Whole Masoor Dal is one of the most comforting minimal effort lentil recipes that can be made stove top or in an Instant Pot. These brown lentils simmer into a thick, naturally creamy curry, no dairy required. It's a simple one pot recipe that pairs well with rice, naan, paratha, or by itself with vegetables.

whole masoor dal in a bowl with rice and a gold spoon.

Lentils are an incredible way of eating a high fiber and protein diet! Dals (lentils) are one of the most common proteins in several regions in India. Dal was on the table almost everyday growing up - each one a little different from the other depending on mood or what was on hand.

But I always looked forward to lunchtime every Saturday when mom would make whole masoor dal for us. We'd have it over rice with achaar or homemade dahi. Sometimes we'd even mix salsa into it.

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Why You'll Love this Recipe
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
How to make Whole Masoor Dal
Mix ins to Masoor Dal
Meal Prepping and Storing Dal
How to Serve Dal
More Recipes with Lentils and Beans to try
Recipe

Why You'll Love this Recipe

This Sabut Masoor Dal (whole brown lentils) is one of my favorites for several reasons:

Made with pantry staples and minimal spices
Ready in about an hour, and is super hands off one pot lentils recipe
Vegan and gluten-free
Goes well with rice, quinoa, breads, boiled/steam vegetables, or even by itself as a lentil soup
Deeply comforting and home-style-you won't usually find this at restaurants
Great for meal prepping or a comforting meal at home with family

Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions

flay of ingredients for whole masoor dal with labels.

Lentils - Use Whole Masoor Dal, or brown lentils for this recipe. Other lentils like split red lentils will not give the same result.
Ginger garlic paste - Or as I call it, gigi paste! This is simply a 50/50 mix of ginger and garlic that's blended into a paste. You can easily make this at home in a mortar and pestle or blender with fresh ginger and garlic, or purchase it readymade.
Onion - Use a yellow onion for the best balance of sweetness and depth. Red onion also works.
Spices - You'll need a total of five spaces for this recipe: cumin seeds, garam masala, chili powder, and asafoetida (hing). Hing is essentially a replacement for the taste of garlic and onion and you only need the tiniest pinch. Optionally, you can add a bay leaf.
Tomatoes - Use fresh tomatoes or tomato paste, either will work. I recommend peeling the tomato if you're using fresh so you don't have tomato peels in the lentils. If the tomatoes are too acidic, adjust with a pinch of sugar or ghee.

hand holding soaked masoor dal over dry dal.

Note: This recipe uses whole masoor dal. This is a brown lentil that is not to be confused with peeled or "split" masoor dal, which is red. They are actually the same exact dal, but the brown skin, or husk of the lentil, is removed to reveal the red lentil inside.

I tend to look for this dal according to price, at about a dollar or two per pound at grocery stores. Please keep in mind that every type of lentil is different in terms of flavor profile, cook time, and method of cooking. This recipe will not turn out the same for other lentils.

How to make Whole Masoor Dal

Masoor dal tends to be on the thicker side and gets creamier as it cooks, no dairy involved! You can be a bit fancier and roast spices in a tadka and add it at the end, but this tends to be a dump-and-go recipe besides frying the onions. You can also use ghee at the end for added richness.

It's even easier in an Instant Pot, but this masoor dal recipe can be made without a manual or pressure cooker. I personally don't own either, so I make mine in a Dutch Oven which is great for regulating heat.

Pro Tip: Dal does not need a ton of spices to be flavorful. This is a common mistake with several recipes I see using lentils. If you're using even decent quality spices, you should never need more than ½ teaspoon of a single spice per one cup of lentils.

Stove Top Instructions

process shots of cooking whole masoor dal in dutch oven with labels.

Soak the lentils for 20-30 minutes. It'll be twice the size after soaked. Some of the lentils will be split open or the peel will have come off - which is completely fine. If you forget to soak, just add 10 minutes to the cook time and add more water. Rinse and drain the dal and set it aside while getting the aromatics started.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pot. Sauté the onions and cumin seeds in oil until the onions begin to brown.
Add in all the spices, and then the tomato and continue to cook until it softens and is slightly jammy.
Pour the dal into the pot with 3 to 4 cups of water. Give everything a really good stir.

Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally and checking the water level. The dal will not stick to the bottom unless there is absolutely no water left.
Once the dal has softened and it's at a scoopable creamy consistency, take it off heat and stir in chopped cilantro. Adjust for taste, if it's bland adjust with a pinch of salt or garam masala.
(Optional) For extra flavor, heat 1-2 tablespoon of ghee or oil in a tadka pan. Add cumin seeds, dried red chili, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Pour over the finished dal before serving for restaurant-level flavor.

How to make creamy dal

Simmering the dal over some time is actually the best way to get creamy dal without adding any cream! Just don't simmer it for too long, otherwise the dal's structure will break down and you'll be making Khichdi.

However, if you'd like it to be creamier, you can add a ¼ cup of coconut milk and it'll be mild enough not to overtake the dal. This isn't really traditional, but a lot of people enjoy dal this way these days.

Instant Pot Instructions

A pressure cooker can be ideal for cooking lentils because it retains heat and steam, making it quick to cook with less soak time.

Soak the lentils for half an hour and rinse thoroughly.
Sauté the onions and cumin seeds in oil until the onions begin to brown.
Add the remaining ingredients into the Instant Pot with about 2 cups of water (or accordingly to how soupy you would like it).
Turn on the Instant Pot for 30 minutes using the Bean or High Pressure mode.
At the end of the cook time, remove the lid and allow the steam to dissipate.
Add in a handful of chopped cilantro and serve.

Mix ins to Masoor Dal

One of my favorite things about masoor dal is that it's so flavorful by itself, but it is an amazing vessel to mix in other things depending on what you currently have in your kitchen! Here are some things we've done growing up with this dal:

Add in vegetables: you can add in boiled diced potatoes, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts... just about anything into masoor dal to make it more hearty and even more nutritious
Achaar: I loveee mixed pickle achaar, but you can also add nebu achaar, garlic achaar, cilantro-mint chutney, etc to add another layer of acidity
Dahi: if you're eating dal chawal (lentils over rice), I almost always mix in a couple of tablespoons of dahi (Indian yogurt) to make it super creamy
Funky mix ins: I'm not kidding when I say you can use masoor dal as a vessel for a lot of things... my family has LOVED mixing in chunky salsa into it! I'm not sure how this happened, but we love it.

Meal Prepping and Storing Dal

While dal is cheap and easy to make for a family of four or more, it is also ideal to meal prep for the week. Simply add cooked rice and the finished whole masoor dal to a container along with a lemon wedge and any additional vegetables you'd like. It'll keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

masoor dal mixed with rice, cilantro, with a lemon wedge in a meal prep container.

This dal is high in protein and very fibrous. To add more protein, serve it with a side of dahi or plain Greek yogurt. It goes great with Basmati rice, paratha, or roti.

How to Serve Dal

There are so many ways to serve an easy weeknight dal! Besides all the mix ins, here are a few ideas to serve it:

With just about any carb such as quinoa, rice, naan, roti, papadum
Let it thicken all the way, blend it with vegetables. Form a patty and pan fry it for a burger.
Make desi-inspired tacos with cilantro-mint chutney, avocado, diced tomatoes, etc.

serving sabut masoor dal in a serving bowl with a person spooning it with rice, chili powder, cilantro, and juice alongside.

More Recipes with Lentils and Beans to try

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