Kaali daal or khari masoor ki daal | Black gram lentils

Kaali daal or khari masoor ki daal is a popular vegetarian / vegan Pakistani lentil recipe made with black gram lentils. It can be served with chawal (rice) or roti.  

One of my favourite meals is kaali daal with chawal. The actual name of the daal is khari masoor ki daal or sabut masoor ki daal but it’s commonly known as kaali daal in Urdu. Probably because the type of lentils used are black gram lentils which are well black or a dark brown in colour. When I came to Sydney and was looking for this type of daal in the Desi supermarket, I was like wait, what exactly is it called?

Unlike masoor and moong ki daal which cook pretty quickly, this daal requires a bit of planning as it needs to be soaked, and cooked on low heat for at least an hour till it is soft. The longer it is cooked, the more rich and creamy it gets, with the slow cooking process imparting a subtle smoky flavour to the lentils.

Is kaali daal or khari masoor ki daal made at your place? What do you normally call this daal? Let me know in the comments below.

Print

Kaali Daal or khari masoor ki daal

Kaali daal or khari masoor ki daal is a popular Pakistani lentil recipe made with black gram lentils. It can be served with chawal (rice) or roti.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Indian, Pakistani

Keyword Kaali Daal

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Soaking Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 634 kcal

Ingredients

• ½ cup kaali daal or khari masoor ki daal black gram lentils
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic paste
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice or adjust to taste
• ¼ cup mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons oil for tempering
• 3 garlic cloves sliced
• ½ onion sliced

Instructions

1. Wash lentils and soak for 1 – 2 hours. Drain the soaked lentils, and place in a pot with water.

2. Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder and garlic paste. Bring to a boil, and turn heat to low.

3. Cook the daal on low heat till soft, which will take about an hour.
4. Once the lentils are almost tender, whisk well or stir & mash with a wooden spoon for 2 -3 minutes so that some of the lentil grains soften & break making the daal rich and creamy. If necessary, add water and then cook for a couple of minutes till the required gravy consistency is reached.
5. Add lemon juice and mint leaves, and give it a stir.
6. When the lentils are almost ready heat oil for tempering in a small frying pan or wok.
7. Once the oil is hot, add sliced garlic and onion (optional) and cook till golden brown. Make sure they don’t burn.
8. Add the garlic and the oil (the tarka) into the hot lentils. Be careful as the oil will sizzle.
9. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Recipe Notes

There are two types of tarka (or tempering) that can be used for kaali daal.

One is just sliced garlic, and the other is sliced garlic and onions. Both are delicious, and can be used interchangeably based on ingredient availability and flavour preference.

Try out the recipe, rate it, and let me know how it was in the comments below! 

To keep updated with recipes, stories and so much more follow me on Facebook here, Instagram here and Twitter here