Best Easy Dal Recipes

EASY DAL

Steps:

• Clean and wash the lentils thoroughly. Put them in heavy-bottomed 3-4 quart pot, add 5 cups water, and bring to a boil. Remove the froth and scum that collects at the top. Now add the garlic, ginger, fresh coriander (or keep it and use it as a garnish at the end), turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Cover, leaving the lid very slightly ajar, lower heat, and simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionaly. When dal is cooked, add the salt and lemon juice (it should be thicker than pea soup, but thinner than cooked cereal.
• In a 4-6-inch skillet or small pot, heat the vegetable oil or ghee over a medium-high flame. When hot, add the asafetida and cumin seeds. As soon as the asafetida sizzles and expands and the cumin seeds turn dark (this will take only a few seconds), pour the oil and spices over the dal (lentils) and serve. (Some people put the dal in a serving dish and then pour the oil and spices over it.).
• To serve: Serve with plain rice and a vegetable for a simple meal. Most meat and chicken dishes go well with this dal. Since some people like to squeeze extra lemon or lime juice on their dal, serve some wedges separately. Note: Finely sliced onion rings, fried until brown and crisp, are often spread over the dal as a garnish before it is served.

EASY CURRIED YELLOW DAL (YELLOW SPLIT PEAS)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and salt. Saute until soft, about five minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add remaining spices and stir. Saute for about 1 minute, cooking spices. If spices start to stick to pan, add some water - 1/4 cup should do. Add peas and stir to coat with butter, onion, and spice mixture. Add broth, 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer.
• Simmer for 40-50 minutes or until peas are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. (Check peas periodically - you may need to add more water during cooking if peas are absorbing the liquid too quickly). Garnish with chopped cilantro/coriander leaves before serving.
• Options: Serve with hot basmati or brown rice for a filling one-dish meal. Or, double the broth/water to make a curried pea soup. To turn this into a spicy curry, add some finely chopped jalapeno, serrano, or chile pepper at the same time as the garlic.
• Update 1/6/2010: Some people have reported issues with the peas taking longer to soften. I have never had an issue but try cooking the onions without salt and waiting until the last 10 minutes or so of cooking time to add the salt. I have heard salt interfers with lentils softening perhaps it is the same for split peas. Curry powder - I usually use a mild Indian yellow variety, the all-purpose kind found in most US supermarkets. But I have also made this with a hot Madras and it was also delicious (but spicy!).

EASY LENTIL DAL

Steps:

• Combine water, lentils, onion, and olive oil in a rice cooker. Seal and select setting according to manufacturer's instructions; cook until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Pour chickpeas, tomato paste, yogurt, curry paste, turmeric, cumin, and chile powder into the lentil mixture. Mix thoroughly. Cook until softened and flavors meld, about 15 minutes.

EASY INSTANT POT® GREEN MOONG DAL

Steps:

• Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®) and select Saute function. Heat olive oil; add onions, garlic, ginger, and cumin. Cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Combine moong dal lentils, water, coriander, salt, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and turmeric in a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®). Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 15 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
• Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, 10 to 40 minutes. Unlock and remove lid. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro.

EASY MOONG DAL (MASHED YELLOW SPLIT PEAS)

Steps:

• In large pan boil the split peas in plenty of water for about 30 minutes until tender. If the water starts evaporating too quickly, add more as needed. By the end of the cooking time, the split peas should have the dry consistency of mashed potatoes, the majority of the lentils will have lost their shape and most of the water will have evaporated.
• Remove pot from range, drain the water from the lentils and stir in salt. Cover and set aside.
• Chop onion, and combine with the jalapeno, turmeric and curry powder.
• Heat the oil or ghee over medium heat in a heavy saute pan with lid. When oil is hot, carefully add the black mustard seeds. Stand back as they may pop up into your face. Cover the pan with the lid and continue cooking the mustard seeds until the popping quiets down.
• Now add the onion mixture to the pan and saute until the onion is translucent and golden. Finally, stir in the cooked split peas. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Garnish each serving with minced cilantro leaves.
• Serve with basmati rice.

EASY MOONG DAL (MASHED YELLOW SPLIT PEAS)

Steps:

• Boil the split yellow peas in plenty of water for about 1/2 hour to 3/4 hour, until tender. Add more water if it starts evaporating too quickly, add more as needed. By the end of the cooking time, the split peas should have the dry consistency of mash, most lentils will have lost their shape and most of the water will have evaporated.
• Remove pot from the heat, drain the lentils and add salt to taste. Cover and put to one side.
• Chop the onion, and mix with the jalapeno peppers, curry powder and turmeric.
• Heat the oil or ghee over medium heat in a heavy saute pan with lid. When oil is hot, add the black mustard seeds. Cover the pan, continue cooking the mustard seeds until the popping slows down.
• Add onion mixture to the pan and saute until the onion is translucent. Lastly, stir in the cooked split peas. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice half at first, try & add the rest if you like more. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Garnish serving`s with choped cilantro leaves if you can get them. Serve with your fav. rice. (Always nicer next day)

JAIPUR-STYLE QUICK AND EASY MUNG DAL

Steps:

• Add the mung beans, water, turmeric and carrots to a heavy-based medium pan over a high heat and bring the water to the boil; reduce the heat and allow the contents of the pan to simmer, semi-covered, for 15 minutes, or until the mung beans start to break down; add the cauliflower florets to the pan and simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a small pan over a medium heat; add the cumin and fennel seeds and gently cook them, stirring occasionally, until they have darkened a few shades; add the chilies and ginger and continue cooking until aromatic.
• Pour the contents of the small pan into the simmering soup in the medium-sized pan; add the fresh coriander leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper; serve hot in individual serving dishes with a simple rice dish or bread.

BHUGI DAL ( EASY MUNG )

Steps:

• Soak the mung dal in water for 1 hour, drain and keep aside.
• Heat water in a pan, add salt, turmeric and the soaked mung dal.
• Cook the mung dal on low flame with closed lid until all the water has evaporated and the mung is cooked but not soggy.
• Remove from fire, transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the rest of the spices.
• Heat oil in a small wok crackle the cumin seeds in it and pour it over the dal.
• Sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve with sindhi Phulkas or paranthas and mixed vegetable pickle.

EASY DAL

Steps:

• Put lentils, the 3 cups of water, and 1/2 the onion in a sauce pan on medium heat.
• In a small frying pan, combine the other half of the onion, and the rest of the ingredients except the avocado and carrot. Cook until onion is soft.
• Add the contents of the frying pan to the sauce pan containing the lentils and water.
• Cook until the lentils are soft (about 20 minutes longer).
• Grate the carrot and slice the avocado to use as a topping.
• Serve with naan or pita for a complete meal.