Black Dal
- 15m Prep Time
- 45m Cook Time
- 1h 0mReady In
A rich and creamy black lentil dal simmered with tomatoes and aromatic spices. This nutritious dish is a comforting Indian classic, perfect served with rice or naan.
Ingredients
- 250 g whole black urad dal
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1.23 ml ground turmeric
- 2.46 ml salt
- 1.25 L water
- 29.6 ml vegetable oil
- 4.93 ml cumin seeds
- 2 brown onions finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 5 fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
- fresh coriander leaves and stalks finely chopped
- 1.23 ml ground turmeric
- 1.23 ml chilli powder
- 29.6 ml garam masala
- 2.46 ml salt
- 4.93 ml sugar
- 0.5 lemon juice of
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 13 of 17 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 282 mg
- Iron: 3.82 mg
- Magnesium: 51.3 mg
- Phosphorus: 232 mg
- Potassium: 736 mg
- Zinc: 1.81 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 250 g whole black urad dal
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1.23 ml ground turmeric
- 2.46 ml salt
- 1.25 L water
- 29.6 ml vegetable oil
- 4.93 ml cumin seeds
- 1.23 ml ground turmeric
- 1.23 ml chilli powder
- 29.6 ml garam masala
- 2.46 ml salt
- 4.93 ml sugar
Prepare
- 2 brown onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 5 fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- fresh coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
- 0.5 lemon, juice of
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Pressure cook the whole black urad dal with the canned chopped tomatoes, ¼ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp salt, and 1.25 liters of water until tender, following your pressure cooker's instructions. If using a regular saucepan, combine the same ingredients and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the lentils are soft and cooked through.
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Step 2.
While the lentils cook, prepare the temper: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds until fragrant. Then add the finely chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and the finely chopped coriander stalks (reserve the leaves for garnish). Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and translucent.
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Step 3.
Add ¼ tsp ground turmeric, ¼ tsp chili powder, 2 tbsp garam masala, ½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar to the pan. Cook for another minute, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant.
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Step 4.
Once the lentils are tender, pour the temper mixture into the lentil pan. Add the juice of ½ lemon and stir well to combine everything.
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Step 5.
Serve the dal garnished with the reserved chopped coriander leaves.