Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Indian Masoor Dal
印度紅扁豆咖喱
Recipe overview
Red lentils and tomatoes cook until creamy, then cumin-garlic oil adds a fragrant finish suited to rice.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 300 g red lentils
- 400 g tomatoes
- 200 g onion
- 1.2 litres water
- 20 g coriander leaves
Curry seasoning
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt
Cooking fat
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp minced garlic
02
Tools
- soup pot
- small frying pan
- colander
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- wooden spoon
- ladle
03
Steps
Step 1
Rinse the lentils
Rinse lentils in a colander until the water is nearly clear, then drain.
Step 2
Cut onion and tomatoes
Dice onion finely, cut tomatoes into 2 cm pieces and chop coriander.
Step 3
Soften the onion
Heat 1 tbsp oil in the pot and cook onion over medium for 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add the spices
Add all curry seasoning and cook 30 seconds until fragrant without burning.
Step 5
Cook the tomatoes
Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes until breaking down.
Step 6
Add lentils and water
Add lentils and 1.2 litres water, stir and bring to a boil.
Step 7
Skim the foam
Skim surface foam and reduce to low heat.
Step 8
Simmer the lentils
Partly cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring from the base every 5 minutes.
Step 9
Check the texture
Confirm lentils are completely soft and the dal is thick but pourable.
Step 10
Temper cumin and garlic
Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil and fry cumin and garlic 30 seconds until golden and fragrant.
Step 11
Stir in tempered oil
Pour the hot aromatic oil into the dal, stir and taste.
Step 12
Garnish and serve
Scatter coriander and divide the piping-hot dal among 4 bowls.
Common mistakes
- Not rinsing lentils and leaving a floury taste.
- Burning spices until bitter.
- Failing to stir and scorching the base.
- Cooking garlic until black.
Tips
Red lentils stick readily, so scrape the base regularly; make the cumin-garlic oil last and remove it from heat as soon as fragrant.
