Brown lentils, also known as Indian brown lentils or Masoor Dal, are small pulses with a flat, round shape. Here is my Masoor Dal (brown lentil curry) recipe.
Brown lentils have a mild slightly nutty taste and a great texture when cooked. They are commonly used in various cuisines around the world including Indian. They are also cheap to buy and high in protein.
Making curries is really easy. Many restaurants do not serve authentic curries, making them calorific and giving you a dodgy stomach the next day.
Here are some of my family secrets to making a good curry.
What makes a good Indian curry
Here are the secrets to making a good curry. Indian curries cooked at home are healthy and pretty simple to make. Be patient and experiment with flavours and temperatures and you will notice a difference in the cooking.
In a nutshell for an Indian curry, start by heating the oil/ghee in a pan. To this add the dry whole spices (which should sizzle and pop straight away). Follow this with chopped or thinly sliced onions. After they cook add in the ginger garlic paste and fresh green chillies paste. Stir and let this cook for 30 seconds. Next go in the ground spices like turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala. Give the mixture a stir and cook for 30 seconds to release the aromas. The final item for the base of the curry is tomatoes. Add these in and cook the mixture on low heat until it darkens in colour and the oil separates from the tomato base.
- Onions: What can take long is cooking onions because most of the times cooking them on a medium low heat and stirring occasionally makes the best curries. You want them translucent and soft. This is why our houses smell (the long onion making process). My mum batch cooks onions and this is a great idea especially if you cook Indian curries often. It makes the process quicker. Cooking onions on high heat will only brown them and burn them.
- Tomatoes: Tomato passata or good quality finely chopped tomatoes like Mutti ones make a difference in the curry. You can equally use fresh tomatoes but they need to have flavour. Cooking these on low heat until you see the oil separating from the mix and the colour deepening is key to that curry with depth of flavour. Currys should not taste of tomatoes. Yes there is that layer but when cooked properly it should blend in with all the spices
- Oil: Another key element that takes the curry to the next level is the temperature of the oil before spices are added. The spices need to sizzle straight away for that burst of aroma. Leaving it to cook on low heat does not give the same flavour.
- Garlic: You need to cook it for a very short period (like 30 seconds) so the oil gets infused with the flavour. If the garlic starts to turn brown it is on the verge of getting burnt and will give your curry a burnt taste
- Spices: The base of any curry is the spices. There are several and cooking them initially will always deepen and elevate the flavours in your dish. On very rare occasions you add the spices later like in this Aubergine and Potato Curry. Having a Masala Dabba with all the spices is a great way to use the spices and elevate your curry flavours. See below details on the Masala Dabba.
Even in my 40’s I can get the temperatures wrong but I am almost there. It comes with practice.
Another big factor is the pan you use. A heavy based pan always helped regulate the heat. Some pans have a thin base which makes the temperatures fluctuate a lot. When making curries that involve slow cooking of onions and spices I like to use the Le Creuset Cast Iron Casserole pans. Once hot the pan stays at the correct temperature and the heat is well regulated.
Masala Dabba (Indian Spice Tin)
Did you know many traditional Indian recipes are vegan. They consist of basic ingredient that majority of South Asian homes would have.
The main spices most Indian Kitchens have are stored in the masala dhaba also known as an Indian spice tin. It is generally a round tin, with a lid, with little bowls in it containing turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, dhana jiru and salt. The spices varies in each household. My mum has two, one containing the dry spices like whole cumin, cloves, cardamom, whole black pepper and more.
Masala Dabba are in almost every Indian kitchen. The tins are normally metal to avoid stains. They are convenient as the spices are within reach.
Masala Dabbas are not big, so the spice quantities are not that large. This ensures the spices keep fresh. Indian households generally buy spices in bulk and the spice tins enable them to put a small quantity of those spices in there and store the rest in airtight containers.
If you work with several different spices in your kitchen, you can use jars instead and label them.
I also love how pretty and colourful the masala dabbas look with all the spices in. Here are some fancy ones you can buy from Spice Kitchen.
Here are some classic spice tins you can get too.
Masoor Dal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry brown lentils
- 1 medium onion sliced (red or white)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp crushed ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 to 1 tsp crushed green chillies adjust according to spice preference
- 2 sticks curry leaves
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp Dhana Jiru ground coriander and cumin blend
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 400 g finely chopped tomato tin (the Mutti one is great)
- 400 ml coconut milk
- Chopped coriander for garnishing
- Oil for cooking
Instructions
Prepare Lentils:
- Rinse the lentils with room temperature water, then soak them for 15 minutes in warm water.
Prepare Onion Mixture:
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle but not burn.
- Add sliced onions and cook until translucent on low heat.
- Stir in curry leaves, crushed ginger-garlic paste, and crushed green chillies. Cook for about 1 minute on low heat.
Make Tomato Base:
- To the onion mixture, add turmeric, red chilli powder, Dhana Jiru, garam masala, and salt. Mix well.
- Add the tomatoes and let the mixture cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and deepens in colour.
Cook Lentils:
- Drain the soaked lentils and add them to the tomato base. Mix well and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
Add Coconut Milk:
- Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine.
- Let the curry simmer for at least 45 minutes, or until the lentils are fully cooked and the flavours are well combined.
Serve:
- Garnish with chopped coriander before serving.
- Enjoy the brown lentil curry with rice, yoghurt, and pickled onions for a complete meal.
Notes
How to make Lentil Shakshuka
This brown lentil curry recipe is tasty with rice however you can elevate it further by adding in boiled eggs and enjoying it with naan. It works like a lentil shakshuka and combined with the yoghurt has beautiful textures and flavours. Runny boiled eggs taste the best. Boil your eggs for about 7-8 minutes then place them in an ice bath so they do not continue cooking. Peel and once your masoor dal is ready, cut the eggs in half and quickly place them on your dal. Garnish with coriander, yoghurt and chilli flakes.
Enjoy authentic Gujrati curries like this Masoor Dal one? Here is another easy vegetarian one that is high in protein. My edamame bean curry. A traditional indian curry that is so easy to make yet so nutritious and tasty.
