If you want to impress someone with a dal, make it this one. Don’t be afraid of the number of spices—it is quite simple to make. The spices and garlic are blended to a paste and fried in the oil. A hot sauce (chiles, garlic, and vinegar) in the tadka is another secret to getting the right flavor profile. Serve this as a part of a meal, or with rice or naan or other flatbread. Recipe and photos from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen * © 2015 by Richa Hingle. Vegan Heritage Press, LLC. reprinted by permission.
Recipe
Masala Lentils (Sabut Masoor)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup brown lentils washed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 2 to 3 teaspoons safflower or other neutral oil
- ½ cup finely chopped red or white onion
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek leaves or ⅛ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons sriracha or other hot sauce to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ cups chopped tomato
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter optional
Instructions
- Combine the lentils with 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Partially cover and cook over medium heat until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
- While the lentils are cooking, make the tempering. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
- In a blender, combine the garlic, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, fenugreek, paprika, nutmeg, black pepper, sriracha, and 2 tablespoons of water. Blend to combine well.
- Add this paste to the onions in the skillet. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and salt, and cook until the tomatoes are tender, about 8 minutes. Mash the larger tomato pieces.
- Add the tempering to the lentils. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Taste and adjust salt and spice. Garnish with cilantro and vegan butter, if using, and serve hot.
Nutrition
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- Here are more recipes for using Lentils and Peas.
Rosa says
Hi,
I made the Masala Lentils but I had a problem making the paste. I was unable to blend the paste in the blender, the ingredients sat on the bottom of the blender while the blades whirled above them. What kind of blender do I need to blend the ingredients? Thanks,
Rosa
Nava says
Hi Rosa, I'm so sorry this didn't work for you. Richa's recipes are usually very reliable. Since this is her recipe, I'll see if she can stop by here and answer it for you, and in the meantime, you can also contact her on her own blog: http://www.veganricha.com/2012/01/about-contact.html
richa hingle says
Hi Rosa, I usually use a small blender for the paste. You can make the paste in a bowl with minced ingredients and them mash them together and use. Hope this helps
Richa