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Masoor Dal

Name: Masoor Dal
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Bangladesh
Ingredients: 150g Red lentils; 1/2 tsp Turmeric; 1/2 Onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds; 2 Red Chili Pepper; 1 Green Chili Pepper; 1 tsp Salt; 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil; To taste Cilantro

Soup

⏱ 35 min

👥 Serves 4

Difficulty ⭐

Red lentils simmered soft with turmeric and finished with oil infused with cumin and garlic — Bengali lentil soup.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Dal is the lentil soup that appears on the Bangladeshi table almost daily, poured over rice. Red lentils (masoor) are the most common because they break down easily and cook quickly. The key is to pour tarka — cumin, onion, and garlic fried in hot oil — sizzling over the cooked lentils to perfume them.

🌆 Where it's eaten: In the kitchen at dusk, a mother pours hot oil over a pot of cooked lentils, and the sizzle and aroma of garlic fill the house.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 4)

Red lentils 150g
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Onion 1/2
Garlic 3 cloves
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Red Chili Pepper 2
Green Chili Pepper 1
Salt 1 tsp
Vegetable Oil 2 tbsp
Cilantro To taste

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Rinse the red lentils and bring to a boil with 700ml water, the turmeric, and green chili.
Simmer 20 minutes, skimming, until the lentils break down, and season with salt.
Whisk lightly until smooth.
Heat oil in another pan and add the cumin seeds and dried red chili.
When fragrant, add the sliced onion and garlic and fry until golden.
Pour the hot oil over the dal and scatter with cilantro.

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