Cooking lentils is fun. I love trying out different ingredients with lentils and my all time favorite is lentils with garlic – Garlic flavor works like magic with lentils. No matter how much you love eating from outside and trying different restaurants, there are times when you want to eat a simple dinner at home, nothing fancy….Garlic dal/Garlic lentils is my comfort food and I can cook them without much sweat. The recipe is simple and will leave you wanting more. Nothing else to dilute the garlic flavor- no fancy ingredients- just plain old garlic sauteed in butter (clarified butter) with a hint of cumin.

You can always improvise the recipe and add onions or tomatoes and cook the lentils with garam masala. But if you are fond of garlic and want the flavor of garlic to shine through, then this recipe is a winner!

Garlic & Cumin infused lentils

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Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

This comforting dish of garlic and cumin flavored lentils is a perfect blend of spices and creamy lentils, making it a hearty and satisfying meal. Serve it hot with a garnish of fresh coriander for an extra burst of flavor.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup toor dal (yellow Pigeon peas)
1 cup mung dal (mung bean/ golden gram)
8-10 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Clarified butter or butter for cooking
2 green chillies, chopped fine

Instructions

Rinse the toor dal and mung dal thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear.
In a pressure cooker, combine the rinsed lentils with 4 cups of water. Cook under pressure until the lentils are soft and fully cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Release the pressure and set aside.
In a large pan, melt the clarified butter or butter over medium heat.
Add the cumin seeds to the melted butter. Stir and cook until the seeds begin to sputter and release their aroma, about 1 minute.
Add the chopped garlic and green chillies to the pan. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is golden and fragrant.
Pour the cooked lentils into the pan with the garlic and cumin mixture. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
Simmer the mixture for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld together.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander if desired.

Notes

For a richer flavor, use ghee instead of regular butter. You can add onions or tomatoes for additional flavor, but to let the garlic shine, keep it simple. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian