Kali Daal – How to Cook Black Lentils
If you’ve ever wondered how to cook black lentils perfectly, making them soft, non-mushy, and full of flavor, this simple post on kali daal, also known as black lentils, will help you master it easily at home!
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Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 200 g Black Lentils
- 3 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 Onion
- 8-10 Garlic cloves
- 1 inch Ginger
- 2 Tomatoes
- 2 Green chillies
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- 3-4 cups Water
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the lentils in water for at least 2 hours. After soaking, drain the water and rinse the lentils once more.
- Add them to a pressure cooker along with chopped onion, garlic cloves, water, turmeric, and salt. Close the lid and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, or until 4–5 whistles are released.
- If you’re using black lentils for soups, you can use them directly after pressure cooking, along with the cooking liquid. For salads, drain the lentils and reserve the liquid to use in dressings if needed.
- If you plan to serve whole black lentils with side dishes, be sure to season (tadka) them with spices to make them more flavorful as follows:
- To prepare the dal tadka, heat a generous amount of ghee and oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, and let them sizzle until aromatic.
- Sauté the garlic and ginger, and fry the chopped onion until it becomes translucent.
- Add the tomatoes and green chillies, then mix in the salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, and garam masala. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is well-cooked and aromatic.
- When the dal tadka is cooked, transfer the cooked black lentils (kaali daal) from the cooker to the cooking pan. Mix well. Add water if required. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Once the kaali dal becomes soft and slightly mushy, switch off the heat and transfer it to a serving bowl.
- Drizzle extra ghee on top, garnish with finely chopped cilantro, and serve hot delicious black lentils with rice, bread, naan, or roti for a comforting and complete Indian meal.
Video
Notes
- Ghee enhances flavor and richness.
- Always soak lentils for the best texture and digestion.
- Longer slow cooking makes them creamier.
- Dal thickens as it rests, so always keep it slightly thinner while cooking.
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Nutrition
Serving: 4people | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 1265mg | Potassium: 280mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 665IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 4mg
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