Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Curry Recipe) (2024)

We're making red lentil curry tonight in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. Would you care for a bowl? We're in love with curries in general. As spicy food lovers, both of us can greatly appreciate the amount of flavor all those wonderful spices and seasonings bring to a seemingly simple pot of soup.

Patty and I were perusing a local Indian grocery store near us when I spotted this bag of masoor dal, which translates to "red lentils" in English.

It practically leaped off of the shelf into my basket. So Masoor Dal Curry it is! Have you ever had it?

Masoor Dal, or Red Lentil Curry, is huge on flavor. I like to add in a lot of spices, with both curry powder and a red curry paste, but you can easily dial that back if you need to.

Also, this is my vegetarian version with a focus on the slightly sweet and nutty red lentils, along with potato which is a great filler, though you can very easily customize the recipe to your own personal tastes with other ingredients like squash, sweet potato or chickpeas.

Let's talk about we make masoor dal, or red lentil curry, shall we?

Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Curry) Ingredients

The Flavor Builders

• Vegetable Oil. Or use coconut oil.
• Onion. Chopped.
• Jalapeno Peppers. Chopped. Use bell pepper for milder heat.
• Large Potato. Chopped.
• Fresh Ginger. Chopped.
• Garlic Cloves. Chopped.

The Seasonings

• Red Curry Paste.
• Curry Powder.
• Garam Masala.
• Turmeric.
• Cayenne Powder.
• Chili Flakes.
• Mustard Seeds.
• Cumin.
• Salt and Pepper.

The Sauce and Lentils

• Tomato. Chopped. Or use chopped fresh tomato.
• Water. Or use vegetable broth.
• Coconut Milk. Use fat free for a lighter meal.
• Red Lentils (Masoor Dal). Be sure to rinse the lentils, and sift through them to remove any debris or stones.

For Serving

• Cooked Rice. Or cauliflower rice for a lower calorie version.
• Fresh Chopped Herbs.
• Spicy Chili Flakes.
• Sliced Peppers.

How to Make Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Curry) - the Recipe Method

First, heat the oil in a large pot to medium heat. Vegetable oil or olive oil are fine, though you can use coconut milk for a bit of extra flavor. Try it with chili oil as well for some extra spiciness. Or use a combination.

Add the onion, peppers and potato. Stir and cook them down 5 minutes to soften. You can easily add in extra potato at this stage to stretch the dish for additional servings. See the Recipe Tips & Notes for other ingredient options. I love potato here, or sweet potato but it's also delicious with butternut squash.

Add the ginger and garlic and stir. Cook for 1 minute, until you can smell that gorgeous garlic. One of my favorite smells.

Add the curry paste, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, chili flakes, mustard seeds, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring. This will develop the flavors a bit. I obviously use a lot of seasonings here. You can dial it back if you'd like.

Add the chopped tomato, water, coconut milk and red lentils. Stir. These ingredients will form the rich and amazing curry sauce. It is SO good.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes to 30 minutes, or until the lentils soften and all of the flavors combine. The cooking time can vary a bit, depending on the amount of lentils and potato you're using.

If the curry is too thick, add in a bit more water. Simmering is essential for flavor building. You can simmer longer if you'd like. Just make sure it doesn't reduce too much. Simmering longer will develop even more flavor.

Serve with steamed white rice or cauliflower rice for a lower calorie version, and garnish! Brown rice is good, too. Try it with my chilli pickle recipe, too!

Boom! Done! Such an easy recipe, isn't it? It's quite hearty and flavorful, while being quite healthy at the same time. I love this recipe.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Heat Factor. Mild-Medium. You'll get some big flavor here, but not a whole lot of heat. You can very easily spice things up with hotter peppers, such as a serrano pepper or habanero pepper or other spicy red peppers. Or, use spicy chili flakes, chili powder, or your favorite spicy curry seasoning blend, like vindaloo curry powder.
• The Seasonings. I like to use a lot of seasoning, as you'll find with most of my recipes. I use both a homemade red curry paste and my own homemade curry powder blend, along with a few other seasonings to round things out. If you're concerned about too much seasoning, use only the curry paste or the powder along with cayenne, mustard seeds, salt and pepper.
• Scale It Up. This recipe can easily accommodate double the potato and lentils. Just be sure to add in enough liquid for the lentils and potatoes to absorb. Great for serving a crowd.
• Variations. I make this with potato, as potato is nice and filling and it absorbs all that wonderful curry flavor. It's also great with sweet potato or butternut squash. Try it with chickpeas or other beans. You can also make a non-vegetarian version with chicken, beef, pork or seafood, like shrimp, white fish or salmon.

Just don't forget the naan bread! You can sop up all that wonderful curry sauce. HUGE on flavor.

Storage & Leftovers

Storing yourMasoor Dal - Red Lentil Curryin anairtight containerin the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 3-4 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the curry promptly.

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy my Masoor Dal recipe. Red Lentil Curry in the house! It's definitely a quick and easy dinner option for busy weeknights, or whenever you have a hankering for curry.

Don't forget to spice it up! Enjoy. Let me know how it turns out for you. Such a great recipe.

Try Some of My Other Popular Curry Recipes

• Red Curry
• Chicken Korma
• Spicy Chicken Vindaloo
• Spicy Thai Curry Chicken Soup
• Coconut Chicken Curry
• Chickpea Curry
• Khao Soi – Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup
• Thai Shrimp Curry
• Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken
• Chicken Saag
• Aloo Gobi (Indian Spiced Potato and Cauliflower)
• Pav Bhaji (Spicy Vegetable Curry)
• See all of my Curry Recipes