This simple, five-ingredient Bengali dal made with masoor dal or red lentils is a weeknight winner. The panch phoron spice mix, a key ingredient in Bengali cuisine, infuses the dal with unique flavor. Serve it over steamed rice for a delicious Indian meal.
If you love simple Indian dals like yellow lentil dal and moong dal, this Bengali dal with panch phoron will win you over.
Panch phoron is a Bengali spice mix made with five seed spices–fennel seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. Together, in this dal and in other Bengali dishes they are added to, they create a vivid symphony of flavors you will fall in love with.
Besides the panch phoron and the lentils, all you need to make this easy Bengali masoor dal recipe are onions and green chilies. It couldn’t be simpler, and it also couldn’t be any more delicious. So try it!
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Why you will love this recipe
- Simple but flavorful. A complex and exquisite vegan dal makhani is lovely when you have the time to make it. But if you want tasty lentils and don’t have time to spare, you can’t go wrong with this Bengali dal. It’s a recipe for hurried evenings or weekends when you want to do something more than spend time in the kitchen.
- Nourishing. Lentils are great for you, of course, and so are seed spices. They boost digestive and respiratory health and they can help fight cancer and heart disease.
- Easy to make. This recipe needs just a few ingredients for tempering and very little prep work!
- Nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free and vegan. Like most Indian dal recipes, this Bengali dal is suited to all diets.
Ingredients
See ingredient card below for exact quantities of ingredients.
- Red lentils (also called pink lentils or masoor dal/mosur dal). Red lentils have a nutty, mellow sweetness that works nicely with the spices and onions.
- Turmeric powder
- Oil. Use any neutral oil. Bengalis use mustard oil, which has a sharp, spicy flavor, in a good deal of their cooking. It is wonderful in this dal. Here in the United States mustard oil is not easy to find because of FDA restrictions and although it is sold in Indian stores it is labeled as a massage oil. If you can find mustard oil, use it in this recipe for authentic flavor. Always smoke the mustard oil gently before adding other ingredients to it.
- Panch phoron. Panch phoron or panch phoran is a simple mix of five seed spices that takes under five minutes to put together. Here’s my recipe for a classic panch phoron.
- Onions
- Green chili peppers. Use jalapeno peppers, serrano peppers or the slim green chili peppers available at international stores and Indian groceries.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of grated ginger along with the onions.
- Add two chopped tomatoes with the onions for a slight tang to the nutty dal.
How to make Bengali Dal with Panch Phoron
Heat oil in a sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the panch phoron.
Once the mustard seeds in the panch phoron sputter, add the onions and green chili peppers to the pot along with ½ teaspoon salt.
Saute until the onions are soft and beginning to caramelize, about five minutes.
Add the cooked dal to the pot with a cup of the stock/cooking liquid or water. Mix well, add salt to taste, and bring the dal to a boil. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Add chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Expert tip
Indian dals, with a few exceptions, are meant to be smooth and creamy with a slightly runny consistency. Always whisk your lentils after they are cooked, to ensure they are creamy and not distinct when you serve them.
Serving suggestions
- Serve the Bengali dal over basmati rice with a vegetable side dish like Aloo Posto or Bombay Potatoes.
- Serve with freshly made roti, with a vegetable side.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store the dal in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Freeze: Most dals freeze quite well. Store this Bengali style dal in a freezer-safe container for up to four months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat the dal in the microwave or on the stovetop. If needed add more water and add salt as needed.
More recipes with red lentils
If you love this Bengali Dal with Panch Phoron, be sure to check out more vegan Indian recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!
Bengali Dal with Panch Phoron
Equipment
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Pressure cooker (or saucepan to cook lentils)
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Saute pan or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried red lentils (masoor dal, washed in several changes of water)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (use mustard oil, if you have it. Or use any neutral oil, including avocado oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil or safflower oil)
- 1 tablespoon panch phoron
- 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 jalapeno peppers (make a slit in each pepper and leave the peppers whole. Use only one pepper if sensitive to heat and deseed.)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
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Cook dal in pressure cooker or on stovetop until tender. In an Instant Pot you will need to cook the dal with three cups water on high pressure for 10 minutes, and in an Indian pressure cooker you will need to cook it for three whistles. If cooking in a saucepan, add water to cover the lentils by two inches, then bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover the pot and cook lentils until they are very tender. Once the lentils are cooked, whisk them.
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Heat oil in a sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the panch phoron and wait for the mustard seeds to sputter.
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Add the onions and green chili peppers to the pot along with ½ teaspoon salt. Saute until the onions are soft and beginning to caramelize, about five minutes.
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Add the cooked dal to the pot with a cup of the stock/cooking liquid or water. Mix well, add salt to taste, and bring the dal to a boil. Cover and simmer for five minutes.
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Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve hot.
Notes
- Saute a teaspoon of grated ginger along with the onions.
- Add two chopped tomatoes with the onions for a slight tang to the nutty dal.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store the dal in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Freeze: Most dals freeze quite well. Store this Bengali dal in a freezer-safe container for up to four months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat the dal in the microwave or on the stovetop. If needed add more water and add salt as needed.
Nutrition
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