Yellow Dal (Rajasthani Style Lentils Stew)

This Yellow Dal recipe is a simple, easy to make, and protein rich Indian dish made from a combination of hulled and split yellow lentils - moong dal and toor dal. It's a wholesome lentils stew that makes a perfect meal for those busy days or weeknights, when you want to eat something hearty, healthy and delicious!

Table of Contents

• About this yellow dal recipe
• Why we love this dal?
• Ingredients you will need
• How to make yellow lentils dal?
• Expert Tips
• Serving Ideas
• Storage & Freezing
• You might also like
• 📖 Recipe

About this yellow dal recipe

As every region in India has their own version of preparation, my yellow dal recipe comes from the state of Rajasthan. Yes, I learnt this nutritious and tasty recipe from my friend who hails from Rajasthan.

This yellow dal is cooked with lentils and basic spices that's easily available in pantry. And, it comes together in just 30 minutes (if you skip the soaking part).

The recipe calls for a combination of two different lentils that not only enhances its flavor but also very nutritious. It's Moong dal and Toor dal! I use toor dal to make Sambar, Dal Gosht, Palak Dal whereas moong dal to make khichdi, dal fry dal tadka, halwa, cheela (savoury crepes) and poori.

Mung dal and toor dal is pressure cooked along with chilies, turmeric, salt and water. The lentil dal is then tempered with mustard seeds, cumin, ginger, dried fenugreek, and chilies in ghee to give you a rich, flavorful and comforting dish.

You can use traditional stove top pressure cooker, instant pot as well as a pan or pot to cook yellow lentils. However, pan or pot is not a choice when in crunch of time, as it takes a very long time to cook well. So, using stovetop pressure cooker and instant pot to boil the dal is best!

My recipe for yellow dal can be easily adapted to suit your diet preferences. Both, moong dal and toor dal are naturally gluten free. But, to make this dish gluten free and vegan, you can skip asafoetida and ghee altogether.

Why we love this dal?

This is one of those yellow dahl recipes that keep my meals exciting due to its simplicity, and yet it tastes great. It is a wholesome and satisfying meal we not only serve with steamed / jeera rice or a roti on side, but also enjoy as a soup on its own.

The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a large crowd. Just be sure to use bigger stovetop pressure cooker or instant pot, the cooking time will remain the same.

This humble dal with diverse flavors, textures and health benefits has so much to offer. A single serving of this lentil recipe has 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber making it an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet.

So, next time when you are in a mood to eat something that's really easy, healthy, protein packed and terrific in taste, give this dal recipe a try.

Ingredients you will need

Yellow Split lentils: I use a combination of yellow lentils for this dal recipe .i.e. split moong dal (aka petite yellow lentils) and toor dal (split pigeon peas). If you can't find any of these yellow lentils, you can use red lentils instead, that will still taste delicious.

Turmeric: Adds vibrance and healthy touch to the dal.

Green Chilies: For a little bit of heat.

Lemon Juice: Adds brightness, tang and uplifts the flavor of this dal.

Salt: To taste.

Water: To rinse, soak and cook the dals.

For Tempering

Ghee: Gives a lovely aroma, richness and flavor to lentils, I highly recommend to this. Though, you can replace clarified butter with oil like peanut, canola, or sunflower, if you are a vegan.

Black Mustard Seeds: They add wonderful nutty aroma, and sharpness.

Cumin Seeds: For me, no yellow dal recipes are complete without cumin seeds in tadka. They both are match made in heaven.

Ginger: Grated or chopped. Adds fresh and sharp note to the lentil stew.

Kasuri Methi: A must add. imparts very unique earthy flavor to the dish.

Chilies: I use both, green chillies and dried red chillies for this recipe. Highly recommended! However, if you don't like spicy or prefer less heat, use mild heat chilies or reduce the amount. Or, simply leave them out completely.

Red Chili Powder: Adds nutty flavor, and aroma, I always use Kashmiri red chilli powder for tempering as it gives, nice colour and mild on heat.

Asafoetida: An essential ingredient in Indian household pantry. Adds lovely umami hint to Indian dishes and aids digestion.

How to make yellow lentils dal?

1. Clean and wash both the yellow dals 3-4 times. Add enough water and soak the dals together for 30 minutes (optional step but helps cooking lentils faster.. Add both the dals to the pressure cooker along with green chilies, turmeric, salt and 3½ cups water.

2. Close the lid and pressure cook the dals for 4-5 whistles on medium heat or until they are softened. Let pressure release naturally.

3. Open the pressure cooker and check, if the dal is too thick then you can add more water as per the consistency you require. 

4. Switch on the heat and bring the dal to a boil.

5. Meanwhile, we will prepare the tadka (tempering). Heat the ghee in a small pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and allow it to crackle.

6. Add ginger and fry for 30 seconds.

7. Then, add slit green chilies, dried red chilies, hing and fry for 15 seconds. 

8. Now, add kasuri methi , mix and switch off the heat.

9. Immediately add red chili powder, mix and add the tempering to the boiling dal. 

10. Add lemon juice and simmer the dal for another 2-3 minutes.

Dish out and garnish it with green coriander leaves.

Serve hot with steamed rice, pickle, papad and salad on side.

Expert Tips

• I usually prefer to soak the dals for 20-30 minutes. This will reduce the cooking time. However, feel free to skip this step totally.
• Feel free to adapt the spices and herbs as per your taste buds.
• Cook the lentils until they are soft and mushy. Add less or more water as per the consistency of the dal you like.
• Pure ghee makes it the most flavourful, so I highly recommend using ghee only. But, if want to make this recipe vegan, then, you can stick to oil.

Serving Ideas

Serve this delicious yellow dal with jeera rice or steamed basmati rice and even quinoa. A homestyle meal of dal, dry sabzi or achari aloo parwal, roti, papad, pickle or mirchi fry, and raita or salad is what we just love to eat any day.

You can also serve this dal with lachha paratha for a fascinating pop of deliciousness to the Indian thali along with Jeera Aloo, Achari Matar Paneer and/or Mushroom Masala and Lehsuni Methi Raita for an indulgent meal.

And, the most amazing part of this recipe is, you can simply sip this dal as a soup or dip your favourite bread in and enjoy on fall evenings or cold weather.

Storage & Freezing

To store: transfer the leftover dal into a clean air tight container and place it in the fridge. It will last up to 5 days.

Before serving, you can reheat it in a microwave or in a pan on stove top until warm through. You might have to add little warm water while reheating to thin down as it thickens when refrigerated.

To Freeze: This yellow dal is freezer friendly and great for meal prep. Transfer the cooked dal to freezer safe containers ( in portions recommended) and freeze up to 3 months.

You might also like

If you made my recipe for yellow lentils dal, please let me know how it turned out for you! I'd love to hear through your comments and ratings below.

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📖 Recipe