Masoor dal

red lentil

The weeknight dal — quick, soft, forgiving.

What it is

Masoor dal is the split red lentil — salmon-pink raw, turning soft and golden as it cooks, and the fastest of the dals, needing no soaking. It is the everyday, forgiving lentil of countless weeknight meals across the region.

Where it comes from

Grown and eaten across the subcontinent, masoor is the go-to for a quick daily dal. In the River Delta it takes a tempering of panch phoron; in the north, cumin and garlic.

What it's called

Masoor dal · red lentil · split masoor. The whole brown lentil is sabut masoor.

In the kitchen

Simmered with turmeric and salt until soft, then finished with a tempering bloomed in hot oil or ghee — the same lentil, a different dish depending on the tempering. Quick, cheap, nourishing daily food. In Bengal, panch phoron; in the north, cumin, garlic, chilli.

What we know about the claims

Lentils are an excellent source of plant protein and fibre — thoroughly wholesome staple food. No caution.

Choosing and buying

Everywhere; split red lentils cook in twenty minutes without soaking. The most beginner-friendly dal.