Masoor Dal is a classic Indian red lentil soup. Lentils are an everyday staple throughout India, an especially important staple for those regions that enjoy a predominantly vegetarian diet. Lentils are a great source of protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron and zinc. Lentils do not require soaking and are quick and easy to prepare.
Bursting with flavor, this dish uses a variety of aromatic and flavorful spices, including a very unique and interesting spice…
Masoor Dal blends a variety of flavors and spices, including one that is very unique to India: Asafoetida.
Asafoetida is used for its flavor and aroma and also serves a logistical purpose: It reduces flatulence! And so it is commonly used in legume and lentil dishes to help alleviate that unfortunate little side effect.
Asafoetida is a fascinating spice. It is made from the sap of an underground tap root. In addition to its culinary uses, it also has several medical applications. It has historically been used to fight the flu, aid digestion, serve as an anti-epileptic, anti-microbial, and is an important spice used in ayurvedic medicine.
It seems history enjoys an either love or hate relationship with asafoetida. The two extremes are reflected in the various names it goes by: Besides its other common name, hing, asafoetida is also known as “food of the gods” and “Devil’s dung” – two polar opposites! A 16th century text notes, “If used in cookery, it would ruin every dish because of its dreadful smell.” Asafoetida has also made appearances in movies and novels, including Sinclair Lewis’ 1925 classic novel, Arrowsmith, wherein the protagonist had to smell the spice as part of a fraternity initiation.
Nevertheless, despite its bad rap in some circles, it is loved and cherished in others. I happen to belong to the latter. Asafoetida is commonly used in cooking throughout India and has a very unique aroma and flavor. It’s a fantastic spice, a little of which goes a long way in adding flavor and aroma.
Note: You’ll definitely want to keep it stored in an airtight container. If you spill any in your spice cabinet, the aroma will permeate your house!
This lentil soup is fantastic with or without asafoetida, but if you’re able to find it, get it! And then determine for yourself whether you’re a lover or a hater 😉 It can be purchased in Indian grocery stores and can be ordered online.
Red lentils are pretty easy to find and can be purchased in virtually any large grocery or health food store.
Masoor Dal makes for a satisfying meal with some freshly baked Indian naan bread (see recipe here) and/or a fresh salad.
For a slight variation (same thing, just thicker, but it’s so good that it deserved its own separate post), try this Indian Red Lentil Dip!
Okay, let’s get started on that fabulous soup!
Dice the tomatoes and mince that garlic and ginger.
Rinse the lentils and place them in a stock pot with the vegetable broth, tomatoes and salt.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat and fry the mustard and cumin seeds until the mustard seeds begin to pop and the spices are fragrant.
Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another minute. Add the onions (not in picture) and fry until caramelized, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the spice/garlic/ginger mixture to the stock pot.
Add the remaining spices. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are done.
Indian food lovers, don’t forget to try this recipe for the BEST Indian Mango Chutney!
- 1½ cups red lentils, thoroughly rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1-2 green chilies, chopped (use more or less and discard seeds according to heat preference)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (aka hing)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- Pinch of Kashmiri chile powder (or cayenne pepper)
- Small pinch of cinnamon
- Small pinch of cloves
- Juice of one lime
- Fresh chopped cilantro for serving
- Salt to taste
- For the Dal: Place the rinsed lentils, vegetable stock, tomatoes, and salt in a stock pot.
- For the Chaunk: Heat the oil in a small skillet over high heat and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Fry until the mustard seeds begin to pop, about 10 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the chilies, garlic and ginger. Fry for another 20 seconds. Add the onion and fry until soft and a light caramelized brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add the turmeric, chile powder, asaefoetida, coriander, turmeric, chile powder, cinnamon and cloves and stir to combine.
- Combine the Dal and Chaunk: Scrape the contents of the skillet into the stock pot. Stir to combine and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are done the soup is a thick consistency, stirring occasionally.
- Before serving, add the lime juice, a little at a time, according to taste. Add more salt as needed. Serve sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantro.
