Simple Dal: Easy Recipes, Soaking Tips, and Everyday Indian Cooking
When you think of simple dal, a basic, comforting dish made from cooked lentils, often served with rice or roti. Also known as lentil curry, it's one of the most eaten meals in Indian homes—not because it’s fancy, but because it’s reliable, cheap, and full of protein. Whether it’s urad dal for dosa batter, toor dal for sambar, or moong dal for khichdi, simple dal is the quiet hero of the kitchen. It doesn’t need fancy ingredients. Just water, heat, and time.
But getting it right isn’t as simple as boiling lentils. The difference between mushy and perfect dal comes down to soaking time, water ratio, and how you cook it. For example, urad dal, a black lentil used in South Indian batter and curries needs 6 to 8 hours to soak—too little and your dosa won’t puff, too much and it turns slimy. toor dal, a yellow split pigeon pea commonly used in North and South India cooks faster but benefits from a quick rinse to remove dust and improve texture. And then there’s moong dal, a green lentil that’s easy to digest and often used in baby food and light meals, which doesn’t even need soaking. Each type has its own rhythm.
People think dal is just dal. But the real magic is in the details: how long you fry the cumin, whether you add asafoetida before or after the oil, if you use a pressure cooker or a slow pot. These aren’t secrets—they’re habits passed down through generations. You’ll find guides here that explain why you soak paneer before cooking, how restaurants thicken curry without cream, and why roti doesn’t need baking powder. Same principle applies to dal. It’s not about adding more spices. It’s about understanding the base.
These posts aren’t about gourmet versions. They’re about the everyday kind—the kind your mom or grandmother made, the kind you eat with your fingers on a hot afternoon. You’ll find exact soaking times for urad dal, how much water to use for perfect consistency, and why some dals need tempering while others don’t. No fluff. No trends. Just what works.
