🇮🇳 Indian Vegetarian

Bengali Musur Dal

Name: Bengali Musur Dal
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 39 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste; 1/2 tsp Garam Masala; to taste Salt; 1, finely chopped Onion; 2, chopped Tomato; 2 Green Chili; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds; 2 tbsp Ghee; 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder; 1 tsp Mustard Oil; 1 cup, rinsed Red Lentils; 1 tsp Nigella Seeds (Kalonji)

🇮🇳 Indian

Red dal with kalonji tempering and raw mustard oil, Bengali lunch in twenty minutes. Humble dal, done properly, beats most fancy curries. Serve with steamed rice and a spoon of ghee.

Prep 15 min Cook 24 min Serves 3 Easy

Ingredients

Ginger Garlic Paste1 tbsp
Garam Masala1/2 tsp
Saltto taste
Onion1, finely chopped
Tomato2, chopped
Green Chili2
Cumin Seeds1 tsp
Ghee2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder1/2 tsp
Mustard Oil1 tsp
Red Lentils1 cup, rinsed
Nigella Seeds (Kalonji)1 tsp

Optional extras

Fresh Cilantro2 tbsp, chopped

Instructions

1
Wash the red lentils, soak 30 minutes if you have time, then boil with turmeric and a drop of oil till it turns creamy.
2
Beat the dal with a wire whisk until silky, adding hot water to a pouring consistency.
3
Warm the ghee, drop in cumin and mustard seeds if using, and let them pop before the onions go in.
4
Add the nigella seeds (kalonji) to the pan and cook till jammy, then tip everything into the dal and simmer ten minutes so the flavours marry.
5
Taste for salt and sourness; a squeeze of lemon at the end makes the dal taste of itself, only louder.

Chef's tip

Don't crowd the pan; steam is the enemy of the browning that builds flavour.

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Watch how it's made

Video: Bengali Masoor Dal | Bengali Dal Recipe · on YouTube