Red Lentil Curry (vegan)

Red lentil curry is a vegan, nutritious, high-protein recipe made with red lentils (masoor dal), onion, tomatoes and few spices. It is an easy, comforting, quick one pot curry that can be enjoyed in lunch or dinner with rice, roti or naan.

This red lentil dahl or masoor dal is tasty, satisfying and filling. At home, we mostly like to have it with plain steamed rice and salad. To make it more fibre rich and nutritious, you can even add vegetables to it like carrots, spinach or kale.

It can be cooked in pressure cooker, instant pot or even in a pan on stovetop as it takes very less time to cook. The red lentil curry recipe shared here is:

Vegan / Vegetarian
Gluten free & High Protein
Easy & quick one pot recipe
Perfect for lunch or dinner

Red Lentil Curry Ingredients:

Red Lentils: This nutrient dense lentil is also known by other names like masoor dal, pink lentils or orange lentils and is basically peeled split brown lentil (sabut masoor). It looks similar to small yellow lentil (moong dal) but with difference in colour.

As in general ‘split lentils’ take lesser time to cook and hence can be used in variety of recipes like fritters, burger patty, wraps, soups or curries etc. It is a great source of plant based protein also as a 100 gms serving of cooked red lentils has approx 9 gms proteins and nutrients like iron, folate & copper etc

Onion & Tomatoes: Both these veggies form the base of curry sauce. I have used fresh tomatoes here but tomato puree, tomato paste or canned tomatoes can also be used.

Ginger Garlic: You can use ready made ginger garlic paste, only ginger paste or freshly grated ginger and minced garlic cloves.

Ghee / Oil: Traditionally in most Indian homes, dal is cooked in desi ghee which is clarified butter. However if your want to make it dairy free (vegan), please use any cooking oil of your choice like olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil.

Spices: At my home, this dal is made using simple spices like- jeera (cumin), red chilli powder, turmeric (haldi) and garam masala. If you wish you can add other spices too like heeng (asafoetida), coriander powder & kasuri methi etc.

Lemon and herbs: Lemon juice and coriander (or cilantro) are used to add freshness and zing to dal. Instead of lemon juice you can add amchoor (dry mango powder) also.

All these spices mentioned in the recipe are easily available in Indian grocery stores or online. If you are not able to find them, you can use store bought ‘curry powder’ (which is a blend of spices) to add flavour to dal.

The curry recipe I have shared here is made without coconut milk but you can add it if you wish. Apart from this, vegetables can also be incorporated in this dal recipe which I have explained in the end of post in notes section.

Serving Suggestion:

This curried red lentil dahl can be enjoyed with basmati rice, roti or naan. You can also accompany it with salad, papad or vegetable side dishes like aloo gobi or jeera aloo.

Lentils can be incorporated in so many everyday recipes like curries, soups, flatbread, pancakes, crepes or fritters. Sharing some ideas which you would definitely like:

Dal Paratha (Lentil flatbread)
Dal Palak (Spinach lentil curry)
Red Lentil Fritters (Masoor dal vada)
Moong Dal Cheela (Green lentil crepes)
Yellow Lentil Fritters (Moong Dal Pakoda)

Ingredients:

Red lentils / Masoor Dal- 1 cup
Oil / Ghee- 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera)- 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste- 2 tsp
Onion – 1 (medium)
Tomatoes- 2 (medium)
Tomato Puree- 2 tbsp
Green Chillies- 1 or 2 (to taste)
Red Chilli Powder / Paprika Powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder (Haldi)- 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1+ 1/2 tsp (to taste)
Lemon juice- 2 tsp
Water- For soaking & cooking
Coriander / Cilantro (chopped)- For garnishing
For tempering (optional)
- Oil / Ghee- 3 tsp
- Cumin seeds (jeera)-1/4 tsp
- Red Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Directions:

Step 1:
Wash and rinse the red lentils or masoor dal 2-3 times till you get clear water. Soak the dal in fresh water for 15-20 minutes. While the dal is soaking, let’s prepare the masala (or curry sauce).

Step 2:
In a blender jar, add roughly chopped onion and blend to make smooth puree. Add 1-2 tbsp water if required. Keep aside.

Step 3:
In a pressure cooker, heat oil or ghee. Add cumin seeds (jeera) and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 40-50 seconds till the seeds begin to crackle. Add blended onion and cook on medium-low flame till you can no longer smell raw onions.

Step 4:
In the same blender jar, blend tomatoes and green chillies to make smooth puree. Once the onions are cooked, add these blended tomatoes, tomato puree along with red chilli powder & turmeric to them. Cook this masala (or sauce) till it becomes thick and starts to release fat (image f below).

Step 5:
Drain the soaked masoor dal. Add it to the cooker along with 3 cups of water and salt. Mix gently. Cook for 2 whistles and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 6:
Let the pressure from the cooker release naturally. Open the lid. Sprinkle garam masala, lemon juice and mix once again. Taste and adjust salt if required.

(Note: If you like thinner consistency dal, add 1/2 cup of water more and mix gently. Bring it to boil once before serving)

Step 7:
This is an optional step. Here we prepare a tempering (Indian chilli oil) to drizzle over dal before serving. In a small pan heat oil and add cumin seeds to it. When seeds begin to sizzle, switch off the flame and add red chilli powder. Stir gently to mix chilli with hot oil. Wait for 10-15 seconds and then pour it immediately over dal.

Garnish with some more fresh coriander or cilantro before serving. Enjoy with steamed rice, roti, naan or bread of your choice.

Notes:

Can I make this dal on stovetop?

Yes, you can also make it in a pan on stovetop. Instead of pressure cooker, follow all the steps as it is, in a pan and in the last cover with lid. Let it simmer for 20-25 minutes.

How to store and reheat leftover dal?

You can store any leftover dahl in airtight container in fridge for 2-3 days. As lentils tend to absorb moisture, its consistency may become thick after sometime. Before reheating add a splash of water and either microwave or reheat in a pan on stovetop.

Can I add vegetables to this lentil curry?

Yes, vegetables can easily be included in this recipe. For example you can add some chopped carrots, broccoli in step 5 or add chopped spinach (or kale) in last step of cooking (& cook the dal for 2-3 minutes till it begins to wilt). Instead of water you can even use vegetable stock in cooking.

Can coconut milk be added?

Yes, If you like creamy saucy texture in dal, stir in roughly 1/2 cup coconut milk or coconut cream after opening the cooker lid or towards the end of cooking

Why is my dal taking longer to cook?

Sometimes if the dal is old (stored for too long), it might take longer to cook. If the texture seems raw, then close the lid again and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles more.

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