Dal Adas (Spicy Red Lentil Tamarind Soup)

By Naz Deravian

Published Sept. 6, 2022

Dal Adas (Spicy Red Lentil Tamarind Soup)
Joe Lingeman for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
50 minutes
Rating
5(829)
Comments
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As with all culinary traditions, southern Iranian cuisine has been influenced by the cooking of neighboring regions. Spicy and warming, dal adas is a popular southern Iranian red lentil soup or stew reminiscent of Indian masoor dal. It bursts with flavor from plenty of garlic and spices, and tickles with heat from ground cayenne. The dish is brightened with tamarind, an ingredient commonly used in the south of Iran to add the requisite Iranian tang to dishes. For ease, use tamarind concentrate, which can be found at most Middle Eastern, Asian and Latin markets, plus many supermarkets. Dal adas can be served as a soup, as done here, with a side of flatbread. If you prefer to serve it as a stew over rice, reduce the water amount by about one cup.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 3tablespoons ghee or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 6large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1(2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 12fresh cilantro sprigs, leaves set aside for garnish and stems finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • 2teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste
  • 1tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2cups red lentils, rinsed
  • ½teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 to 2tablespoons tamarind paste or lime juice, plus more as needed
  • Flatbread or plain white rice (optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

314 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 260 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot, heat the ghee or oil over medium-high. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until golden and a little browned around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the garlic, ginger and cilantro stems. Add a little more ghee or oil if your pot seems dry. Season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the cumin, turmeric and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook in the oil to take off its raw edge and deepen its color, stirring frequently and taking care not to burn the paste, about 1 minute.

  3. Step 3

    Add the lentils and stir to combine. Add 8 cups of water and season with salt (about 1½ tablespoons) and black pepper to taste. Partially cover, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover completely, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot, until the lentils soften, about 15 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cinnamon. Add the tamarind paste or lime juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go to ensure it hits just the right bright and tangy notes to balance the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes more, until all the flavors meld.

  5. Step 5

    Garnish with the reserved cilantro leaves and serve with flatbread or rice, if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
829 user ratings
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Comments

Jewels

This was really simple with amazing flavour, I served it over smashed potatoes mixed with cumin seed and serrano sautéed in ghee and chili cilantro pita on the side. A few caveats, I made some adjustments based on what I had on hand: not enough turmeric so I used some hot curry powder and reduced the cayenne and cinnamon accordingly. Additionally, I used tamarind chutney, which is less harsh than tamarind paste, so I used about 1/4 cup. More garlic and ginger would be welcome, too. Quick lunch

Faith

This was delicious! I went with less water to make it more stew like. The layers of flavor are wonderful. I didn’t have tamarind paste so I used lime juice instead. I used three small limes, about 4 tablespoons worth. The stew really sucked up the brightness. So good! I also stirred in two cups of frozen peas at the end to boost it nutritionally. I served it over white rice, but tomorrow I’ll make brown rice to make it a perfect vegan meal(I used olive oil and not ghee).

Mary in Knoxville

This is a perfect recipe. Simple to make. Perfectly seasoned. Use ghee, not olive oil. Use tamarind concentrate, not lime. Tamarind concentrate is packaged in a cellophane wrapper in brick form. Remove 1 cup of broth from pot and put into a bowl with 2 TBS of tamarind concentrate. Work the tamarind so that it melds into the broth. Return all to the pot.

Double the recipe

My lunch this week. I doubled the recipe and it worked out well.

Chunky water

Honestly, I found this to be completely flavorless. Prepared exactly as the recipe was written (as I do for any recipe first time) and I was stunned that I was basically spooning chunky water into my mouth. I was mesmerized that so many spices and generally flavorful things like garlic and ginger can create basically water. I am not even sure where to begin with this. I would have zero recommendations for improving it. Seriously. I am gobsmacked by the 5 star reviews. I really do not know where others got flavor from in this.

ERH

This was wildly good for how simple it is. I can't digest onion so I sauteed some grated zucchini instead. We ate it with rice and so used about 5 cups water and 2.5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt for a thicker dal. Will absolutely make again, especially when I need to get dinner on the table quickly!

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