Happy new year! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday break. It’s crazy how fast the year flew by — I can’t believe it’s 2023.
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This week, I’m sharing one of my favorite flexible recipes: dal! I will talk through what dal is, where to buy it, how to make it, and how to customize it.
Let’s get started!
PS - If you’re one of my subscribers who have been making dal for years and years (there are several of you!), feel free to leave any tips in the comments. Or, share your favorite kind of dal!
What exactly *is* dal?
Dal has two definitions:
(1) The more technical definition: Dal are dried, split pulses (aka lentils, beans, and peas). The word “dal” comes from the Sanskrit root, meaning “to split.”
(2) The more colloquial definition: Dal refers to an array of spiced, soup-like dishes made from pulses, which could be from both split and “whole” pulses. This is why, nowadays, dal can refer to any generic form of cooked lentils, regardless of whether or not it’s split.
A little more info: These “soups” are prepared by boiling or pressure cooking the pulses in water until they soften and cook through (and usually disintegrating into a soupy or pureed texture). They are commonly eaten across the Indian subcontinent — and its corresponding diaspora.
What kinds of pulses are typically found in dal?
Below, I’ve listed the standard pulses found in dal and the categories I use to distinguish them from one another. I know the names appear confusing but bear with me for a few moments, and it’ll hopefully all make sense!
Pulse Type: Pulse type is a category I use to label the pulse the dal derives from. For example, whole masoor dal and masoor dal come from the same brown lentil.
However, the whole masoor dal is, well, whole, so it refers to the unskinned, whole brown lentil. On the other hand, masoor dal (red lentils) is the result of splitting and skinning (or hulling) the brown lentil, revealing a thin, reddish-orange legume inside.
In the table, I’ve added a column for whole vs. split and unskinned vs. skinned to see how these additional categories differentiate the various dals.
There’s one other important detail. Split, skinned lentils take the least time to cook (and disintegrate faster), while whole, unskinned lentils take the longest to cook (and retain their shape). Pressure cooking is a great way to reduce the cooking time significantly; if you have a pressure cooker, I highly recommend making dal in it!
tl;dr: The type of lentil you choose significantly impacts the overall cook time and texture of the dal. For a soupier dal, choose a split, skinned variety.
Where Can I Buy Dal?
The most popular lentils, like whole masoor dal (brown lentils) and split masoor dal (red lentils) can be found in most supermarkets. The recipe I’m sharing today uses red lentils, so it’s easy to source and purchase locally!
For other varieties, try one of these options:
If you live in the US, you likely have a local Indian grocery store near you, such as Patel Brothers.
Desibasket: My favorite online Indian grocery store; free shipping over $25.
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Weeknight Dinner: Masoor Dal Tadka
key flavors: earthy warming spices; a hint of heat; creamy dal; crispy garlic; and bright, fresh cilantro and lime
This week’s recipe is an oldie but a goodie. It’s a flavorful red lentil dal made with a base of onions and tomato, finished with crispy garlic oil (also known as tadka).
What is a Tadka?
Okay so you may be wondering…what is a tadka? Well, I’m glad you asked because it’s an incredible technique for adding a punch of flavor to a dish. In this case, we’re incorporating it into dal, but it’s just as delicious swirled into yogurt or poured over roasted vegetables.
Tadka: A tadka involves adding spices to hot oil to extract the essential flavor compounds. This technique has many names across the Indian subcontinent, including tadka, tarka, chhonk, and phodni. Phodni is the Marathi word, meaning to “break open,” as in breaking open the essential flavors from the spice. In layperson’s terms, it simply refers to sizzling whole and ground spices in oil. You can use whatever spices you like, from cumin seeds to mustard seeds to chili powder, and aromatics, such as garlic, ginger, onion, or curry leaves.
A tadka can occur at the beginning of the cooking process (where it forms the foundation of flavor in the dish) or at the end (where it’s poured on top of the resulting dish). In my recipe, I use both a “starting” and a “finishing” tadka — but you don’t need to incorporate both! If you’re craving something simpler, try just the starting or finishing tadka.
Interested in learning more about making tadka? Check out my guide on How to Cook With Indian Spices.
How to Make This Masoor Dal Tadka
Now that we have a better understanding on what dal actually is, let’s talk through how to make it!
Cook the lentils: Rinse and sift through your lentils to remove any dirt or debris. Transfer them to a medium stock pot with water, then bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that floats to the top of the pot with a spoon. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are extremely tender and have disintegrated into a somewhat mushy, soupy consistency but still retain some texture. The timing widely varies because it depends on the type of pot you’re using and the texture you’re looking for (more on that below).
Saute the aromatics: Saute some cumin seeds in oil until they sizzle and pop. Add the red onion, and cook until soft and golden-brown. Add garlic, green chili, and tomatoes, until the aromatics break down into a paste-like consistency. Season generously with spices and salt (remember, the lentils themselves are quite bland so they need a good amount of additional flavor).
Make the crispy garlic tadka: Set your smallest pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and let sizzle until both sides develop a pale golden hue. Add the mustard seeds (optionally). Once the seeds sizzle and pop, about 10 to 15 seconds, immediately take the tadka off the heat and pour over the dal. Garnish with cilantro, serve immediately with chapatis or rice, and enjoy!
How to Make It Your Own
There are so many ways to make this dal your own! Here are some of my suggestions:
Choose your consistency: Dal can be very loose and homogeneous in texture, like a thin soup, or thick, like a puree. If you want a looser dal, add more water (but keep in mind you’ll need to add more seasoning since this will dilute the flavor). As the lentils cool, they will thicken, so you may need to add more water later on (or when reheating the dish).
Simplify if you’d like…and omit the finishing tadka. Or, make a more robust tadka… by adding in curry leaves, thinly sliced red onion, or dried chilies.
Replace the garlic with ginger for a ginger-forward dal!
Tips and Tricks
Do not walk away when making the tadka. Spices burn very quickly in hot oil, so when in doubt, lower the heat, and always keep your eyes on them!
Use fresh spices where possible. Make sure to check your spices before following this recipe. If your spices emit a strong fragrance, they’re likely fresh. If they seem older or more stale, you may need to purchase new spices or add more spices to achieve the same flavor. Otherwise, this recipe might not taste as flavorful.
Use fresh tomatoes. For many of us, it’s the dead of winter, and I realize tomatoes are not in season, but…trust me on this one. Canned tomatoes will impart too much acidity to the dal. Even a weak tomato in the winter will do the trick! I recommend roma/plum tomatoes.
Grab the full recipe, plus all of my tips, tricks, and answers to your questions below ↓
Weekend Project: Homemade Chapatis
And because we’re eating dal, it feels quite appropriate to suggest you make these homemade chapatis to go with it.
What are chapatis? Chapatis are thin, griddled Indian flatbreads made with a special whole wheat flour called atta. Growing up, we ate chapatis daily alongside a dal and sauteed vegetables. They take a bit of practice but are quick to make once you get the hang of it. I’ve got the tips and tricks, plus tons of step-by-step photos and videos to get you going! Check the link below ↓
-Karishma