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Maash Ki Daal - Urad Lentils

A delicious, creamy daal cooked in a typical onion and tomato masala and served with lashings of butter

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

1 cup raw urad lentils ((maash ki daal, washed and ideally soaked for an hour before cooking))
¼ tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 small tomatoes, finely diced
1 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced (about 5 cloves)
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
½ tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
1 ½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika (Kashmiri red chilli powder or deghi mirch (for colour, optional))
optional garnishes: chopped fresh coriander, chopped green chillies, slivers of ginger, dried red chilli flakes.

1
Boil the urid lentils in an ample amount of water alongside salt and turmeric till al dente (almost cooked through, with a bit of a bite left) - about 25-30 minutes. Once done, drain and set aside. You can go on to making the onion and tomato masala whilst the lentils are boiling.
2
In a separate pan, heat the oil and add the onions. Sauté this on high heat till they begin to turn lightly golden, stopping well before they turn a dark shade - about 5-7 minutes.
3
Add the tomatoes, the ginger and garlic all the spices including the cumin seeds and a few splashes of water. Sauté this very well, stirring constantly to help break down the tomatoes. The mixture will become thick and jammy. This may take up to 15 minutes and if the tomatoes are not breaking down well, you may need to add some additional water to continue cooking and breaking down the tomato.
4
Once the masala has been prepared, add in the cooked urid lentils, the green chilli and 2/3 cup/160ml of water. Bring to a boil and then cook covered with a lid on low for about 10 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
5
To finish, garnish with any or all of the following: freshly chopped coriander, slivers of ginger, chopped green chilli and chilli flakes.