This Easy Moong Masoor Dal (Lentil Curry) is a staple in most Pakistani and Indian households. Healthy, delicious, and nutritious, this lentil curry is ready in 30 minutes. This Moong Masoor Dal is the perfect recipe to have on hand for a busy day.
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For most South Asians, lentils are the ultimate comfort food! There’s nothing more soothing than a bowl of dal (or daal) with some Basmati Rice and Kachumber! I also love eating this Moong Masoor Daal as a side with some easy oven-baked seekh kabab, aloo keema (ground beef & potato curry), or some Bhindi Masala as a main.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Healthy - This Moong Masoor Daal, referred to as “The Secret Superfood” by Tasteofhome.com, is easy to digest and low in fat, protein, and fiber.
- Easy - The Lentil Curry is one of the easiest Pakistani recipes to cook. It's the perfect weeknight dinner option with a 5-minute recipe prep and 30-minute cook time in an Instant Pot.
- Simple Ingredients - This Moong Masoor Dal's ingredients are easy to source at a local supermarket.
- Recipe Variations - There are so many ways to change the flavor of this Lentil Curry. Add some tomatoes or spinach, change the spices and tempering, or garnish with cilantro or micro greens.
- Suits many special diets - Not only is this Lentil Curry vegan and vegetarian, but when eaten with rice, it becomes a gluten-free meal.
- Budget-friendly - 1 pound of lentils costs only $4-$5 and serves about 14 people. That's approximately 30 cents per person for a delicious and healthy meal.
Ingredients
There are three main varieties of lentils; whole, split, and split & skinned. The Easy Moong Masoor Dal (Lentil Curry) is made with split and skinned yellow and red lentils, which are the quickest to cook.
Ingredients for the lentils
- Moong dal - The yellow moong dal is a split and skinned mung bean. The mung bean, also known as green gram, is green in its whole form.
- Masoor dal - The red masoor dal is split and skinned brown lentils.
- Spice powders - red chili powder, salt, and turmeric powder are all that I use in this moong masoor dal recipe. Some people add spices, such as garam masala and coriander powder, to their lentil recipes, but I find that this simple blend is more than sufficient for these mild-tasting lentils.
Ingredients for the tempering
- Cooking oil - I use avocado oil for all my recipes, but if that's not your jam, use canola, peanut, or sunflower oil for this recipe. The oil may seem like a lot when you pour it onto the Lentil Curry, but this is the only fat in the recipe, and when mixed in, it's completely invisible.
- Garlic cloves - Sliced garlic cloves are sauteed in some oil and added to the lentils with the flavored oil. Roasting the garlic like this makes it taste less pungent.
- Cumin seeds - The cumin seeds are also cooked in a little bit of oil to help bring out their earthy and warm flavor and added to the moong masoor dal along with the oil.
- Whole dry red chilies - Dry red chilies add a smoky flavor without making the Lentil Curry too spicy.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Use ghee for the tempering - When ghee is heated, it releases the most delicious nutty aroma, adding another layer of taste and aroma to the lentil curry.
- Change the tempering - Onions, black mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, and julienned ginger are all popular ingredients for tempering. Create different combinations every time to switch up the taste of your moong masoor dal.
- Use a mix of different lentils - Another popular variation to the moong masoor dal is mixed dal. Made of 5 different lentils; moong, masoor, chana, toor, and urad, it takes a little longer to cook and is dense compared to this recipe.
- Cook the lentils on a stove - Lentils are often cooked in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. However, you can cook them just as easily on a stovetop if you don't have either. Add 4 cups of water and 1 cup of lentils with all the dry spice powders to a cooking pot. Cook the mixture on high heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce it to medium heat. After 20 minutes, turn the flame up and uncover the dal. Stir it intermittently as the excess water dries to achieve a smooth consistency. Turn the stove off, prepare the tempering, add it to the Lentil Curry, and enjoy.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1 - I cook 1 cup of dal (½ cup yellow lentils and ½ cup red lentils) with 3 cups of water for the Instant Pot. Add the 1 ½ teaspoon of salt, red chili powder, and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and stir to mix. Set the IP at high pressure for 15 minutes, followed by a 5-minute release.
