Indian Dal | Indian Lentils | How To Cook Dal Perfectly

Indian dal & lentils, English name, how to cook dal perfectly #dal #lentil #indianfood #protein

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Indian Dal | Indian Lentils | How To Cook Dal Perfectly

This post is about commonly used Indian dals or lentils, their English name, and tips to cook any dal perfectly.

Lentils or dal are an excellent source of protein, and they are used almost daily in Indian cooking, from making dal, khichdi, payasam (kheer), and laddus.

I will keep updating this post with different lentils and dals as and when I fill my pantry. Below are the dals that I use more frequently in my cooking.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Indian, north indian, South Indian

Servings:

Calories: 113kcal

Author: Kushi

Ingredients

1 cup Dal or Lentil of your choice
Water , depending on the method you prefer (read the cooking part)

Instructions

Soaking

I generally never soak lentils. Just wash it nicely till water runs clear and pressure cook for 3 whistles (one on high flame and 2 on medium flame). The spices I add balance any acidity in the dal.
1 cup Dal
But if you are among the foodies who find it difficult to digest the lentils, then soak it for 1 or 2 hours, drain, and then cook it with fresh water. One more benefit of soaking is it reduces the cooking time by 25%.

Cooking

Always add water equivalent to 2 to 3 times the amount of lentils while cooking. So for 1 cup dal, while pressure cooking, add 2 ½ to 3 cups, but while cooking in a pot, the amount of water needed will be 3 cups or more. While cooking 1 cup dal in an Instant Pot, add 3 cups of water. The lentil must be covered in water. The cooking time varies depending on the cooking method, location, and flame intensity.
Water

Dal in Pressure Cooker

In Mangalore, which is at sea level, we generally cook lentils for three whistles, one on high flame and two on medium flame. But the number of whistles also depends on the type of pressure cooker you are using. If you are using Prestige/Butterfly pressure cookers, then three whistles is a good/tested benchmark. You will have to do trial and error to see what works for you. One should also be aware that the type of water – hard or soft – also influences the cooking time. A longer cooking time is needed if the water is hard. The flame’s intensity also changes the cooking time. More importantly, the place you stay, i.e., the altitude above sea level, also affects the cooking time of the dal. Higher the altitude, the longer the cooking time.

Notes

Please read the post above for instructions on how to cook dal or lentil in a large pot, instant pot, and some other useful tips.

Nutrition