- Serve with some fresh naan bread.
I bought asafetida once, and never again. That stuff smelled so bad to me, and totally permeated my kitchen, so I had to get rid of it. If I could find a way to keep it somewhere that it not in the house, I might try it again. Clearly it is an integral part of Indian cooking, and the side benefit of reducing flatulence might make it worth trying again. I hadn’t realized it served that purpose. Thanks for giving such detailed information about it.
Yes, your description of it is one that I’ve heard a lot. It reminded me to add another note: Be sure to keep it SEALED in an airtight container and whatever you do, don’t let it spill! 😉
I just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed this recipe! I added some fenugreek at the recommendation of a friend and it worked out wonderfully. Where did you learn to cook like this?
Hi David! That’s fantastic, I’m so happy to hear you liked it! I cook a lot of Indian food. It’s one of my favorite cuisines. I guess I probably picked that up from my mom who instilled in me a love for exploring world cuisine. I also lived in England for several years and thoroughly enjoyed the wide selection of Indian restaurants there. England probably has the best Indian food outside of India. Thanks again for your feedback! I hope you’ll visit often – I’ll definitely be posting more Indian recipes in the future. In the meantime, since you like Indian food and aren’t afraid of experimenting with Indian spices, I highly recommend the Tandoori Chicken! The marinade is fantastic for a variety of things, including grilled vegetables.
I have just made this recipe and I have to say that it is fantastic! I have made many masoor dal recipes in search of one that I could love. I love this one. It is seductive, where the other recipes I have tried are either clumsy or do not have a rounded out flavor profile. This recipe has depth of flavor and well balanced spice. Admittedly, I found out just as I was making this that I had no cumin seeds… so I had to use ground. I also used black mustard seeds and extra hot chili powder as I am inclined to like things that are very spicy. I will be recommending your site to all of my friends. Thank you so very much for this recipe!
Hello, Lajoiedu! I appreciate your kindness. You clearly have an educated palate and I appreciate your generous feedback. Thank you! And thank you for sharing my site with your friends. I hope that you will return again and again. – Kimberly
This is my lunch for the week. 🙂
Awesome, I love this stuff! There’s also a dip version (same thing, just thicker): Indian Red Lentil Dip
…and what am I making again today? THIS! I am about to soak my lentils and get my mis en place all lined up. Oh, the joy of having this for lunch last week. However, this will be my breakfast every day this week. I will be hunting around for something more “portable” for lunches. I am thinking kim bap. I will hunt to see if you have a recipe for beef kim bap. If you don’t have one, might you put one up? I would be interested in the preparation for the burdock root that is all prepped to put in it. I simply cannot find the long strips of pre-cooked burdock root in the store. I see it in youtube videos, but it seems that they must be prepping that themselves and not sharing the technique. They are even going as far as prepping it to the exact correct length be wrapped up in the laver, just like the pickled daikon is. So very tidy. 🙂
I haven’t seen pre-cooked burdock in stores either, just fresh burdock root. I would imagine it can be ordered online though. No, I don’t have a recipe for kim bap. But it’s on my very long list 🙂 I’m happy to hear you’re making the Masoor Dal. It’s so good! The lentils don’t need to be soaked, but if you’ve already done it that’s fine – they’re just going to desentigrate when cooking anyway. Let me know what you think!
