Everyday Lentil Dal with Steamed Rice
Split red lentils cooked soft with turmeric and ginger, finished with a hot tempering of cumin, garlic and chilli poured over the top. The most reliable dinner in the whole archive.
By Vegan Cook — published 24 July 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 250 gsplit red lentils (masoor dal), rinsed
- 1 tspground turmeric
- 1 thumbginger, finely grated
- 1 litrewater
- 3 tbspneutral oil or coconut oil
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 4 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
- 2dried red chillies
- 1tomato, chopped
- 300 gbasmati rice
- to tastesalt, lemon, coriander
Cookware
- Deep saucepan
- Small frying pan for tempering
- Rice pot with lid
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Simmer the lentils
Bring lentils, turmeric, ginger and water to a boil. Skim the foam, lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes until the lentils collapse into a loose porridge. Salt generously.
- 02
Cook the rice
Rinse the basmati until the water runs clear. Cook with 1.5 parts water to 1 part rice, lid on, 10 minutes, then rest off heat for 5 minutes and fork through.
- 03
Make the tempering
Heat the oil until it shimmers. Add cumin seeds; when they crackle, add garlic and chillies and fry until the garlic is pale gold — no darker. Add tomato and cook 2 minutes.
- 04
Combine and finish
Pour the tempering into the dal, oil and all, and stir once. Finish with lemon and coriander. Serve over rice.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen — check all packaging.