Masoor Dal (Spiced Red Lentils)

By Nigella Lawson

Updated Dec. 10, 2025

Masoor Dal (Spiced Red Lentils)
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(6,375)
Comments
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What I have come to understand is that how food looks as you prepare it can make as much difference to the cook as it does, on the plate, to the person who gets to eat it. When the skies are drab and life feels a little gray, I am absurdly cheered by the fresh brightness of a vibrantly orange dal, a red lentil stew spiced with turmeric, chili and ginger, and colored with sweet potatoes and tomatoes. Just seeing that mixture in the pan lifts my spirits. It helps that a dal is simple to make: a bit of chopping and the stew all but cooks itself. And it can be made in advance and then reheated, always a bonus. This dal makes a wonderful, exuberant partner to broiled salmon, but I love it without meat, too, when I partner it with my “bright rice.”

Featured in: AT MY TABLE; Colorful and Cheery, Food to Light a Gray Day

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1cup finely chopped onion
  • 2½cups (10 ounces, about 1 medium) finely diced sweet potato
  • 1tablespoon minced ginger
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 1Thai or bird's-eye red chili
  • 1cup red lentils
  • 2teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2teaspoons turmeric
  • 1teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1cup canned chopped tomatoes
  • Salt
  • 3tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • Pieces of coconut flesh from a fresh coconut (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

222 calories; 8 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 315 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 saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil, and sauté onion until softened. Add sweet potato, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic; stir, and reduce heat to low.

  2. Step 2

    Finely dice chili, keeping seeds if you wish to add more heat. Add chili, lentils, coriander, cumin, turmeric and ground ginger to pan. Stir until lentils are well coated with oil. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat until mixture is at a fast simmer. Cook uncovered until lentils and potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Season to taste with salt, and continue to simmer until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk dal to amalgamate lentils and sweet potatoes. If dal is too soupy, increase heat and cook for a little longer.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, place dal in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. If desired, shave thin strips of fresh coconut on top. Serve hot.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
6,375 user ratings
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Comments

David

I love this recipe and have been tweaking it to my liking. Here are my adjustments:

-add 2 tbsp coconut oil (in place of fresh coconut)
-use I ripe chopped tomato, if available
-use 1 tsp cayenne pepper, in place of Thai chili

Otherwise, it's fabulous!

RC

Easy and good, but much, much better if you add about a half of can of coconut milk at the end. Also much better the next day.

Ellsea

Made this in my new instant pot pressure cooker. I should have cut a cup or two of liquid, but I let it boil down to thicken. 12 min under pressure.

Emily

Turmeric was too heavy. Added a Goya Sazon packet and lemon

Trill

Made as written. I like the balance of the spices, but they weren’t strong enough and were a little muddy in comparison to the traditional method (sauté the spices separately and mix in just before serving) I garnished with fresh coconut sambal which perked it up nicely.

jill

I made this last night. I used canned pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes, and added spinach and coconut milk as others suggested. I let it simmer on the stove for a couple of hours. It was delicious.

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