Indian Daal (Lentil soup)

Updated: Sep 12, 2020

This recipe is the ultimate comfort food. A bowl of piping hot daal with rice is an instant smile inducer. This recipe is ready in 30 minutes. Daal goes really well with rice or Naan and makes a great appetizer when served as a soup. The ingredients can be easily found in any Indian grocery store (or online). Lentils (specifically pigeon peas) are a great source of protein, fiber, folic acid, and micronutrients like calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Daal is filling and nutritious. The aromatics and spices added to it make it a very tasty and comforting meal.

Serves 2, Prep time: 5 minutes, cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup Split pigeon peas (Toor daal)*

3-4 cups of water

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 medium tomato, finely chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp minced ginger

1/2 Serrano pepper, sliced (or any other pepper of choice)

1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (hing)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 - 1 tsp turmeric powder (depending on how golden yellow you like your daal to look)

1 tbsp canola oil (or olive oil; can also use ghee or butter)

salt

cilantro leaves, lime wedges and slices red onions for garnish (all optional)

1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or 1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)

Directions:

1. In a pressure cooker, add 1 cup daal and 2 cups water and cook for 15 minutes. Make sure your pressure cooker has enough head space above the liquid level because toor daal tends to bubble up a lot when cooked. This step can also be done in an open pot by adding the daal and water and allowing them to boil for 40-45 minutes. The desired consistency of the daal after it has boiled is soft and mushy.

2. Let the pressure cooker release its pressure naturally.

3. In the meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the oil (or butter/ghee) and once warm, add the asafoetida and mustard seeds. After mustard seeds crackle, add cumin seeds and stir for 1 minute. Then add onions, garlic, ginger and Serrano pepper and stir. Let onions cook for 3 to 4 minutes till golden brown.

4. Then add finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and 1 tsp salt. Cook for 1 minute and then add the boiled daal. Stir well and add enough water to achieve desired consistency (If serving with rice or as a soup, add 1 cup water. If serving with naan, add 1/3 cup water). Taste the daal and add more salt if needed. If you want to add more spice, you can add 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder at this point or 1/2 tsp garam masala. Let daal simmer for 10 minutes

5. Serve in bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves, lime wedges and slices onions.

* Same recipe can be made using Urad daal (split and de-husked black gram lentil) or 1:1 toor daal and urad daal