Slow-Cooker Masala Dal
Published Jan. 16, 2024
- Total Time
- 4 hours and 25 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 4 hours and 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1½ cups yellow split peas, rinsed (or chana dal, toor dal or split yellow moong dal)
- ½teaspoon turmeric
- 1½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt, or more to taste
- ½cup ghee or vegetable oil
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1½ cups chopped onion)
- ¼teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
546 calories; 31 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 417 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.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Combine the split peas, turmeric and 4½ cups water in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Cook on high until the peas are tender and easily crushed between your fingers, about 4 hours. (This keeps well on warm for at least four more hours.)
- Step 2
Add the salt to the peas, then use a whisk to beat the peas vigorously; they should disintegrate fairly easily into a smooth purée.
- Step 3
In a 12-inch skillet, warm the ghee over medium-high heat until a cumin seed sizzles vigorously as soon as it’s dropped in. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10 seconds, then add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion shrinks, shrivels and gets very deeply browned, 10 to 18 minutes. If the onions threaten to blacken, turn down the heat and/or add a spoonful of cold water. Pay special attention to the last 5 minutes or so, after the onions have shriveled and started to brown; stir constantly and let them frizzle and darken, but not blacken. Immediately add the red pepper to the tadka, then pour the onions, spices and all the perfumed ghee into the dal. Swirl loosely. Taste and add more salt and/or crushed red pepper, if you like. Top with cilantro and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Tom
I make a very similar version from Madhur Jaffrey, and adapted it for the IP. I usually use red lentils and moong dal, and some dried red chilis and a pinch of asafetida along with the onions and cumin in the tadka. With a scoop of rice or a warm naan, it doesn't get much cozier.
sera
How long do you cook it in the Instant Pot? I would love to do that instead of slow cook.
Desi
Yellow mung or toor dal in the IP will take 5-6 minutes of pressure on high depending on how “done” you like it. Add salt and turmeric while cooking. Very quick and easy.
Anupama
Why would anyone cook a tadka for nearly twenty minutes? Five minutes should be the maximum for 1.5 onions - usually tadka take under a couple of minutes.
Sekar
Pinch of asafetida is key for any lentil Indian dishes for “ optimal digestion “ as Tom noted.
Mona
In the Instant Pot, the cook time, if I remember correctly, is 10 minutes followed by natural pressure release. Don't forget to reduce the water. I recommend Ministry of Curry for measurements of dal : water and for cook times.
CL
Enjoyed this and enjoyed it more when I added more spices. Would be great to update it with more spices & measures. I am new to this type of cooking and don’t know the portions. Had to cook the split yellow peas for 8h is slow cooker.
jacob
I have made dal before but this recipe introduced me to the method for takda and it is truly delicious. I love this dal without the addition of coconut milk like in so many recipe books - the peas are creamy enough on their own. Like another commenter mentioned the onions took much less time to reach the perfect browned state
melissa
To make it even easier I wonder about using Chile crisp in place of the tadka?
Lisa Cannon
This was soooo good. I liked it much better than a very similar red lentil recipe. I did add a pinch of asafoetida as well as some sizzled curry leaves.
Ama
Yum. This can take all kinds of variations — I love this as a base recipe it works really well. Sometimes I add tomatoes with the dal when it cooks — whatever kind of can is in the pantry, or tomato sauce even, or rotel. Sometimes I add goat in with the dal; if I do that I also add ginger and garlic. Coconut milk swirled in at the end is also a nice variation.
Ebs1996
We loved this. I didn’t change a thing about the recipe. I used the slow cooker setting on my IP for the directed time and it was perfect. I did grind in some black sichuan pepper at the end, and omitted cilantro because the bf has the soap gene. Very easy and worth the effort.
Linda Dinsmore
I used an electric pressure cooker for this recipe and it took about 10 minutes to chop veggies and throw some stock in the pot too. I used the tumeric and added some green chili paste to enhance the flavor. It turned out fantastic! I prefer a thick stew over a thin soup, so I thickened it at the end using a corn starch slurry. Wonderful!
Amber Sexton
Also yeah, as said above, you can pressure cook it with natural release for 1 minute! And it’s not the same without the curry leaves.
Amber Sexton
If you don’t have curry tree leaves it’s not the real thing.
CL
Enjoyed this and enjoyed it more when I added more spices. Would be great to update it with more spices & measures. I am new to this type of cooking and don’t know the portions. Had to cook the split yellow peas for 8h is slow cooker.
Linda Dinsmore
If you have an InstaPot you can make this recipe by throwing in whatever veggies you have in your fridge and the legumes and at least 1 cup of stock. Sometimes if I dont have any stock I use a little Gravy Master. There are no meat products in it!
Barbara
I followed the recipe precisely and my dal came out too runny so next time I’ll add slightly less water because I like it a bit thicker.
Izz
4hrs didn't really get my Peas fully cooked, 6hrs even didn't really soften them enough to make a smooth mixture. I pivoted cause at the 5.5hr mark my onions and spices (I threw some coriander seed in too for some more flavor) were nearly done, so I put my mixture into the instant pot on the porridge setting for 10mins and low and behold the peas were nice and soft. My rec would be cut the crockpot out and used the instant pot, I'd have to so some tests to say how long 😅
Sekar
Pinch of asafetida is key for any lentil Indian dishes for “ optimal digestion “ as Tom noted.
Annienell
My family liked this a lot. I used a combination of toor and masoor dal. Cooking it in the slow cooker made it easy for a weekend. The lentils were extremely soft after 4 hours on high. The onions cooked quickly and I thought I had burned them. They tasted burnt before I mixed them into the dal, but once they were mixed in the dal tasted good. I added some hing; thanks for the suggestion, Tom. It was a good idea. I didn't have curry leaves, but I'll try that next time.
Mona
In the Instant Pot, the cook time, if I remember correctly, is 10 minutes followed by natural pressure release. Don't forget to reduce the water. I recommend Ministry of Curry for measurements of dal : water and for cook times.
Dee
Good but a bit bland and watery Probably better on day 2. Made as written exactly.
Linda Dinsmore
Using a little corn starch or flour mixed with a little water will thicken it, but you should remember that it has to cook for at least three minutes after you add it, and stir continuously. It works beautifully.
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