dal cooks easily and I usually pre-soak the lentils, making it cook even faster.

Although it started well into my 20s, dal and rice is comfort food for sure. In Kerala cooking, masoor dals rarely feature and we usually stick to moong dal and toor dal to make the usual kootu and sambar. Masoor dal has a distinct reddish-pink colour that turns yellow on cooking, and a flavour that goes so well with a strong tadka or tempering.

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker

While dal is most efficiently cooked to a mush in a pressure cooker, you don’t have to have one, especially if you want to make dal tadka with easier-to-cook lentils. I pre-soak all dal before cooking because not only does it help to cook the dal quicker, it also helps break down complex sugars and carbs in the dal. Apparently, watering plants with the water used to soak the dal works well but I haven’t tried this yet. My balcony garden is going through a rough patch currently, need to re-pot and re-sow everything.

More dal recipes on Edible Garden:
Tomato capsicum dal
Beetroot leaves dal
Bok choy dal
Jeera dal
Sweet and sour moong dal
Methi dal

5.0 from 3 reviews
Masoor Dal Tadka Recipe
 
Print
Prep time
1 hour
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
1 hour 30 mins
 
Author: nags
Recipe type: Dal
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup masoor dal (red lentils)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp sugar or jaggery (optional)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
For tempering
  • 2 tsp ghee or oil
  • ½ tsp black mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp chopped garlic
  • 3-4 dry red chillies
  • A few curry leaves
  • ½ tsp hing or asafoetida
  • ½ cup chopped ripe tomato
Instructions
  1. Wash and soak the dal for 1-2 hours. One hour should be sufficient, but leave it a bit longer if you have time
  2. In a heavy-bottomed pan, add enough water to cover the dal by two inches and bring to boil
  3. Add turmeric powder and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked soft
  4. Cook covered on very low heat to speed up the process
  5. Once the dal is cooked, mash it with the back of a spoon and add more water to bring to the right consistency
  6. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients, chop the onion, garlic, and tomatoes
For tempering
  1. Heat the ghee and add mustard seeds and cumin
  2. When the mustard seeds pop and the cumin seeds sizzle, add the onions
  3. Fry until the onions turn soft and then add garlic and red chillies
  4. When the garlic turns a light brown and the onions start to brown, add curry leaves and hing
  5. Fry for another minute or so or until the onions turn a golden brown
  6. Now add the tomatoes, salt, and sugar (if using)
  7. Cook until the tomatoes turn soft (around 4-5 minutes) and add to the cooked dal
  8. Mix well and add lime juice. Test for salt levels and add more as needed
  9. Serve hot with rice and any curry
3.5.3208

Step by Step Masoor Dal Tadka Recipe

Wash and soak the dal for 1-2 hours. One hour should be sufficient, but soak it a bit longer if you have time

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
In a heavy-bottomed pan, add enough water to cover the dal by two inches along with turmeric powder and bring to boil

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked soft

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
Cook covered on very low heat to speed up the process

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
Once the dal is cooked, mash it with the back of a spoon and add more water to bring to the right consistency

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cookermasoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients, chop the onion, garlic, and tomatoes

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
For tempering, start with heating the ghee

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker

and add mustard seeds and cumin

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
When the mustard seeds pop and the cumin seeds sizzle, add the onions, red chillies, and garlic (remove stems from the red chillies, don’t be like me)

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
When the garlic turns a light brown and the onions start to brown, add curry leaves and hing

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
Fry for another minute or so or until the onions turn a golden brown

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
Now add the tomatoes, salt, and sugar (if using)

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
Cook until the tomatoes turn soft (around 4-5 minutes)

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker

Add tempering to the cooked dal

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
Mix well and add lime juice. Test for salt levels and add more as needed

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker
Serve hot with rice and any curry

masoor dal tadka recipe, how to make dal tadka without pressure cooker

Notes:

  • You can use a mix of different dal to make this dish. For speedier cooking, pressure cook the dal for 15 minutes or 3-4 whistles before tempering
  • If you want a spicier dal, use red chilli powder or green chillies when cooking the dal or tempering
  • Garnish with chopped coriander leaves if you have some handy

If you try this masoor dal tadka recipe, please share a picture and tag with #ediblegarden on any social media channel. Also, don’t forget to comment and rate the recipe!

For masoor dal tadka recipe in Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, etc use the Google translate button in the sidebar

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By nags Filed Under: Dal Recipes

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Comments

  1. Ingrid L

    February 14, 2019 at 3:42 am

    I was out living in the bush this summer with a group of people, and we all took turns cooking on the small propane stove. One night for supper we had rice and dahl, but the cooks burned the dahl and it was completely inedible. I can’t wait to try this recipe and hopefully replace that awful memory with a good one! Lol! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Nags!

    Reply
  2. Ashley Hoober

    February 27, 2016 at 5:07 am

    I know it sounds bad but I think the best part is the colour! What a great vibrant yellow. Definitely have to try this one out this weekend. Thanks for sharing!!!

    Ashley

    Reply
    • nags

      February 27, 2016 at 9:49 am

      i agree! thanks ashley, do drop a note here if you try and like it

      Reply
  3. suraj mahali

    February 22, 2016 at 8:50 pm

    me vi ni sikhna chaha ta hu tarka banane ke liye

    Reply
  4. BBJ

    February 21, 2016 at 10:14 pm

    Red lentils are the easiest for me to get in the local supermarket. I may try this today. Keep you posted! Love the tempering and spices, gorgeous colors.

    Reply
  5. Liza Rose

    February 18, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    This dal is look very nice

    Reply
    • nags

      February 21, 2016 at 10:16 pm

      Thank you Liza!

      Reply
  6. Taryn

    February 16, 2016 at 3:34 am

    This looks like the perfect bowl of dal. I was not raised in the culture but it is still comfort food to me 🙂

    Reply
    • nags

      February 16, 2016 at 8:31 pm

      aww thanks taryn

      Reply
  7. Sabrina

    February 15, 2016 at 4:10 am

    This dal looks wonderful!

    Reply
    • nags

      February 21, 2016 at 10:15 pm

      Thank you Sabrina!

      Reply
  8. Shanaz

    February 14, 2016 at 2:15 pm

    That surely looks like a comfort food….I love freshly made dal, and this one looks yumm.

    Reply
    • nags

      February 21, 2016 at 10:15 pm

      Thank you Shanaz!

      Reply
  9. nags

    February 14, 2016 at 9:26 am

    Thank you!

    Reply

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Hello!

I am Nags, the face behind Edible Garden, a food and recipes website for the busy (and sometimes lazy!) cook since 2007. My recipes are meant to be quick yet healthy and delicious - Nothing fancy, nothing too difficult. Follow Me On Instagram for real-time food and life updates.

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