Dal or Lentils can be cooked in various ways. The simplest, yet mildly spicy recipe I go to, is this one passed down to me from my aunt. This recipe was quick to cook in a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot and the flavors married beautifully! Try this recipe for your next meal or add it as a side if you are cooking up a feast. Parippu curry or Dal in a curry is healthy, filling, and a delicious accompaniment to rice, rotis, or as a quick soup!
Ingredients:
2 cups of red split lentils (Masoor Dal)
4 cups of water or more as needed during cook time
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp Hing or Asafetida powder (optional)
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 tsp cilantro, chopped
1 green chili, sliced (optional)
¼ to ½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder (I used Kashmiri red chili powder)
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 ½ tsp salt or to taste
Recipe:
1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, add the red lentils, water, tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Keep the heat on medium-high and cook the lentils, covered for approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and check lentils for tenderness. Lower heat as needed to cook lentils through completely. Add more water to prevent lentils from sticking to bottom of the pot and allow even cooking. Lentils will absorb water, so check and adjust accordingly. Once the lentils are cooked, set it aside.
2. In a separate saucepan, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated through, add the mustard seeds, and cover the saucepan as the mustard seeds start to pop. After the mustard seeds finish popping, add cumin seeds. Cumin seeds will crackle in the hot oil.
3. Add onions and green chili and continue to sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the Hing and mix to incorporate. Sauté the onion mixture further until it has become a deeper color and not burnt. Add more olive oil if needed to prevent the mixture from burning. As the onion mixture caramelizes, move onto the next, optional step.
4. Optional step: Use and immersion blender to grind the lentil (Parippu or Dal) curry into the desired consistency.
5. If you are not adding the optional step to your cook time, then finish cooking the onion mixture and add it to the cooked lentils, along with cilantro and mix to incorporate.
6. After grinding the lentils, add the cooked onion mixture to the cooked lentils, along with cilantro and mix completely.
7. The lentil curry or Parippu curry is ready to be served with rice or rotis or eat this as a quick soup. This dish is packed with flavor, delicate spice profile, and full of protein. I hope you enjoy this healthy Dal/Parippu Curry!
Food for thought:
Cooked lentils will thicken as it cools down, so adding more water cannot hurt, but add enough to cook it thoroughly and evenly. The word dal in Hindi translates to lentils or parippu in Malayalam. I’ve used these words interchangeably in this recipe.
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