A simple but delicious and spicy urad dal or black lentil dahl is the perfect dish for a weeknight or weekend dinner. You don't need any special spices, just garam masala, to make the dal. Serve with basmati rice for a nourishing, comforting meal.
In India's many regional cuisines, each ingredient plays an important and intricate role in creating the complexity of any given dish. Take dal, for instance. There are tens of thousands of ways to make a dal, and the diversity of flavor in each dal recipe begins, at the most basic level, with the type of lentil you use.
Most Indian cooks have a dozen or so lentils in their pantry at any time, give or take a couple, each with a distinct flavor and texture. But the legumes you'll find featured most commonly in dal recipes (apart from beans) are chana dal (Bengal gram dal), tuvar dal (pigeon peas or yellow split peas), masoor dal (pink lentils), urad dal (black lentils) and moong dal (green gram dal).
Certain regions have a stronger preference for certain lentils. For instance:
- In Maharashtra, the state where I grew up, we'd usually make our dals with toor dal or tuvar dal (here's a quickie and delicious dal recipe I make on the fly for dinner).
- Bengalis tend to use chana dal more frequently, in recipes like the delicious Cholar Dal.
- Tamilians use moong dal, masoor dal and tuvar dal to vary the flavors and textures in the family of south Indian dals called sambar and kootu, and urad dal in idli and dosa.
- North Indians use urad dal to make Dal Makhani and Maa ki Dal.
For the Spicy Urad Dal or Black Lentil Dal recipe I am sharing with you today I, of course, used urad dal (vigna mungo). Think of this urad dal recipe as a quickie version of vegan dal makhani, but just as tasty. The urad dal is combined with herbs and warm garam masala spices, and you smooth out all the flavors at the end with a dollop of vegan butter.
I like blending half the cooked dal before I add it to the pot, because it makes the dal really creamy. You can skip this step, or just use the ladle to mash up some of the dal.
Ingredients for spicy urad dal
- Urad dal or black lentils: Also called vigna mungo, these tiny white lentils can be bought online or at Indian or Asian stores.
- Turmeric: A dash of turmeric adds color and healthfulness to the dal.
- Cayenne or paprika. You can also use Kashmiri chilli powder, or any other red chilli pepper powder you have on hand.
- Tomatoes. Tomatoes add tang and also spike up the veggie component in this dish!
- Ginger and garlic. You can make your own paste or if you have my ginger garlic paste on hand use a heaping tablespoon instead.
- Oil. Any neutral oil like avocado oil or sunflower oil is fine.
- Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves), optional. Kasoori methi, with its pleasantly bitter notes, adds a lovely finish to this dal, making it taste restaurant-style.
- Cilantro. Cilantro, added as a garnish, adds a pop of color and freshness.
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Top tips
- When buying urad dal you will find four different kinds at the store: the split white dal, most commonly called urad dal; the whole legume, unsplit, called urad gota, the split lentil with the black skin still on, and the whole lentil also with skin on. You can use any of these in this dal recipe and you'll get the same result. Split lentils will cook faster, so if you have a choice, buy those.
- Cook the urad dal lentils until very tender. The best way to do this is in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. But if you don't have either, add all the ingredients in step 1 to a pot, cover the lentils with at least an inch of water, bring to a boil, turn the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are very soft.
- I add a soupçon of sugar to this urad dal recipe, which is a common technique used by Indian cooks to balance out flavors. There's spicy, tangy, salty and bitter (from the dal and kasoori methi) in this recipe, and a teaspoon of sugar adds depth and rounds out the flavors nicely.
Serve
This spicy urad dal is delicious with brown rice, basmati rice, or jeera rice. Serve a simple Indian style stir-fry or sabzi, like Bombay potatoes or cabbage curry on the side.
You can also serve the dal with roti or vegan naan.
More vegan dal recipes
Recipe card
Spicy Urad Dal
Equipment
- Instant Pot (or pressure cooker, optional)
- Saute pan (or saucepan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup urad dal (black lentil dal)
- 1 inch knob ginger (grated)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (or paprika for less heat)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 10 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
- 3 medium tomatoes (pureed. Canned puree is fine too, use 1 cup)
- 1 to 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon kasoori methi (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, but adds a bit more depth. You won't taste the sugar)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add enough water to cover the lentils by an inch. Cook or pressure-cook the dal along with the ginger, cayenne or paprika and turmeric until tender and mushy. If you want a creamy dal, blend half the cooked dal into a smooth puree and add back to the remaining dal.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan
- Add the garlic and stir quickly for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook until the puree darkens, about five minutes.
- Add the cooked urad dal, garam masala powder (use more or less based on your preference and the brand you have) and the kasoori methi (crush it between your fingers as you add it to the pot). Stir to mix.
- Add water or vegetable stock if the dal is too thick. Bring the dal to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add salt to taste. Stir in the vegan butter and add chopped coriander leaves. Turn off the heat.
- Serve hot with rice or rotis.
Nutrition Information
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Shahana
Good recipe
Linda
Enjoying my day off in the kitchen making my favourite ethnic meals. This Spicy Urad Dal is a tasty blend of flavours I will be making a Brussel sprout curry and rice as sides
Sarah RODRIGUEZ
This was very tasty and simple. I soaked my dal in hot water fr 15 min and cooked it on the stovetop. I enjoyed it with some store bought Naan and the Bombay potatoes recipe. It was fulfilling and delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Michael
Loved the recipe! Please add to the recipe the amount of water needed for pressure cooking the dal; I used a little over two cups.
Vaishali
Thanks for your comment, Michael, it's so good to hear you loved the dal. The rule of thumb is that the dal should be an inch under water, but I'll try to clarify in the recipe. 🙂
Allie
Great recipe, delicious. Thank you!
Vaishali
So happy you loved the dal!
Mardi Noble
Re Spicy Urad Dal
I have been cooking Indian meals for 50yrs and this recipe is fantastic and my guests always want this recipe
Please continue to send me your recipes
Sam
When are you supposed to add the optional sugar?
Tom
Loved it