This is simple, five ingredients Bengali dal A weeknight winner made with lentils or red lentils. Panch Foran spice mix, a staple of Bengali cuisine, infuses the dal with a unique flavor. Serve it over steamed rice for a delicious Indian meal.
If you love typical Indian pulses like yellow lentils and moong dal, this Bengali dal with panch phodan will win you over.
Panch Phodan is a Bengali spice mix made with five seed spices – fennel seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. Together, in this dal and other Bengali dishes they are added to, they create a vibrant symphony of flavors that you will fall in love with.
Apart from panchphodan and masur dal, all you need to make this easy Bengali masur dal recipe are onions and green chillies. It couldn’t be simpler, and it couldn’t be more delicious. So try it!
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Why you will love this recipe
- Simple but delicious. A complex and delicate vegan dal makhani is lovely when you have the time to make it. But if you want delicious lentil and are short on time, you can’t go wrong with this Bengali dal. This is a recipe for a busy evening or weekend when you want to do more than spend time in the kitchen.
- nutritious. Lentils are definitely great for you, and so are the seeds. They boost digestive and respiratory health, and they can help fight cancer and heart disease.
- Easy to make. This recipe requires just a few ingredients for tempering and very little prep work!
- Nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian. Like most Indian dal recipes, this Bengali dal is suitable for all diets.
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See ingredient card below for exact ingredient amounts.
- Red lentils (also called pink lentils or lentils/lentils). Red lentils have a nutty, sweet sweetness that works beautifully with the spices and onions.
- turmeric powder
- Oil. Use any neutral oil. Bengalis use mustard oil in their cooking, which has a sharp, spicy taste. This dal is excellent. Mustard oil is not easy to find here in the US due to FDA restrictions and although it is sold in Indian stores, it is labeled as a massage oil. If you can find mustard oil, use it in this recipe for an authentic flavor. Always smoke mustard oil gently before adding other ingredients.
- Panch Fouran. Panch Foran or Panch Foran is a simple blend of five seed spices that takes less than five minutes to put together. Here’s my recipe for a classic Panch Phoron.
- onion
- Chopped green chillies. Use jalapeño peppers, serrano peppers, or thin green peppers available in international stores and Indian grocers.
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- Add a teaspoon of grated ginger along with the onion.
- Add two chopped tomatoes to the onion for a little tang to the almond paste.
Expert tip
Indian dals are meant to be smooth and creamy with a slightly runny consistency, with few exceptions. Always whisk your lentils after cooking, to ensure they are creamy and not separated when you serve them.
Serving suggestions
- Serve Bengali dal over basmati rice with a vegetable side dish like Aloo Posto or Bombay Potatoes.
- Serve with freshly made bread with a side of vegetables.
Storage instructions
- Keep in fridge: Store pulses in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- freeze: Most pulses freeze quite well. Store these Bengali-style dal in a freezer-safe container for up to four months.
- Reheat: Melt the dal and reheat it in the microwave or oven. Add more water if needed and add salt as needed.
More recipes with red lentils
If you like this Bengali Dal with Panch Phoron, be sure to check out more vegetarian Indian recipes at Holy Cow Vegan!
Bengali dal with Panch Phodan
This simple Bengali dal made with masur dal or red lentils is a weeknight winner. Panch Foran spice mix, a staple of Bengali cuisine, infuses the dal with a unique flavor. Serve it over steamed rice for a delicious Indian meal.
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Recipe review
Serving: 6 serving
Calories: 136kcal
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instructions
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Cook dal in pressure cooker or oven till soft. In an instant pot you have to cook the dal with three cups of water under high pressure for 10 minutes and in an Indian pressure cooker you have to cook it for three whistles. If cooking in a saucepan, add water to cover the lentils by two inches, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook until the lentils are very tender. When the lentils are cooked, stir them.
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Heat oil in a sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add panch phorone and wait till the mustard seeds splutter.
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Add half a teaspoon of salt along with onions and green chillies to the pot. Sauté until the onion softens and begins to caramelize, about five minutes.
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Add the cooked lentils to the pot with a cup of stock/cooking liquid or water. Mix well, add salt to taste and boil the dal. Cover and simmer for five minutes.
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Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot.
Recipe notes
- Saute onions with a teaspoon of ginger.
- Add two chopped tomatoes to the onion for a little tang to the almond paste.
Storage instructions
- Keep in fridge: Store pulses in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- freeze: Most pulses freeze quite well. Store this Bengal dal in a freezer-safe container for up to four months.
- Reheat: Melt the dal and reheat it in the microwave or oven. Add more water if needed and add salt as needed.
nutrition
Calories: 136kcal | Sugars: 20g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.5g | Monounsaturated fats: 2g | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 2mg
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