Dal Fry

An aromatic Indian lentil dish with crispy spiced tempering of spices and tomatoes. A classic vegetarian recipe that is simple and quick to prepare.

Ingredients

• 240 g Toor dal (yellow lentils)
• 600 ml Water
• 1.5 tsp Salt
• 0.25 tsp Turmeric
• 45 ml Ghee (clarified butter)
• 240 g Tomatoes, chopped
• 0.5 tsp Cumin seeds
• 0.5 tsp Mustard seeds
• 2 pcs Bay leaf
• 15 g Green chili, chopped
• 2 tsp Ground ginger
• 30 g Cilantro, chopped
• 0.5 tsp Red chili powder
• 5 g Sugar
• 0.25 tsp Garam masala

Instructions

1. Sort and rinse the toor dal. Soak the lentils in approximately 720 ml of water for one hour. They will increase in volume by about twice their original size. Then drain the water.
2. Lightly drain the soaked lentils and place them in a pot with 600 ml of fresh water. Add salt and turmeric. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes until the dal becomes soft and reaches the consistency of a thick soup.
3. Heat the ghee in a skillet. Add the cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds start crackling (30-40 seconds), add the bay leaves, green chili, and ginger. Fry while constantly stirring for about 20 seconds.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Stir and cook until the tomatoes soften and break down into a paste, approximately 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the cilantro and garam masala. Cook for another 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Pour the entire tempering into the pot with the cooked lentils, mix well, and cook together for another 1 minute.
7. Serve dal fry hot with naan or other Indian bread.