Dal Fry

This vegan lentil recipe is one of the most popular dishes from India which is so simple to make and absolutely scrumptious.

What is Dal Fry?

Dal or Dahl in Hindi is a generic term for all lentils. Dal Fry is a mildly spiced creamy lentil dish enjoyed with Rotis or rice. This dal fry is made with Toover/ Arhar Dal (Pigeon Pea Lentils), Yellow Moong Dal, and Orange Masoor Dal. This Dal Fry recipe is a stovetop version. It involves cooking the lentils in a pressure cooker with turmeric and salt. Then, the dal is tempered with cumin seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves, onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes with some spices. My recipe for dal fry tastes just like how you would expect it to be in a restaurant. To take it up a notch, you can smoke the dal with the charcoal method.

Is This Recipe Vegan and Gluten-Free?

This recipe is naturally vegan. We will be using oil to temper these creamy lentils. I use asafetida, which is not gluten-free. So if you wish to make this gluten-free, skip adding asafetida or add gluten-free asafetida.

Expert Tips to Make This Creamy Lentil Dish

What Type Of Lentils to Use? - You might have noticed that when you use just Tuver dal or Pigeon Pea lentils, your dal might taste a little flat. I like to use a combination of Yellow moong dal, Tuver Dal, and Orange Masoor Dal to make this recipe. It renders beautiful creaminess to the dal along with adding a beautiful depth of flavor. Consistency - You can adjust the consistency as per your liking. I like mine to be a little creamier and thicker if I am going to serve dal with rotis, and a little runnier for rice.

Fats - Traditionally this recipe uses ghee. But I don’t like adding ghee to the recipe. I use Grapeseed oil to make it healthier and I like it tastes better with oil. Ghee makes this dal very heavier, and to make it an everyday comfort food I prefer using flavorless oil. Smokey Flavor - Take this dal up a notch by adding a smokey touch. Burn the charcoal on an open flame. Place a heatproof small bowl on top of the dal. Add the smoked piece of charcoal in the bowl. Top it with 1 teaspoon ghee/oil. Cover with a lid. This will render a beautiful smokey flavor to the dal fry.

How to Cook Lentils Without a Pressure Cooker?

Wash and rinse the lentils thoroughly until the water runs clear. Soak the lentils for about 30 minutes. Drain the water from the lentils after 30 mins. Now to a heavy bottom pan, add the lentils. Add about 2.5 cups of water, 1 teaspoon oil, turmeric, and salt. Cover and cook it on medium flame. Remove the cover if the lentils are very frothy. It will take about 30-45 minutes for lentils to cook on the stove. Follow the instructions as per the recipe after this step.