If you enjoy simple homemade meals, you must try this Bengali Masoor Dal Recipe. This dal is a staple in our household, and we never get tired of it. The dish is also known as Mushurir Dal or Peyaj die Musurir Dal.
This simple lal masoor dal recipe is the comfort food for Bengalis and we love to pair it with plain rice and Indian style mashed potatoes (aloo chokha).
Each Bengali family has their own method of cooking this dal, therefore if you're looking for an authentic Bengali masoor dal recipe, you'll find a lot of variants, and each one is authentic according to their family custom.
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This Bengali Masoor Dal Recipe is
- Easy-to-prepare
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Protein Packed
- Prepared in under 30-minutes (except soaking time)
- Required only few ingredients
This mildly spiced dal is ideal for hot summer days and can be served with plain rice and a variety of bhaja (fries) or torkaris (curries).
I must admit that this simple recipe is excellent for bachelors, beginners, and even experienced cooks on a lazy day.
Ingredients
Red Lentil: Red lentil aka Masoor Dal is the primary ingredient of this recipe.
Onion: I love to add onion to our masoor dal recipe because caramelized onions give a nice flavor to the dal.
Whole Spices: Bay Leaf, Dry Red Chilli, Cumin Seeds.
Oil: I always use mustard oil for all my Bengali recipes.
Others: Green Chilli, Turmeric Powder, Salt.
Instructions
Learn how to make simple Bengali masoor dal recipe by following the step-by-step instructions below.
Wash the dal thoroughly and soak it for 15-20 minutes. After that drain the water and add the dal turmeric powder and green chili in the pressure cooker. Add required water in the pressure cooker. Normally, I add 1½ cups of water for ½ cup of dal.
You can also boil dal in a vessel instead of a pressure cooker. However, it might increase the time of cooking.
Now close the lid of the pressure cooker and allow 2-3 whistles. After that switch off the gas and allow to release the pressure.
Next heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, cumin seeds and dry red chilli in the oil. Once they start crackling add sliced onions and fry till, they are slightly browned.
Add little bit of turmeric powder and combine well. Now add boiled dal into the fried onion and mix well. Add 1 cup of water and adjust the salt. Allow to boil the dal for few minutes and later turn off the heat. Now Bengali Masoor Dal is ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
We enjoy simple masoor dal with steamed rice, pickle and fries, curries, or alu chokha (known as alu bhate in Bengali). You can also serve it with homemade roti and sabji. You might also enjoy it as a soup during the winter or monsoon seasons.
Substitutions
I have used cumin seeds along with bay leaf and dry red chilli for tempering. You may also use Bengali five spice or panch phoron for tadka (tempering) instead of cumin seeds to make Panch Phoron Dal.
Make Ahead & Storage
Although this is a simple and quick recipe, you can make it even faster by prepping ahead of time. You can boil the dal and store it in the refrigerator after it has cooled.
Store the leftover dal in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Top tip
Always soak the lentils before cooking because it increases the mineral absorption rate of the body.
FAQ
Panch Phoron (also spelled Panch Phoran) is a traditional five-spice blend widely used in Bengali, Odia, and Assamese cuisines. The name literally means "five spices" in Bengali, where "panch" means five and "phoron" means tempering or seasoning.
Panch Phoron typically consists of five whole spices in equal proportions: Fenugreek seeds (Methi), Nigella seeds (Kalonji or Kalojeera), Cumin seeds (Jeera), Fennel seeds (Saunf or Mouri), Wild celery seeds (Radhuni). Often radhuni is replaced with black mustard seeds (kalo sorshe).
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Bengali Masoor Dal Recipe
Materials
- ½ cup Red Lentil
- 1 no Onion, medium sliced
- 2 no Dry Red Chilli
- 1 no Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon Mustard Oil
- 1 tablespoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 no Green Chilli
Instructions
- Soak the dal for 15-20 minutes after thoroughly washing it.
- Drain the water and then add the dal, turmeric powder and green chili to the pressure cooker.
- In the pressure cooker, add the required amount of water.
- Close the pressure cooker cover and wait for 2-3 whistles.
- After then, turn off the gas and let the pressure to release.
- Next heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf, cumin seeds and dry red chilli in the oil.
- When they begin to crackle, add the sliced onions and cook until they are slightly browned.
- Add little bit of turmeric powder and combine well.
- Mix in the boiling dal with the fried onion.
- Adjust the salt and add 1 cup of water.
- Allow the dal to boil for a few minutes before turning off the heat.
- Bengali Masoor Dal is now ready to be served.
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