Yellow Lentil Dal with Steamed Rice
Soft yellow moong dal finished with a fragrant cumin-garlic tempering poured over at the table. The simplest, most comforting dal — and the sizzling tadka is the whole show.
By Vegan Cook. Published 5 August 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 1 cupyellow moong dal, rinsed until the water runs clear
- 1/2 tspground turmeric
- 1tomato, chopped
- 3 cupswater
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 4 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
- 2dried red chillies, broken
- 1pinch asafoetida (hing), optional
- 1/2 tspred chilli powder
- 2 tbspvegan butter or oil
- 1 tspsalt, or to taste
- 1 tbspfresh coriander, chopped, to finish
Cookware
- Pressure cooker or pot
- Small tempering pan (tadka pan)
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Cook the lentils
Put the rinsed moong dal, turmeric, chopped tomato, salt and water in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles (this is how Indian cooks time a pressure cooker: let it build steam until it releases a loud whistle, and count three of them, which takes roughly 10-12 minutes). If you do not have a pressure cooker, simmer in a covered pot for about 25 minutes. Cook until the lentils are completely soft. Whisk it smooth. For a looser dal, add a little hot water until it is the consistency of a thick soup.
- 02
Keep it warm
Keep the dal on a low simmer while you make the tempering, so it is piping hot when the spiced oil goes in.
- 03
Make the spiced oil (tadka)
Now make the tempering, called tadka, which simply means frying whole spices in hot oil to release their flavour before pouring it over the dish. Heat the vegan butter or oil in a small pan over medium heat until hot. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle and darken for a few seconds, then add the sliced garlic and dried red chillies. Fry until the garlic is golden, not brown, which turns bitter.
- 04
Add the ground spices
Take the pan off the heat, add the asafoetida if using and the red chilli powder, and swirl for 2-3 seconds in the residual heat. Doing this off the heat stops the chilli powder from scorching and turning bitter.
- 05
Finish and serve
Pour the sizzling spiced oil straight over the hot dal. It should crackle on contact. Stir most of it through, leaving a little on top, scatter with coriander, and serve with steamed rice.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Naturally gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.