Recipe

Morning Breakfast Dal

Recipe
No Questions Yet

Photo by pauljoseph

Chef
student epicure's Notes: For the past month or so, my boyfriend and I have been eating this almost everyday for breakfast. We both were concerned about our cholesterol after a stint of eggs and bacon every morning...
For the past month or so, my boyfriend and I have been eating this almost everyday for breakfast. We both were concerned about our cholesterol after a stint of eggs and bacon every morning, but wanted something with enough protein to keep us going all morning and with enough flavor to keep us interested. I usually make a big pot on Sunday and we eat it the rest of the week. There are so many variations on this Indian classic, but this is the one we've been enjoying of late.

Some easy variations we like to use: add a fried egg on top or stir in some spinach if you want more vegetables. I think this is already a little spicy, but Tabasco goes well with it too!

Expand Collapse

Serves 4-6

1 cup moong dal Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup split yellow peas (aka toor dal or split yellow pigeon peas)) Ask a question about this ingredient

3 1/2 cups water Ask a question about this ingredient

3/4 teaspoons tumeric Ask a question about this ingredient

3 tablespoons ghee (butter or olive oil can be substituted, but ghee really has the best flavor) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 small-medium onion, diced Ask a question about this ingredient

4 garlic cloves, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

1 1/2 inch knob ginger, minced Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo peppers (I know, not very traditional, but delicious! A slightly lesser amount of regular chili flakes works too) Ask a question about this ingredient

salt and fresh ground Telicherry pepper to taste Ask a question about this ingredient

Place moong dal and toor dal in a medium pot with water and tumeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook at a moderate simmer until moong dal has lost its shape and toor dal is very tender. Make sure to stir the pot every once in awhile to make sure the dal isn't sticking to the bottom. If the peas start to look dry (it should become about the consistency of oatmeal), add more water. This should all take ~30 minutes.
Ask a question about this step
When peas have reached desired consistency, remove from heat. In a frying pan (I like to use a wok), heat ghee over medium heat until melted. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry until they begin to soften and just faintly brown. Add cumin and chili and fry another two minutes. Stir into dal and season with salt and pepper.
Ask a question about this step

14 Comments on Morning Breakfast Dal

kevin.townsley added 9 months ago

I made this recipe yesterday and it was great. It does take a little longer to cook than indicated, however. For anyone unsure, it's very similar to split pea soup, except instead of the traditional ham-bone for flavor you get to enjoy a little Indian flare. This goes great with a little ghee sauteed kielbasa!

student epicure added 9 months ago

glad you enjoyed it!!! cooking time can definitely vary, depending on the lentils you use. love the idea of adding kielbasa!

boulangere added about 1 year ago

Oooh! I'm going to try this this weekend. With a health dose of Siracha!

luvcookbooks added about 1 year ago

made this and it was delicious. First time I tried to make ghee and then cook with it, gives the onions a delicious rich flavor. Usually I use oil but the butter is worth it for a special occasion.