This dish was incredible!!! The only changes I made were using coconut oil instead of olive, I didn’t have any green chilies so used a pinch of chili powder, and added chopped cauliflower because I thought it sounded good! I was blown away by the flavors, so complex and so satisfying. I ate too much and it didn’t hurt my belly, haha. Also, I might be one of the few people who actually loves the smell of asafoetida prior to cooking it. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that, Angela! I’m also happy that you’re able to appreciate the interplay and layers of flavor in this dish. My whole family really enjoys this soup, too, and we also love the “dip” version. And hooray that you like asafoetida! 🙂 Either we’re in the minority or the other asafoetia lovers out there just haven’t commented yet! I’m thinking there must be a genetic component that determines people’s reactions to certain flavors. What’s fascinating is that research has recently identified an actual gene that’s responsible for determining whether people love or hate cabbage family vegetables (e.g. most people either love or HATE Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc). I’m convinced there must be something similar going on with asafoetida! Why else would there be such extreme polarized opinions (e.g., “food of the gods” vs. “devil’s dung”). In any case, I’m thrilled you enjoyed this dish. Thank you for making it and for your feedback. Best, Kimberly
This is so good! The flavors are bold and blend well together. I will be making this again, again and again! Yummy!!!
Wonderful, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! It’s a favorite of ours as well. And we really enjoy eating it as a dip with toasted pita or flatbread (see Indian Red Lentil Dip). Thanks for your feedback!
I began to make this Dal at midnight and I have just tried it, 2am now, I must say it is so beautiful and tasty, I made 4 x the qty in a big pot as I wanted to freeze some for the coming weeks, the recipe that I usually make which I learnt from an Indian woman when I lived in fiji has less variety of spices in it, I certainly will make this one from now on, thank you.
Such funny timing, Joy, I just made a double batch yesterday myself! I made the Indian Red Lentil Dip version – same thing, just thicker and we eat it with grilled pita or flatbread and vegetables. I’m so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback!
Thank you, this was lovely! I tried the asafoetida and am obviously one of the people who really likes the smell of it, haha. I’m looking forward to making this throughout the rest of my life! Yay for an excellent dal recipe. Many thanks from Australia 🙂
So happy to hear that, Jasmine – both that you enjoyed the recipe and the asafoetida! 🙂 Greetings to Australia!
Loved the recipe! It’s easy and tasty. I bought the asafoetida, didn’t put it near my nose but added it in. I guess, the only fore-warning: The mustard seeds pop and 2 landed on my feet – OUCHIE. WEAR SLIPPERS. Had to add a little more salt (1/4 tsp) but that;s according to each one’s taste. THank you!
Haha, sorry about the popping mustard seeds! 🙂 Yes, they do crackle and pop but I’ve never had them tackle my toes – you evidently have very energetic mustard seeds 😉 So glad you enjoyed the Masoor Dal, Jennifer, and thanks for your feedback!
Thank you a hundred times! This recipe is so amazing! We were very lucky to have a very authentic Indian restaurant in Portland OR whose dal soup was stellar but I was unable to duplicate their taste. This recipe comes very close with the exception that it is thicker but I have already had feedback that yours is better. Also, since I am now in Arizona, it has become my weekly cooking event. Cynthia
Cynthia, I am so thrilled to hear that! Thanks so much for your feedback! Best, Kimberly
Thank you! Love this recipe. It’s a good way to learn new spices and experiment from there.
Definitely, Jenny! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate the feedback!
I didn’t have lentils or asafetida, so I made this with green split peas and added a ham bone. Delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi Angela, it sounds like you’ve created an all-original Indian Split Pea & Ham Soup! So glad it was a hit, thanks for the feedback!
I tried to print this recipe because it looks so nice, and I got 19 pages of photos and comments! Just the recipes please…….
Hi, scroll down to the bottom of the post to the actual recipe box. Underneath the little picture on the top right of the recipe box you’ll see the “Print” button. Click on that and it will only print out the recipe itself. Happy cooking!
Indian Red Lentil Soup Vs Indian Red Lentil Dip
Hello. I don’t understand: you have the same photos for the soup and for the dip.?
Hi David, the method for making both is the same and the pics just serve to provide a visual of the process.
I prepared Massoor dal today and it turned out to be absolutely tasty; I added Ghee, clarified butter, on top at the end of the dal preparation and we loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful, Mehul, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Does anyone have a good source for gluten free asafoetida?
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe! The combination of spices makes this soup delicious! I am about to make a second batch for long weekend lunches. 🙂
Wonderful, Karen, thanks so much!