Mash Ki Daal (Urad Dal)

A white bowl on a yellow napkin, filled with cooked yellow mash ki daal tempered with onions, cumin and red chili peppers and garnished with ginger, green chilies and cilantro.

5 from 3 votes

Mash Ki Daal (Urad Dal) is a dry curry prepared with split and skinned black lentils boiled with spices and then tempered for added flavor.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Diet: Halal, Hindu, Kosher, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: daal, Dahl, lentils, Mash ki daal, Split Urad Dal, Urad Dal, White Urad Dal

Servings: servings

Calories: 279kcal

Author: Nosheen Babar

Ingredients

1 ½ cups split and washed Urad/Maash daal (see notes)
1 cup water (see notes)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric
¼ cup oil (see notes)
½ onion
1 tsp whole cumin
4 red button chilies (optional)
2 tbsp slivered ginger
1 chopped green chilli
1 lemon
¼ cup cilantro

Instructions

Wash the lentils and soak them in 3 cups of water for 1 hour (see notes)
Rinse and strain them after the hour is over and add them to your cooking pot with 1 cup water, salt, red chili powder, and turmeric powder.
Cook on full heat till the water evaporates and only two tablespoons remain. (see notes)
Fry the onion, cumin seeds, and button chilies in the ¼ cup oil till they're all well toasted, and then add this mixture (including the oil) to the lentils. (see notes)
Garnish with julienned ginger, chopped green chilies, and cilantro. (see notes)
Quarter the lemon and serve with the daal.

Notes

The lentils - The daal we use in this recipe is known as Mash ki daal in Pakistan but is sold as Urad dal here in the USA. It can be sourced at South Asian stores or on Amazon. Make sure to buy the split and skinned cream-colored Urad Dal for this recipe, and not the whole black variety.

The water - Soaking the lentils helps soften them enough to cook quickly on high heat with just a little water. If the water dries up and you feel the lentils need to cook more, reduce the flame to the lowest setting and add no more than two tablespoons of water until the desired consistency is achieved. Remember that the remaining 15% of cooking is done via steam at the end, just like basmati rice. Cover with foil and the lid of the pot, and steam for 3-5 minutes to finish cooking the lentils. Uncover, fluff with a fork to separate the grains, and then temper.

The oil - I use avocado oil, but for special occasions, Ghee gives the daal a nice nutty taste. Adding a small dab of butter at the end also gives a delicious finish.

The tempering - When tempering, heat the oil before adding the onion. This will help brown and crisp them better. If the oil is not heated enough, the onions will become soggy. Add the cumin in the last 1-2 minutes once the onions are almost done. Adding them too early will burn them. Whole dried red chilies also work well for the tempering and make a pretty presentation. I often add them, so feel free to experiment.

The garnishing - A sprinkle of garam masala, amchur powder, chaat masala, and dried fenugreek or fresh fenugreek microgreens are all nice additions or variations as a garnish for the daal.

Nutrition