This simple dal fry stars Indian spiced purple and yellow lentils topped with savory tempering(spiced oil). It’s tremendous easy and so satisfying!

That is my husbands favourite weekend combined lentil dal fry. After experiments within the kitchen through the week, I typically need to keep out of the kitchen on the weekend. So it’s both eat out or he cooks.
He normally will choose up purple lentils (masoor dal) and petite yellow lentils (mung dal/cut up inexperienced gram) and make a model of this dal. He’s additionally very beneficiant with the aromatics, spices and flavors, chopping up the whole onion, a bunch of garlic and ginger, and add the spices generously. The ensuing dal all the time comes out fabulously scrumptious.
The bigger quantity of the sauce provides quantity and tons of taste, which work rather well served up with a veggie aspect of aloo gobi, Indian pickle, papadum, rotis and rice.

Yellow lentils (mung dal) take longer to prepare dinner, so the purple lentils will break down within the dal fry. This porridge-like consistency is the popular consistency in terms of Indian dals. If you happen to like them much less mushy, prepare dinner much less time till al dente, after which add the tempering.
For Hindi and English names of a number of the generally used lentils and beans in Indian delicacies, see this submit with lentil photos! Or in fact get my cookbook.
There a number of methods to make dals. Dal fry and dal tadka are 2 of them. Every one makes use of a barely totally different technique of creating the dal and provides the completed dish a distinct taste profile.
In a dal fry, you prepare dinner the lentils first after which add to the spiced oil, making the method form of like frying the dal within the tadka(spiced oil). For dal tadka, the dal cooks with the quantity components — like onion, tomato and many others, — and also you add a tadka/tempering of oil and spices on the finish.

Why You’ll Love Dal Fry
- cozy 1-pan dinner
- full of protein and fiber from the combination of lentils
- wonderful umami taste from the tadka
- naturally
For the Tempering
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- a beneficiant pinch of asafetida (hing), elective , omit for those who do not need gluten-free asafetida to make gluten-free
- 1 sizzling inexperienced chili equivalent to Serrano, Indian or Thai, , finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped purple or white onion
- 5 or extra cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1″ ginger, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon floor coriander, or garam masala or each
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon or extra cayenne/purple chili powder, elective
- 1 massive tomato, chopped small
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon or extra salt
- 1/3 cup packed chopped cilantro, divided
Forestall your display from going darkish
In the meantime make the tempering(spiced oil)
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Warmth oil in a skillet over medium warmth. when the oil is sizzling, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Allow them to begin to sizzle and pop. The cumin seeds ought to darken in colour and get aromatic, mustard seeds will lighten and begin to sizzle and pop. Add asafetida, inexperienced chili, onion, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt. Prepare dinner till the onions flip translucent, about 5 -7 minutes. Stir often. Add splashes of water in between to prepare dinner evenly.
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Add coriander/ garam masala , turmeric, and cayenne and blend effectively. Add tomatoes, lemon juice and a splash of water and blend. Prepare dinner till the tomatoes are saucy. Mash the bigger items. About 6 minutes.
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Add the cooked lentils to the skillet. Add salt and half of the chopped cilantro, and proceed to simmer the soup for 3 to 4 minutes, or till effervescent. Style and alter salt and spice. Add a touch of lemon juice if wanted.
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Garnish with cilantro and serve sizzling with rice or flatbread with a aspect of roasted veggies or Indian spiced vegetable aspect.
On the spot Pot: Prepare dinner the lentils in an On the spot Pot with 1.5 to 2 cups water for 3 minutes at excessive stress with a 5 minute fast launch. Add the tempering from the skillet and simmer on sauté mode for two minutes. Garnish and serve.
This recipe is of course soy-free and nut-free. Omit the asafetida for gluten-free.
Energy: 196kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 10g, Fats: 3g, Sodium: 655mg, Potassium: 386mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 525IU, Vitamin C: 16.7mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 3.5mg
Vitamin info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

Substances and Substitutions
- lentils – This dal fry makes use of a mixture of purple and petite yellow lentils.
- oil – To sauté.
- complete spices – Cumin seeds and black mustard seeds are your first taste layer within the tempering.
- asafetida – Provides a delightful bitter taste. Omit for gluten-free or for those who don’t have any.
- aromatics – The majority of the tempering and the subsequent taste layer comes from onion, sizzling inexperienced chili, garlic, and ginger.
- floor spices – coriander or garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne or purple chili powder add the subsequent layer of taste.
- tomato – Provides colour, moisture, and umami.
- lemon juice – For tang.
- cilantro – To season the tempering and to garnish the dal fry simply earlier than serving.
💡 Ideas
- For a much less porridge-y consequence, you should use only one kind of lentil and prepare dinner much less time, till simply al dente.
- Don’t skip washing the lentils! They will comprise a little bit of particles.
Make Dal Fry
Wash the purple and yellow lentils, drain. Mix in a saucepan with water over medium warmth. Prepare dinner for 18 to twenty minutes or till yellow lentils are tender. Scale back warmth to low and simmer.
Or, prepare dinner the lentils in an On the spot Pot with 1.5 to 2 cups water for 3 minutes at excessive stress with a 5 minute fast launch. Add the tempering from the skillet and simmer on sauté mode for two minutes. Garnish and serve.
Warmth oil in a skillet over medium warmth. when the oil is sizzling, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Allow them to begin to sizzle and pop. The cumin seeds ought to change colour and get aromatic.
Add asafetida, chili, onion, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt. Prepare dinner till the onions flip translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir often. Add splashes of water to assist prepare dinner them evenly
Add coriander, turmeric, and cayenne and blend effectively.
Add tomatoes, lemon juice and a tablespoon of water and blend. Prepare dinner till the tomatoes are saucy. Mash the bigger items. About 6 minutes.
Add the cooked lentils to the skillet. Add salt and half of the chopped cilantro, and proceed to simmer the soup for 3 to 4 minutes, or till effervescent. Style and alter salt and spice. Add a touch of lemon juice if wanted.
Garnish with cilantro and serve sizzling with rice or flatbread with a aspect of roasted veggies or Indian spiced vegetable aspect.

What to Serve with Dal Fry
Serve your dal fry with rice or flatbread with a aspect of roasted veggies or Indian spiced vegetable aspect, equivalent to garlic potato spinach fry, malabar eggplant, cauliflower pepper fry, or saag aloo.

Ceaselessly Requested Questions
This recipe is of course soy-free and nut-free. Omit the asafetida for gluten-free.
In a dal fry, you prepare dinner the lentils first after which make the tadka or fry tadka and add cooked lentils. For dal tadka, the dal cooks with the quantity components — like onion, tomato and many others, — and also you add a tadka/tempering of simply oil and spices on the finish.