Masoor dal names both the lentils and the dish made from them. Split red lentils break down during cooking, giving a creamy texture without cream. Our home version includes tomato and lemon. A separate cumin-and-garlic oil is stirred in near the end, keeping its aroma clear without complicating the main pot.
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Food · International
Masoor dal: red lentils, warm spices and lemon
A creamy split-lentil dal with tomato and a small finishing drizzle of garlic-cumin oil.
2026-10-27 · Editorial staff · Estimated reading time: 2 min
Queen of Queens · Food
The recipe
India
- Servings
- 4
- Preparation
- 10 min
- Cooking
- 30 min
- Rest / waiting
- 0 min
- Total time
- 40 min
- Estimated calories per serving
- 310 kcal
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients and quantities
- 250 g dried split red lentils
- 250 g diced tomatoes
- 120 g onion
- 25 g neutral or mild olive oil
- 10 g fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 800 ml water, plus extra as needed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice; salt, fresh coriander and chilli to taste
Method
- Rinse the lentils. Chop onion and ginger and soften in a saucepan with 15 g oil for 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and turmeric for 2 minutes, then the lentils and 800 ml water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring and adding water as needed.
- Heat the remaining 10 g oil in a small pan. Add cumin for 20–30 seconds, then sliced garlic and a little chilli for about one minute without blackening.
- Stir this seasoning into the lentils. Add salt to taste, lemon and coriander. Divide among four bowls; bread and rice are excluded from the calories.
Tips and variations
Dal thickens as it cools; keep a little hot water ready to loosen it before serving. Whole lentils take longer than split, skinned ones.
Allergens
Check any prepared spice blends.
Sources and further reading
- Swasthi Shreekanth — Masoor dal
- https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/masoor-dal-recipe/
Calories are estimates per serving and vary with ingredients, brands and actual quantities. Times are approximate; the total includes the stated resting time.
