4 ways you can include Masoor Dal in your daily diet

Masoor dal also known as red lentils is packed with energy, and nutrients and has tremendous benefits. In the past decades, the advantages of masoor dal have been recognized and have thus formed an important part of Indian cuisine. The possibility that a bowl of masoor dal will satisfy the nutritional and dietary demands of an entire meal is not denied. It has different positive effects on one's body and health. When it comes to preparations, this dal is very easy-to-make and is often considered to be the tastiest of all the lentils, thanks to its tinge of sweetness. It does not take much time for this inexpensive Dal to soak or roast. As per our own taste, we can cook it by adding different spices to it. (Images courtesy: iStock)

When it comes to its nutrients, there are 230 calories in a single cup of Masoor Dal, about 15 grams of dietary fibre and about 17 grams of protein. Being abundantly rich in iron and protein, this dal is an ideal vegetarian go-to choice.

It might come across as a simple lentil, but there are so many dishes that you can make with this humble dal. Some of the dishes that can be made with red lentils are Dal Tadka, Masoor Dal Soup, Masoor Dal Khichdi, Masoor Dal Kababs, Masoor Dal Dosa/Cheela and several others dishes. Here’s how you can make these dishes at home.

Dal Tadka or Tadka Dal is one of the most basic yet one of the most popular dal recipes served in any Indian restaurant or roadside eaterie called dhabas. This dal is a creamy concoction of two lentils boiled until they are rich and creamy and then tempered twice with brilliant spices and butter/ghee. The red lentil or masoor dal is boiled first and then cooked with some tomatoes, salt, turmeric, and ginger. Later they are tempered twice with ghee/oil. This is a staple dish of India and can be made for lunch or dinner.

This is a hearty soup that not only helps fill your stomach but boosts immunity as well. To make this soup, all you need to do is wash the red lentil or masoor dal well and pressure cook with onion, tomatoes, garlic pods, black pepper, salt to taste and some red chilli powder. Once cooked, blend it to puree and enjoy with the simple hing jeera tadka on top made in some ghee.

This nutritious Khichdi is suggested for babies as well as adults as it is known to be loaded with protein and fibre. This is a one-pot meal and is a perfect comforting food as it is easy to digest and very light on the tummy. All it requires is to soak the rice and masoor dal together and cook them with some onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and a melange of whole & ground spices. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles and garnish with some cow ghee and coriander leaves. When making for babies, make sure that there is minimal usage of spices.

When making dosa with this dal, make sure that you mix a little of chana dal to provide that perfect fermentation to the rice. Soak the red lentil or masoor dal for at least 1 hour along with chana dal and rice separately. When done, blend it to a perfect paste along with some hing, dry red chillies, salt to taste and a little oil. Once the paste is made, you can make the dosa just like you do with urad dal.