India is a country that is blessed with a variety of foods, owing to the different cultures. Dal is one of the most famous ingredients used in Indian cuisine. From the bright yellow chana dal to the tasty moong dal. Along with taste, they are loaded with health benefits such as low calories, rich in iron, and a great source of protein. They can be easily cooked within 20-30 minutes. Here are 10 tasty dal recipes you can make and enjoy a delicious meal with your loved ones.
10 Best Indian Lentil Dals
1. Dal Tadka
Dal tadka is a popular dal dish made with arhar dal or masoor dal and tempered in oil with spices and herbs. Punjabi dal tadka is made from two different kinds of dal, chana dal and toovar dal which are first pressured cooked with water, salt, turmeric, ginger, and free chilies. Then the vegetables are cooked in oil with the dal and then the ghee tempered with spices is added to this style dal tadka. This creamy, rich, and smooth dal tadka is tempered with Punjabi spices and ghee. Served dal tadka with jeera rice or cooked rice.
2. Dal Fry
Dal fry is a simple Indian dish generally made using arhar dal. You can also add other lentils to this dish like masoor dal or moong dal. Dal fry is made by adding boiled and softened lentils to a seasoning of onions, tomatoes and spices which have been fried in oil. Dal fry is usually served hot and tastes great with some lemon and coriander leaves sprinkled on top and a crispy papad on the side. It’s packed with flavor, really easy to make and tastes so good with rice.
3. Moong Dal
Moong dal is almost one of the most commonly used lentils in India. Also known as yellow moong lentils, these are usually cooked with onions, tomatoes, herbs, and spices to make a side dish. This simple moong dal recipe will give you a delicious, healthy, and protein-packed side. Moong dal is highly nutritious and easy to digest. This moong dal is extremely good with some steamed basmati rice accompanied by a side vegetable dish or raita.
4. Channa Dal
Channa dal is undoubtedly one of the most delicious pulses and makes for a perfect dish for every occasion. This simple recipe can be prepared in a few minutes. All you need is some chana dal, ginger garlic paste, garam masala, onions, tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and green chilies. To make this dal more tender you need to soak dal for some time. Serve it with plain basmati rice or jeera rice.
5. Masoor Dal
Masoor dal is a popular lentil based dish from North Indian cuisine. Masoor dal is a quick-cook protein-rich lentil known as red lentil. Masoor dal comes in two varieties. One is the skinned and the other variety is whole lentil. Masoor dal is basically made with onions, tomatoes, and green chilies. Masoor dal is tempered with spices like chilli powder, and gar masala to cook dal. You can garnish with half of the tempering, and sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice. Serve moong dal with rice, pickle, and veggie salad.
6. Toovar Dal
Toovar dal is also known as arhar dal or yellow dal. It is healthy and super easy to make. Once the dal is boiled, a tempering is added to it which brings out it’s flavors. In the tempering cloves and tej patta are also added. Tej patta has an aroma similar to that of cinnamon bark. Always make sure to use ghee for the tadka, as it tends a beautiful aroma along with the taste. This dal is not only easy to make, but it comes along with many health benefits as well. It can be served with roti, laccha paratha, jeera rice, or steamed rice.
7. Dal Makhni
Dal makhni is a creamy, rich, easy to make and flavourful lentil dish made using whole black lentil and mild spices. It is a Punjabi recipe which is very delicious and flavourful and is loaded with clarified butter or ghee. The dal is soaked overnight and then cooked till it is very soft and tender. Slow cooking enhances all the flavours and makes the dal super delicious and creamy. The main flavour of dal is come from using onions, ginger, garlic, tomato puree and butter or ghee. That’s all you need to make a good dal makhni
8. Methi Palak Dal
A delicious methi palak dal recipe with a blend of toovar dal along with chopped palak or spinach leaves. They are cooked on slow fire, often simmered for hours till they turn creamy, and then flavored with spices and rounded off with malai for that rich finish. It is commonly served with jeera rice, roti, and chapati for lunch and dinner. This recipe is a healthy menu choice for the intake of everyday protein and is also packed with vitamins and minerals.
9. Pancharatna Dal
Pancharatna dal is a Rajasthani cuisine recipe prepared with five dals-Moong, channa, masoor, urad, and arhar. Pancharatna dal is a beautiful combination of dals coming together to create a soul-satisfying meal filled with the essence of all the taste and nourishment that comes from this nutritious mix of ingredients. This delicious Rajasthani Pancharatna dal is a protein-packed dish as it contains the goodness and nutritive qualities of five different dals/ lentils. Pancharatna dal is rich in taste and can be prepared for parties and special occasions.
10. Dal Dhokli
It is a traditional dish of Gujarati cuisine generally prepared with dals and wheat flour as base ingredients. It has soft textured dhokli submerged in semi-thick dal and has a mild sweet and spicy taste. To make dal dhokli, you have to prepare dhoklis for dal by combining whole wheat flour, besan, chili powder, turmeric powder, and oil and mold into a semi-stiff dough. Just before serving boil the dal, once it starts boiling, add the dhoklis, coriander, and ghee. You can even fry some peanuts and garnish dal dhokli with it before serving.
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