Easy Masoor Dal Tadka
A wholesome Indian recipe crafted for health-conscious eating: nutritious, delicious, and easy to make at home.
Split red masoor cooks fast into a silky dal. Turmeric, tomato and a cumin-garlic tadka make it weeknight comfort.
Masoor dal is the quickest dal in the kitchen. It does not need soaking and cooks soft in 15 minutes. A garlicky cumin tadka and a squeeze of lemon turn a plain pot into something you want to eat on a weekday.
Ingredients
How to Make It
Rinse and cook masoor with turmeric until soft; mash lightly.
Simmer with chopped tomato and salt.
Temper cumin, garlic and chilli; pour over. Finish with coriander and lemon.
Nutrition per serving
* Approximate values per serving
Health Benefits
Red lentils are quick-cooking plant protein. A light temper keeps this diabetic-friendly when oil stays measured.
Split red lentils break down on their own, so the dal comes out creamy without any cream. A good tadka does the flavouring, so you only need a teaspoon or two of ghee.
Pro Tips
- →Masoor softens fast — don’t overcook to paste unless you want it.
- →Rinse until water runs clearer.
- →Lemon brightens flavour.
- →Rinse the dal twice to remove the foam that forms while it cooks.
- →Mash it lightly with a whisk for a smoother texture.
- →Heat the ghee until the cumin sizzles, then add garlic and chilli.
A calorie note
Most of the calories in this dish come from a few ingredients. For reference, per 100 g: Ghee: about 876 kcal (about 40 kcal per teaspoon); Masoor dal (dry): about 352 kcal. Measure these with a spoon or scale, because small changes here move the total more than anything else. Values are rounded from USDA FoodData Central and the Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT 2017), as of 13 Oct 2026, and vary by variety and by table. General information, not medical advice.
Variations
- 1Add spinach.
- 2Use ghee for richer tadka.
- 3Add a few spinach leaves or a spoon of curd at the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
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