Renjna's Dal
Submitted by bocho
Red lentil dal with a garlic and jalapeno tadka, cumin seeds, garam masala, and turmeric. A simple, spicy Indian comfort dish ready in about an hour.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
60 minREADY
80 minMasoor dal is one of the fastest-cooking lentils you can buy, breaking down in about 30 minutes into a thick, golden porridge that’s the foundation of this spicy Indian staple. The turmeric turns everything a warm amber color and adds its earthy, slightly bitter depth.
The real flavor comes from the tadka, that sizzling spice-and-oil mixture that gets stirred in after the lentils are cooked. Six cloves of garlic, four whole jalapenos, cumin seeds, and garam masala fried in canola oil until the garlic just starts to brown. When that hits the pot of soft dal, it sizzles and perfumes the whole batch.
Four jalapenos makes this a genuinely spicy dal. Leave the seeds in if you want the full heat, or scrape them out for something milder. The cumin seeds add a nutty crunch that you’ll find in every spoonful, and 20 more minutes of simmering after the tadka goes in lets everything meld into one unified flavor.
Chef Tips
- Wash the lentils until the water runs clear. Red lentils are dusty and starchy. Rinsing prevents a foamy, murky pot.
- Don’t brown the garlic past light gold. Burnt garlic turns bitter fast and will ruin the tadka. Keep the heat medium and stay at the stove.
- Scrape every bit of spice from the frying pan. Add a splash of the dal liquid to the pan and pour it back into the pot. Those browned bits stuck to the pan are concentrated flavor.
Variations
- Creamy finish: Stir in a few tablespoons of coconut milk at the end for a richer, milder version.
- Tomato dal: Add one chopped tomato to the tadka and cook until it breaks down before stirring into the lentils.
Ingredients
Directions
Sort and wash the dal until the water runs clear.
Place the dal in a soup pot and add water to cover by about 2 inches.
Add the turmeric and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the dal is soft and beginning to fall apart.
Add more water if the dal is too thick.
Heat the oil in a frying pan.
Mince the garlic, coarsely chop the jalapenos (remove the seeds if you don’t want the dal to be very hot).
Add the garlic and jalapenos to the oil, along with the cumin seeds, garam masala and salt.
Sauté for a few minutes, until the garlic begins to brown.
Add this mixture to the dal. Mix well (you may need to add a little dal to the frying pan and pour this back into the pot to get all the spices out of the pan).
Simmer for another 20 minutes or so to blend all the flavors well.
Adjust salt, if desired.
Top with chopped cilantro for garnish if desired.
Serve hot, with bread as a light main course, or incorporate into a full Indian dinner.
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