Step 2 - Once the moong masoor dal is ready, uncover the IP and use a wooden spoon to stir and blend the lentils to a smooth consistency.
Step 3 - Prepare the tempering, or tadka, by sauteeing the five garlic cloves, one teaspoon cumin seeds, and three whole dry red chilies in hot oil. Add everything, along with the seasoned oil, to the lentils.
Expert Tips
- Soak your lentils - this helps speed up the cooking process and is especially helpful when using the Stove Top method.
- Wash your lentils - If you decide not to soak your Moong Masoor Dal, rinse them until the water runs clear. This helps remove any unwanted residue.
- Use an immersion blender - To save some time when using the Stove Top method, instead of stirring and mashing the dal by hand. You can use an immersion blender at the end. One or two quick pulses are enough, as you want the lentils to have some texture.
- Adjust the consistency - Completely cook your dal and add a cup of warm water if it seems too thick. If the Dal seems too thin, cook uncovered on high heat to help evaporate the excess liquid.
- Adjust the spices - It's always better to err on the cautious side and add fewer spices initially. Once the water dries out, you will have a better idea of whether or not you need to add more.
- Add some garnish - Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top and squeeze some lemon juice into the lentil curry for added flavor.
Recipe FAQS
Moong dal has the highest fiber of all lentils and is the easiest to digest. Mixing it with the masoor dal creates a better texture and adds health benefits to the lentil curry.
Soaking the lentils helps improve digestion by reducing flatulence and also speeds up the cooking process. If these two things don't concern you, by all means, skip the soaking.
Many Walmart stores carry a good variety of lentils. If your location doesn't have red and yellow lentils, you can go to the closest South Asian grocery store, or if all else fails, order them from Amazon.
Other recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Easy Moong Masoor Dal (Lentil Curry)
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Ingredients
- ½ cup masoor dal (red lentils)
- ½ cup moong dal (yellow lentils)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- water (see notes)
Tadka/Tempering
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 5 garlic cloves
- 3 dry red chilies
- 10 curry leaves (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Wash the lentils well, rinsing until the water runs clear (see notes)
- Add the dal, turmeric, red chilies, salt and 3 cups of water to your instant pot.
- Seal the pot and set the timer on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Once the 15 minutes are up, wait 5 minutes before you release the steam and open the Instant Pot.
- If you feel the need to thicken the dal, turn the Instant Pot on saute mode and cook till you have the desired consistency.
- Once the dal is done to your liking, turn the Instant Pot off and cover loosely while you prepare your tempering.
Stove Top Method
- Soak the dal In water for 30 minutes (optional-see notes)
- Drain the water and add the lentils, turmeric, red chilies, salt and 4 cups of fresh water in a medium sized cooking pot and set the heat on high.
- Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove any scum that rises to the top.
- Cover and continue to cook on low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Uncover, turn the flame up and stir till the lentils are slightly blended and you have the desired consistency.
- Turn the stove off and cover while you prepare your tempering.
Tadka/Tempering
- Slice the garlic cloves into thin slices.
- Heat the ¼ cup cooking oil on high heat for about 1-2 minutes.
- First add the cumin seeds and let them cook for 30 seconds (see notes)
- Next add the garlic and cook till it is a light brown (see notes)
- At this point add the dry red chillies and saute for 10-15 seconds (see notes)
- Pour the entire mixture on your cooked dal, garnish with the cilantro and green chilies if desired and serve.
Notes
- Garlic - Add the garlic first, as it will take slightly longer than the cumin due to moisture that needs to evaporate. As soon as it's light brown, add in the next ingredient.
- Cumin - Don't roast the cumin for more than 30 seconds because it will continue to cook with the other ingredients, and any longer than 30 seconds can cause it to burn and taste bitter.
- Dry Red Chilies - Once you add the dry chilies, it barely takes a few seconds before they turn brown. Immediately turn the stove off at this point to prevent them from burning, and pour all the ingredients on the cooked lentils.
- Curry Leaves - If you're using these add them in last. They only need to cook for 10-15 seconds.
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