Empress Dal
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons canola oil ⓘ
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 3 whole dried red chilies ⓘ
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric ⓘ
- 1 small garlic cloves, minced or 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida powder ⓘ
- 1 cup dried lentils, picked over, washed and drained
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste) ⓘ
- 1 tablespoon amchur (dried mango powder) or 1 lemon, juice of ⓘ
- 4 cups water ⓘ
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) ⓘ
Instructions
- Combine the oil, cumin, red chiles and turmeric in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic or asafetida, lentils, cayenne, and mango powder, if using, (if using lemon juice instead, stir in at the end), and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
- Add the water and salt, bring to a boil and skim well.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, covered , until the lentils are soft, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add more water during cooking if necessary. Taste for salt and add more if you need to.
- Ladle about 1/2 cup of the lentils into a small bowl and mash them with a spoon.
- Return the mashed lentils to the pot and give the dal a stir. Then continue cooking at a simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes to thicken.
- If you like a thicker dal, use a whisk to break up the lentils into a puree. If you like a thinner dal, add more water. Stir in the lemon juice, if using. Serve hot.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
559
kcal
28% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).
Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data and may vary with brand, portion and preparation — see our methodology. This information is for general educational purposes only and is not medical or dietary advice (disclaimer).