Indian Dal – The simple recipe for lentil Dal

Already in the last months we have cooked a lot of Indian food. But this time I wanted to cook something special that Henrik has never eaten before. It’s not that easy, because as a food blogger and little gourmet he has already tried a lot of food from all over the world.

So I made a traditional Indian food from more rural areas, the Dal Litti Chokha. As a side dish to the Litti Chokha, I have here the simple recipe for healthy Dal. As you may know, lentils are a good source of protein. This Dal recipe is ideal for vegans and vegetarians. And I can bet meat lovers that you will love this recipe too. Just take a look at my Dal recipe ?.

Pragya sorts the ingredients

Ingredients for the Lentil Dal

Preparation of the Lentil Dal

1. Boil the lentils according to package instructions or for 25-30 minutes. Peel and chop the garlic, onion, ginger and tomato.

2. Heats oil in a pan to higher temperatures. After that, you start with cumin in a typical Indian way, but I love to start with garlic. Some brown garlic enhances the taste in my opinion, but you have to be careful that the garlic does not burn and become bitter.

Cut garlic, onions and ginger

3. Add cumin and chopped ginger when the garlic is golden brown. Now reduce the temperature to medium heat. Indian food is usually cooked at medium to medium-high temperature, depending on the stove.

4. Add onions and cook for 1-2 minutes. When they are light pink, add the spices and mix well. The process of frying spices in hot ghee or vegan oil to extract the essential oils from them is called „tadka“ in Indian and is an important step in making your dal really delicious.

Add Indian spices to Palak Dal

5. After about 30 seconds you can add the tomatoes and some salt. This helps to cook faster. When the tomatoes are done, add the cooked lentils.

Add soft lentils to Indian Palak Dal

6. Now you can refine your Indian Lentils Dal a bit more:

• For an authentic Indian Dal add some ghee and coriander leaves while cooking.
• For a slightly creamy fresh taste experience, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of coconut milk.

Simmer the lentils and other ingredients

Finished Indian Dal with lentils

Indian Lentil-Dal – My Conclusion

Simple but delicious. Dal is a classic of Indian cuisine and a great alternative to the typical German lentil soup or the wonderful Turkish Mercimek Corbasi. So side dish Indian Dal spices up every international menu a little bit and I am also well suited for beginners. 

What do you think about Dal and Indian cuisine? What are your favorite dishes from India? You can tell me in the comments. 

More suitable recipes:

• Dal Litti Chokha – The little different Indian BBQ
• Indian Recipes – Classics of Indian Cuisine
• Cooking Indian food – From spices to Hindi food culture
• Palak Dal – Lentil dal with spinach
• Chana Masala – Chole: The Indian chickpea curry
• Indian Garlic Daan – The typical Indian garlic bread