Masoor Dal: If you Love Lentils, You will Love This!

I was a vegetarian for 17 years. From the age of 11 to the ripe old age of 28 when I had too many food allergies to count and had to figure out something to eat aside from legumes and seeds. So, I started my meat eating journey with a little fish and chicken and it wasn’t that bad. And while I am still a little squeamish when I find bones in my food, I feel like my chicken and fish diet serves me well. But don’t get me wrong, I still love my legumes, especially this masoor dal recipe.

In fact, I try to eat vegetarian for most of the day and cook vegetarian meals for dinner at least once per week. And because of my deep love for all things beans and especially lentils, you know I had to try to make a version of masoor dal at home!

If you are not familiar with masoor dal, it is a red lentil curry with Indian origins. Many Indian recipes use several different spices, but my interpretation of this recipe keeps it more on the simple side. My hope is that this masoor dal recipe is accessible for many because it is really simple to make. Not only that, but it is packed with protein and fiber so it makes a great meatless meal that the whole family is sure to love.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup of dried masoor dal lentils or red lentils

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 red chilis, minced

1 thumb of ginger, minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup of basmati rice

1 – 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup of water

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of garam masala

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1 tablespoon of red curry paste

1 cup of coconut milk

2 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil to make it vegan)

Some cilantro for the pretty

Instructions:

1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat add the butter and begin to sauté the onions for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
2. Add garlic, ginger, and chilis to the onion and sauté for another minute.
3. Add the lentils, water, tomatoes, lemon juice, cumin, garam marsala, and turmeric. Stir to combine and cover. Allow it to simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. This would be a great time to cook your basmati rice. Cook it according to package instructions.
5. Once the rice has started to cook, add the coconut milk and red curry paste to the lentil mixture. Again, cover the pot and allow it to simmer, stirring occasionally and mashing the lentils gently with the back of the spoon.
6. After about 20 minutes, both the rice and the lentils should be done. Add rice to a bowl and top with the lentils and some cilantro. Serve with naan for a complete experience!

To use up the rest of the coconut milk, try my Vietnamese inspired noodle stir fry! Or if you are a huge lentil fan like me, try my mujadara. Or if Indian food is more your thing, be sure to try my butter chicken!