If you love simple Indian dals like yellow lentil dal and moong dal, this Bengali dal with panch phoron will win you over. Panch phoron 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 in other Bengali dishes they are added to, they create a vivid symphony of flavors you will fall in love with. Besides the panch phoron and the lentils, all you need to make this easy Bengali masoor dal recipe are onions and green chilies. It couldn’t be simpler, and it also couldn’t be any more delicious. So try it!
Why you will love this recipe
Simple but flavorful. A complex and exquisite vegan dal makhani is lovely when you have the time to make it. But if you want tasty lentils and don’t have time to spare, you can’t go wrong with this Bengali dal. It’s a recipe for hurried evenings or weekends when you want to do something more than spend time in the kitchen. Nourishing. Lentils are great for you, of course, and so are seed spices. They boost digestive and respiratory health and they can help fight cancer and heart disease. Easy to make. This recipe needs just a few ingredients for tempering and very little prep work! Nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free and vegan. Like most Indian dal recipes, this Bengali dal is suited to all diets.
Variations
Add a teaspoon of grated ginger along with the onions. Add two chopped tomatoes with the onions for a slight tang to the nutty dal.
Serving suggestions
Serve the Bengali dal over basmati rice with a vegetable side dish like Aloo Posto or Bombay Potatoes. Serve with freshly made roti, with a vegetable side.
Storage instructions
Refrigerate: Store the dal in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. Freeze: Most dals freeze quite well. Store this Bengali style dal in a freezer-safe container for up to four months. Reheat: Thaw and reheat the dal in the microwave or on the stovetop. If needed add more water and add salt as needed.
More recipes with red lentils
If you love this Bengali Dal with Panch Phoron, be sure to check out more vegan Indian recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!
Red lentils (also called pink lentils or masoor dal/mosur dal). Red lentils have a nutty, mellow sweetness that works nicely with the spices and onions. Turmeric powder Oil. Use any neutral oil. Bengalis use mustard oil, which has a sharp, spicy flavor, in a good deal of their cooking. It is wonderful in this dal. Here in the United States mustard oil is not easy to find because of 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 authentic flavor. Always smoke the mustard oil gently before adding other ingredients to it. Panch phoron. Panch phoron or panch phoran is a simple mix of five seed spices that takes under five minutes to put together. Here’s my recipe for a classic panch phoron. Onions Green chili peppers. Use jalapeno peppers, serrano peppers or the slim green chili peppers available at international stores and Indian groceries.
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