Sabut Masoor Dal | Brown Lentils Soup | Dal Recipes

Sabut Masoor Dal | Brown Lentils Soup | Dal Recipes

Author: Rumki Paul
Course: Main
Cuisine: North Indian
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 Persons

Sabut Masoor Dal is a very renowned and luscious dal recipes. It is one of the most versatile dals which can be paired up with rice items as well as flat breads. It is the combination of boiled brown lentils with onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic, some spices and herbs. It is a very simple and easy recipe which requires minimal effort to get prepared.

Dahl recipes play a vital role in Indian culinary. Lentils are the most commonly used staples of India. It is not only about the availability.

It is an old tradition to add gram curry in every Indian thali. There are thousands of dal recipes that are prepared in this country using different lentils like red lentils, yellow lentils, green lentils etc. Sabut Masoor Dal is known by different names. It is also called Whole masoor dal, Brown masoor dal, Brown lentils, Chilke wali Masoor Dal etc.

I have learned the Whole Masoor Dal recipe from one of my north Indian friends back in Bengaluru, when I was away from home and super away from mom’s food. After coming back from office, a bowl of this dal and a pair of chapatis are enough to make you full and fulfil your appetite.

I loved the Dahl recipe so much that I prepared this dish when I visited my home. Every one of my family loved it very much and provided me with lots of complements on my cooking. Now my mom prepares this dish quite regularly. Really, taste of food does not have any region bars.

Normally Bengali dal preparations are thin and light which are mostly served with steamed rice and bhajis. Even that tastes super yummy. But I would share that Bengali version of the recipe some other day.

The brown lentils recipe is very simple and easy dish which requires very less effort to get prepared. You would require very limited and regularly used ingredients to prepare this wonderful recipe. Normally, the consistency of this dal is thick and is served with rice items like Steamed Rice, Ghee Rice, Jeera Rice or with Indian flat breads.

Brown Masoor Dal with step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about this dal and the recipe.

Health benefits of brown lentils

How to make Sabut Masoor Dal?

In this recipe of Indian dal, first I have washed the dal thoroughly and then soaked it for half an hour. The soaking of dal in water reduces the cooking time. I have used pressure cooker to boil the dal, but you can boil the dal in karahi or pan too. It will take a bit longer to get cooked in karahi.

In the dahl recipe, I have added thin sliced onions, chopped garlic, ginger paste, tomatoes and green chillies. Tomatoes give a palatable tangy taste to the dish. Green chillies give a spicy kick to the dish and a refreshing flavour too.

For the Whole Masoor Dal, garlic plays key role to flavour up the dish. I have first fried the garlic in oil and then added rest of the ingredients. It helps to make the oil garlicy flavoured which enhances the flavour of the dish.

I have not used any whole spice for the recipe. I have used cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, Kasoori Methi and freshly chopped cilantro herbs for the flavouring of the dish. Each ingredient has its own importance to flavour up the dal. I have used Amchoor powder (Dried Mango powder) too. It gives a refreshing flavour and tangy taste to the dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Brown lentil (Whole Masoor Dal)
• 1 large Onion, thin sliced
• 1 Tomato, deseeded and diced
• 3-4 cloves of Garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Ginger paste
• 2 green Chillies
• 2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon Kasuri Methi
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• ¾ teaspoon Garam masala powder
• ½ teaspoon Dried Mango powder (Amchoor powder)
• Salt to taste
• 2 ½ to 3 cups of Water (Quantity may vary as per desire consistency)

1. Wash the dal thoroughly until the bubbles go away.
2. Soak the Whole Masoor Dal in two cups of water for 30 minutes.
3. Drain the water of the soaked dal and transfer into the pressure cooker.
4. Add salt, 2 cups of water and give a nice stir.
   

5. Put the flame in high and cook till first whistle.
6. Then put the flame in low and cook till 2-3 more whistles.Tip: Number of whistles may vary due to quality, quantity of the dal and temperature of the flame.
   
7. Let the pressure settle down, take off the lid.
   

8. On the other hand, put a pan on flame and let pan become dry.
9. Add oil into the pan and put the flame in high.
10. Once the oil is hot, add sliced Garlic and fry them till golden.
    

11. Add the sliced Onions and cook it for 2 minutes in medium high flame until it becomes translucent.
    

12. Add Ginger paste into the pan and cook it for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
    

13. Add Tomatoes and green Chillies and mix it well.
    

14. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for couple of minutes.
15. Add Salt, Turmeric powder and give a nice mix.
    

16. Cook it for two more minutes in low flame.
17. Add Coriander powder, Cumin powder into the pan and mix it well.
    

18. Cook the masala for a minute in lowest flame.
19. Add the boiled dal (Step 7) into pan and mix it properly.
    

20. Add ¾ cup of water into the pan and stir well.
    

21. Cover the pan and put the flame in high.
22. Cook it until the dal simmers.
23. Put the flame in low and sprinkle some Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves) into the pan.
    

24. Cook the dal for a minute.
25. Add Garam Masala powder, Cilantro into the pan and give a nice stir.
    

26. Add Amchoor powder and mix it well.
    

27. Put the flame in medium and cook it for a minute.
28. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.