Red Lentil / Masoor dal Curry
(A protein-packed, aromatic, vegan Indian curry made with red lentils).
This is an indulgent, vegan curry that comes together in about 45 minutes! You can have this curry with steamed rice, naan or chapati. It’s so flavourful that you can’t help but lick your fingers.
The curry uses simple split red lentils (masoor dal) as its star ingredient. Red lentils are low in calories, protein-rich and are easily digestible. The humble lentils with some basic Indian spices and coconut milk, make this curry both aromatic and exotic.
Try this recipe and let me know how you like it in the comments section below!
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
1 cup red lentils (लाल मसूर दाल)
2 tbsp coconut oil (नारियल तेल)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chilli pieces (अदरक - लहसुन - हरी मिर्च के टुकड़े )
1 medium red onion (प्याज़ )
1 tomato (टमाटर)
8-10 Cashew nuts (काजू)
10-12 curry leaves (करी पत्तियां / कढीपत्ता)
1 tomato ( टमाटर / टोमॅटो)
2 bay leaves (तेज पत्ता)
1 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder (कश्मीरी लाल मिर्च पाउडर )
1/2 tbsp garam masala (गरम मसाला )
1/2 tbsp tandoori masala (तंदूरी मसाला)
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper (कुटी हुई काली मिर्च)
1/2 tbsp organic jaggery powder (गुड़)
1 cup thick coconut milk (गाढ़ा नारियल का दूध)
salt as per taste (नमक )
coriander leaves chopped (धनिए के पत्ते / कोथिंबीर)
Method
Wash the lentils/dal thoroughly under running water. Soak the dal in water for 20-25 mins. The lentils will swell up and increase in size.
Soak some cashews in hot water and set them aside for 8-10 minutes.
In a heavy-bottom pan/kadhai, heat coconut oil. When the oil heats up, add chopped garlic, ginger, and green chilli to it. Sauté till they become fragrant. Transfer them to a grinder jar.
In the same pan, sauté chopped red onion till golden brown.
Add the chopped tomato and a little salt. Sauté till the tomato is cooked. Transfer this mixture to the grinder jar.
Add the soaked cashews to the jar and grind everything to a smooth paste.
Heat some coconut oil in the pan. Sauté the bay leaves. Add the soaked lentils, paste, Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala, tandoori masala, crushed black pepper, and jaggery powder. Give everything a nice stir.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low flame for 25-30 minutes or till the lentils are fully cooked.
Tip in the coconut milk and stir so that everything comes together nicely.
Crush the kasuri methi in your palms and add it to the curry.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
THE RED LENTIL CURRY IS READY TO SERVE !!
SERVE HOT.
Notes -
Soaking the red lentils in water reduces the cooking time and makes the lentils easy to digest (Check the ‘DID YOU KNOW’ section below). So do not skip this step.
I use Everest tandoori chicken masala to make this curry. This masala is purely vegetarian.
This curry is slightly thick. However, you can adjust the consistency as per your preference.
Coconut oil gives this curry a beautiful flavour. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use groundnut oil too.
DID YOU KNOW?
Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient as it has a very high tendency to bind minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. So in the presence of phytic acid, these minerals get bound to it and remain unavailable for absorption by our body.
When we soak lentils, an enzyme called phytase is activated. Phytase helps in breaking down the phytic acid in the lentils. Thus, soaking helps the body to absorb these minerals properly.
Soaking also activates a compound called amylase that breaks down complex starch in lentils and makes them easier to digest.
Most lentils contain complex oligosaccharides, that are a type of complex sugar responsible for bloating and gas. Post-soaking this complex sugar content is significantly reduced. This saves us from the gas trouble.
Red Lentil / Masoor dal Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils (लाल मसूर दाल)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (नारियल तेल)
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chilli pieces (अदरक - लहसुन - हरी मिर्च के टुकड़े )
- 1 medium red onion (प्याज़ )
- 1 tomato (टमाटर)
- 8-10 Cashew nuts (काजू)
- 1 tomato (टमाटर)
- 2 bay leaves (तेज पत्ता)
- 1 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder (कश्मीरी लाल मिर्च पाउडर )
- 1/2 tbsp garam masala (गरम मसाला)
- 1/2 tbsp tandoori masala (तंदूरी मसाला)
- 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper (कुटी हुई काली मिर्च)
- 1/2 tbsp organic jaggery powder (गुड़)
- 1 cup thick coconut milk (गाढ़ा नारियल का दूध)
- salt as per taste (नमक)
- coriander leaves chopped (धनिए के पत्ते / कोथिंबीर)
Method
- Wash the lentils/dal thoroughly under running water. Soak the dal in water for 20-25 mins. The lentils will swell up and increase in size.
- Soak some cashews in hot water and set them aside for 8-10 minutes.
- In a heavy-bottom pan/kadhai, heat coconut oil. When the oil heats up, add chopped garlic, ginger, and green chilli to it. Sauté till they become fragrant. Transfer them to a grinder jar.
- In the same pan, sauté chopped red onion till golden brown.
- Add the chopped tomato and a little salt. Sauté till the tomato is cooked. Transfer this mixture to the grinder jar.
- Add the soaked cashews to the jar and grind everything to a smooth paste.
- Heat some coconut oil in the pan. Sauté the bay leaves. Add the soaked lentils, paste, Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala, tandoori masala, crushed black pepper, and jaggery powder. Give everything a nice stir.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low flame for 25-30 minutes or till the lentils are fully cooked.
- Tip in the coconut milk and stir so that everything comes together nicely.
- Crush the kasuri methi in your palms and add it to the curry.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Notes
- Soaking the red lentils in water reduces the cooking time and makes the lentils easy to digest (Check the ‘DID YOU KNOW’ section below). So do not skip this step.
- I use Everest tandoori chicken masala to make this curry. This masala is purely vegetarian.
- This curry is slightly thick. However, you can adjust the consistency as per your preference.
- Coconut oil gives this curry a beautiful flavour. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use groundnut oil too.
A protein-packed vegan curry.
Did you make this recipe?
Kindly let me know in the comments section below and tag @bitesandbokeh on INSTAGRAM.