Gluten Free, Spicy and Creamy Masoor Dal Recipe

One of my favorite recipes is Masoor Dal with red lentils and lots of spices. Warm and spicy, for me it is a real comfort food. It makes me feel good right away served with Chapati bread!

Another strong point of this recipe is the nutritional value. Lentils are rich in vegetable proteins. They also contain many carbohydrates, lots of fiber, many vitamins (A, B1, B2, C), mineral salts such as calcium, potassium and iron and very little fat. I don't even begin to talk about spices such as chili pepper, turmeric and even garlic which have a lot of benefits.

Vegetarian cooking often has a reputation for being more expensive than traditional cooking, but once you have a selection of spices in your pantry, it is a very low-cost recipe. My advice. Go to a small ethnic food store instead of the supermarket. You will find a much larger selection of slightly more unusual ingredients and the costs are much lower. Plus, you will meet new people who may be able to give you some advice on recipes or cooking!

Masoor Dal is a healthy, tasty and vegetarian side dish. A protein-rich dish, gluten-free and lactose-free, Masoor Dal is creamy, perfect as comfort food! The term dal refers to various types of dried legumes such as beans, chickpeas or dried peas. In fact there are many variations of this dish, among which there is the one we propose today prepared with peeled red lentils. Masoor dal are small peeled red lentils that do not require soaking but can be cooked directly.

The main ingredients of this recipe are few, namely lentils and water. Optionally, you can use vegetable broth, coconut milk and tomato pulp. But what gives an incredible flavor and aroma to the dish are the many spices that you can use.

The preparation is quite simple. Pour the oil into the pan and add chopped onions, chopped garlic, grated ginger and all the spices. To make this recipe, use red lentils that do not require pre-soaking but have very quick cooking times. If you want to use other types of lentils, leave them to soak for at least an hour and boil them before adding them to all the other ingredients. As for the coconut oil, you can replace it with other types of oil with a neutral flavor such as sunflower seed oil. You can also use spices in the quantities and varieties you prefer depending on your personal taste. For example, if you can't find garam masala, you can use curry masala.

Cooking the lentils separately allows them to reach the perfect level of tenderness before the herbs are added. It also gives the tomatoes a chance to cook separately without inhibiting the cooking of the lentils! It also stops the onions from becoming too soft and from releasing their flavour and sweetness, giving extra texture and infusing the dal with their wonderful flavour.

Easy and quick to make because it is ready in less than 30 minutes. Red lentil dal is the perfect comfort food that becomes a complete one-dish meal accompanied by basmati rice or homemade dwarf bread, and if we want to add even more creaminess we can garnish it with cream, yogurt or other unsweetened vegetable yogurt. Try it for lunch or dinner every day, but it is also ideal for a last-minute occasion with guests to enjoy a dish with a unique flavor and an inebriating aroma!

Now enough talking, let's finally start cooking!

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

• 250 g red lentils
• 2 medium sized golden onions
• 3 large tomatoes
• 250 ml coconut milk
• 400 ml vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp Garam Masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Mix all the powdered spices, garlic and tamarind paste.
2. Peel the onions and cut into small pieces.
3. Cut the tomatoes into cubes.
4. Prepare and have the coconut milk and broth ready.
5. Fry the onions in a large pot with a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
6. Add the spice mix and fry everything together for a minute, stirring.
7. Add the lentils and sauté for another two minutes, stirring continuously.
8. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly.
9. Add the broth and cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly.
10. Add the coconut milk and cook on low for about half an hour, stirring regularly. For traditional dal, the lentils must be cooked very well, but you can also choose to leave them more "al dente".
11. Serve with basmati rice or chapati.