Welcome to yet another delicious recipe that can lead us all towards a healthy and wholesome lifestyle!
Today’s recipe blog is about a lesser-known lentil. You might be familiar with the lovely pinkish-orange split dal called masoor dal. Masoor dal is easy to cook and to digest. And a plethora of wonderful recipes exist on Healthy Indian that use split masoor.
Whole Masoor & Split Masoor
The whole masoor is even more delicious than its split counterpart. Rightfully, it is called Brown Lentils – for the obvious reason that it is brown in color. This also means that the whole (sabut) masoor dal takes a bit longer to cook. But the extra time is totally worth it.
Whole (Sabut) Masoor Dal
Whole (Sabaut) Masoor Dal | Brown Lentils
There are several reasons why I urge you to make this dish. For one, this recipe is super easy and comforting. For another, it is not very popular, so when you host a party or have your share of potluck, this is sure to be a delicious conversation piece. I’ve had friends that have eaten this dal and say that they could’ve sworn that I had added cream to it. Nope. No cream is needed to make this dal creamy. The whole masoor dal, when cooked and semi-mashed, turns itself into this deliciously creamy texture. It is that easy!
Of course, whole grains and whole lentils are way healthier than their ground or split counterparts. Why? The reason is that the body takes longer to digest foods that are whole vs. processed. In short, you are in a win-win situation with this dish. I urge you to give it a try.
The recipe by itself, is not very involved. Simple pantry ingredients are on the list. The only ‘extra’ work is the task of soaking the whole lentils in water for a few hours. Soaking allows grains to release lectins (a chemical that plants use to protect themselves), thereby increasing digestibility. Dry fenugreek leaves add a wonderful touch at the very end.
box] Why is this Healthy?
Whole lentils are a wonderful source of plant protein. They contain adequate amounts of fiber, which helps with gut issues and digestion. They are filling, and since they are complex carbohydrates, the body digests it slowly without spiking insulin levels. You can get good amounts of potassium, folate and polyphenols from eating lentils. [/box]
Lentil-Based Recipes
If you love lentils, check out a few of dal-based dishes
- Mamidikaya Pappu – Mango Dal
- Garlicky spinach & Lentil Soup
- Bisi Bele Bath
- Urad Dal Soup | Split Black Gram Lentil Recipe
- Hearty Sarson Panchratna Dal
- Carrot-Cucumber Kosumbari
- Sprouted Moong-Cucumber Kosumbari Salad
- Pudina (Mint) Dal Recipe
- Green Beans Matwadi Palya (Curry)
- Rainbow Chard Red Lentil Stew
- Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) Dal
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Whole (Sabut) Masoor Dal | Brown Lentils
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Brown Lentils - Whole (Sabut) Masoor Dal
- 1/2 Cup Tomato - 2" cubes
- 1 Teaspoon Ghee - Or any high heat oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic - Diced
- 1/2 Cup Onion - Fine cut
- 1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt - Or to taste
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3/4 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - Kashmiri or Byadige are milder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dry Mango (Amchur) Powder
- 3/4 Teaspoon Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)
Instructions
- Wash and soak whole masoor for about 4-6 hours. When ready to cook, rinse again and add 2 cups of filtered water.
- Add chopped tomatoes to the raw dal. Using the pot-in-pot method, cook the dal/tomatoes on high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow nature release of pressure.
- Using a potato masher, roughly mash the cooked dal-tomato mix.
- Heat oil or ghee in a thick bottom pan. Splutter cumin seeds. Add chopped garlic and sauté until they turn light brown.
- Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Add salt, turmeric powder, black pepper.
- Add cooked dal, Kashmiri chili powder, and amchur (dry mango powder). Keep the dal thick if you want to eat it with a carb like rice or roti. If you want to enjoy it as a soup, add some water. Mix everything well, and let it come to a slow boil.
- Turn off the stove, add kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), mix well. Cover the lid and let the dal sit for a couple of minutes.
