Mild and easy Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk

Masoor dal, also known as red lentils, is a soft lentil which does not require soaking before cooking. But you can soak it for an hour before cooking as it will be faster.It is nutritious with 26% protein content. It cooks quickly. In 20 minutes it will be cooked if covered, but must take care as the foam will overflow I do not cover.. When cooked this red lentil takes a golden color. Because of its pleasant flavor and ease of cooking, it is found a place in the cuisine of many cultures in all parts of the world. In India it is often cooked with rice to make filling one-dish meal.

Mild and easy  Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk

                                   Recipe summary 
                                               For 
 Mild and easy  Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk

Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

1.  In a medium sized pan add 200 grams Masoor dal, washed and drained, coarsely chopped 90 grams onion, 1 green chili sliced thin, 4 cloves garlic sliced thin, 10 curry cut finely, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 10 grams ginger chopped finely and 2 cups water.

 Dhal,onion,garlic,chili curry leaves

2. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. You can add more water if needed.

3.Once the dal is cooked, Add ½ tsp   cumin powder and ½ tsp pepper powder.

Masoor Dhal curry

Cook about 10 minutes.

Add ½ cup coconut milk and ½ tsp salt. Cook for three minutes and take the pan off the heat.
The curry is ready. It can be served with rice or bread like chapati.



Mild and easy  Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk is ready.


Variation 1
Instead of just adding cumin and pepper powder, you can pound 1 teaspoon cumin, 10  pepper corns and a garlic in a mortar and pestle and drop into the boiling dal.
First pound cumin with 5 drops of water.

Ground ingredients added

Then add peppercorn and pound coarsely.
Add 1 clove garlic and crush slightly.
Add ½ tsp salt
Simmer and add coconut milk.
Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from fire. and serve with rice or bread.

variation 2
You can do a tempering after the curry is done and add to the finished curry.

Tempering

Method
Heat 1 Tb spoon oil in a pan or a wok add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds and let it fry and splutter.
Add 2 dry chili slit into half and fry for a minute.
Add sliced onion and fry till it is crispy. Don't let it burn.Keep on stirring.
Fry till it is crispy.Don't let it burn.Keep on stirring.
Add 7 curry leaves and stir.You will get a nice aroma.
Quickly pour into the pan with dal curry which is already removed from fire and cover the pot.

Tempered onion,dry chili and curry leaves added to dal curry

Few minutes later you can stir the curry.
If the wok you are doing tempering is big enough to handle  the cooked curry, just pour the curry into the wok and cover and switch off the fire.Take care when you do this it might splutter on you.

                                                                                  

                     

Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Main

Masoor dal onion, garlic,chili, curry leaves cumin and pepper corn

200 grams Masoor dal, washed and drained
Others
90 grams onion, coarsely chopped
1 green chili, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
10 grams ginger (optional)
10 curry leaves
Spices
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder


2 cups water
½ cup coconut milk
½ tsp salt

Method
In a medium sized pan add dal,onion,garlic curry leaves,turmeric powder and water.You can add ginger too.

Dhal,onion,garlic,chili curry leaves

Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.

Dal,onion,garlic,chili curry leaves turmeric powder and water

Once the dal is cooked

Dal is cooked 

Add cumin and pepper powder.

Adding pepper powder and cumin

Cook about 10 minutes.

Add coconut milk and salt. Cook for three minutes and take the pan off the heat.

Adding coconut milk

The curry is ready. It can be served with rice or bread like chapati.



Variation

Instead of just adding cumin and pepper powder, you can pound cumin,  pepper corns and a garlic in a mortar and pestle and drop into the boiling dal

First pound cumin with 5 drops of water.

Then add peppercorn and pound coarsely

 Add garlic and crush slightly.

 Cumin,pepper,and garlic being ground  in a pestle and mortar

.Add to the dal. It will be very aromatic and tasty. You can grind using a grinder

Ground ingredients added

Add salt

Simmer and add coconut milk.

Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from fire.and serve with rice or bread.

Note

In addition to give more aroma and taste:

You can do a tempering after the curry is done and add to the finished curry.

Ingredients
1 onion - sliced
2 dry chili
7 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 Tb spoon oil

Method
Heat oil in pan or a wok add mustard seeds and let it fry and splutter.
( I skipped it)
Add dry chili and fry for a minute.

Frying dry chili

Add sliced onion fry till it is crispy.Don't let it burn.Keep on stirring.

Adding onion

Fry till it is crispy.Don't let it burn.Keep on stirring.

Crispy Onion fry for tempering

Add curry leaves and stir.You will get a nice aroma.

curry leaves added

Quickly pour into the pan with dal curry which is already removed from fire and cover the pot.

Tempered onion,dry chili and curry leaves added to dal curry

Few minutes later you can stir the curry.

Dhal curry stirred with tempered items.

If the wok you are doing tempering is big enough to handle  the cooked curry just pour the curry into the wok and cover and switch off the fire.Take care when you do this it might splutter on you.

 Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk with added tempering.

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