Name: Bihari Masoor Dal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup Split Red Lentils, washed and soaked; 1½ cup Water, for boiling; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric, divided; ½ tsp Salt, to taste; 1 tbsp Mustard Oil, for tempering; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds, for tadka; 1 Dried Red Chili Peppers, broken; 2½ clove Garlic, crushed or finely chopped; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped for garnish

45 mintotal

30 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

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Ingredients

½ cupSplit Red Lentilswashed and soaked
1½ cupWaterfor boiling
¼ tspGround Turmericdivided
½ tspSaltto taste
1 tbspMustard Oilfor tempering
½ tspCumin Seedsfor tadka
1Dried Red Chili Peppersbroken
2½ cloveGarliccrushed or finely chopped
1 tbspCoriander Leaveschopped for garnish

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop, Pressure Cooker.

Allow 15 minutes of inactive soaking after rinsing the masoor dal; the brief soak helps it break down quickly.

Method

Add the soaked red lentils to a pressure cooker with the measured water, turmeric and salt. Cook for 2-3 whistles on medium heat.
Let the pressure drop on its own. Open the cooker and whisk the dal lightly until smooth, loosening it with a little warm water if you want it thinner.
For the tempering, heat the mustard oil in a small pan until it just starts to smoke, which takes the raw edge off it, then lower the heat straight away.
Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle, then the dry red chillies and crushed garlic. Fry quickly until the garlic turns golden brown.
Pour the hot tempering over the cooked dal straight away and cover the pot for 2 minutes so the aroma settles into the dal.
2 min
Finish with a garnish of freshly chopped coriander and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

The dal should be fluid and smooth, with crisp fried garlic pieces adding sharp savoury crunch.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

243kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein11.9 g19%
Carbohydrate32.2 g51%
Fat8.2 g30%

Saturated fat: 1 g
Fibre: 5.5 g
Sodium: 591 mg
Potassium: 360 mg
Calcium: 54 mg
Iron: 4.2 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Heat mustard oil until it just begins to smoke, then reduce the heat before adding garlic. This softens the raw mustard sharpness without burning the tadka.

What to serve it with

Traditionally mandated to be served with steaming rice and a portion of charred Bihari Aloo Chokha.

Common mistakes

The masoor dal becomes pasty instead of smooth and light.: Rinse well, soak briefly, and simmer only until the lentils collapse. Too much reducing makes the dal heavy.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate Bihari masoor dal in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently until hot, adding water to restore a pourable texture; freeze for up to 2 months.

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