# Dal

Learn how to cook dal properly with key hacks to nail this incredible dish, including three new variations to try.

- Cuisine: Indian
- Category: Side
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- Lentils
- Water
- Turmeric
- Green chillies
- Salt
- Ghee
- Cumin
- Hing
- Ginger
- Curry leaves
- Mustard seeds

## Instructions

1. Wash your lentils thoroughly to remove excess starch.
2. For larger lentils, soak them overnight in water to give them a head start and help remove toxins.
3. For red masoor dal or yellow moong, you can cook them straight after washing without soaking.
4. Add the washed lentils to a pot or pressure cooker.
5. Add green chillies to the lentils.
6. Add salt to the lentils.
7. Cover the lentils with fresh water.
8. Add turmeric to the pot.
9. Cook the lentils until they reach the desired consistency, either on the stove or using a pressure cooker.
10. Once cooked, mash the lentils lightly and adjust the water as needed to achieve the right consistency.
11. For the tadka, start by heating ghee or a regionally appropriate oil in a small frying pan.
12. Add cumin to the ghee/oil.
13. Add a pinch of hing for digestion and savoury depth, then build from there with other spices.
14. Add the tadka to the cooked dal and stir to combine.

## Equipment

- Bowl
- Strainer
- Pot
- Pressure cooker
- Whisk
- Ladle
- Small frying pan
- Spoon

## Tips

- Always wash your lentils to remove excess starch.
- The larger the lentil, the more important it is to soak them overnight to give a head start and remove toxins.
- If using red masoor dal or yellow moong, you can skip soaking and cook straight after washing.
- Pressure cooking is a faster and more convenient way to cook lentils, but the stove is fine, especially for smaller lentils.
- The goal of the first cooking is to get the consistency right while keeping the spices minimal.
- Build flavour for the tadka using ghee or a regionally appropriate oil, a pinch of hing for digestion and savoury depth, then build from there.
- Ginger, chillies, and cumin make a tasty Jain dal fry with no onion or garlic.
- Black urid with a rich temper gives you makhani dal from Punjab.
- Pappu from Andhra or Telangana uses garlic, curry leaves, and mustard seeds for a delicious flavour.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOGH98ACOMz/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/d4865855-d27f-4f08-9432-4a86d5803a88
- Extracted: 2025-11-19

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt