Packed with protein and full of creamy, rustic flavors, this shahi masoor dal recipe will win your heart.
If you love Indian dals and curries, you’ve got to try your hands at this easy recipe.
You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to achieve the perfect, addictive buttery texture and flavor in the dal without any added cream.
Interested and ready to give the recipe a try? Here’s all you need to know about making it the right way.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
To make the shahi masoor dal, here is what you will need.
- Masoor dal/ Split red lentils: ½ cup
- Ghee: 2 tbsp
- Bay leaf: 1
- Star anise: 1
- Cloves: 2
- Cinnamon stick: ½ inch
- Green cardamom: 3-4
- Onions (sliced): 1 cup
- Cumin seeds: 2 tsp
- Dried Fenugreek leaves: 1 tbsp
- Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Water: 2 cups
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Red chili powder: 1 tsp
- Salt: 2 tsp
- Coriander leaves (chopped): 2 tbsp
- Green chili (slit): For garnish
How to Make the Shahi Masoor Dal
Once you have all your ingredients ready, where is what you will need to do to make the shahi masoor dal.
Soak the masoor dal in water for at least 2 hours.
Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the bay leaf, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, and green cardamom.
Next, add the sliced onions and saute. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cumin seeds and dried fenugreek leaves. Saute.
Add the ginger garlic paste next and mix well.
Next, add the soaked dal after draining the water and mix well.
Add water and mix.
Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well.
Pressure cook the mixture for 4-5 whistles.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and green chilies.
Serve hot with rice of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soaking in the dal is highly recommended as it helps the dal soften, cook faster and also helps reduce the amount of phytic acid in it. 
To make a vegan version of this dal, you can skip adding the ghee and just use a bit of vegetable oil instead.
If you have any leftover Dal, you can refrigerate it for up to 3 days in an airtight container
Remember to reheat it in the microwave or on low heat in a pot over the stove top
What does the consistency that that you can also add a bit of water if needed
Tips & Tricks to Make the Shahi Masoor Dal
Ready to try out this delicious dal recipe? Here are some tips and tricks you might want to take note of.
- I have used the pressure cooker to cook the dal, but you can totally use your Instant Pot or even just a regular pot if you want to.
- If you are using a regular pot to cook the dal, remember that the cooking time will be a bit longer than the cooking time for dal that is pressure cooked.
- If you don’t have the whole spices that the recipe calls for, you can just use half a teaspoon of garam masala powder instead
- You can make this dal more protein rich by adding some yellow lentils along with the masoor dal.
- Based on your personal preference, you can adjust the consistency of the dal by adding in more water if needed.
- To bring a bit of tanginess to the dal, you can also add some pureed or chopped tomatoes into the mix while you’re pressure cooking it.
- Don’t forget to sprinkle a generous amount of chopped cilantro over the dal right before you serve it for a bit of added freshness.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Just like any Indian curry or dal, this creamy shahi masoor dal tastes perfect when served with some rice, naan or chapati.
I think this dal would taste incredible with some Kashmiri naan too, and if you’re someone who prefers rice, you might want to try using your Instant Pot to make a nice mango rice or lemon rice to go with it.
To make this dal a complete meal, you can serve it with a South Indian raw mango salad or a nice and refreshing cucumber corn salad.
If you enjoyed making this Indian dal, and are inspired to try some more famous dal recipes, here are a few handpicked ones worth checking out.
📖 Recipe
Shahi Masoor Dal
Ingredients
- ½ cup Masoor dal/ Split red lentils
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Star anise
- 2 Cloves
- ½ inch Cinnamon stick
- 4 Green cardamom
- 1 cup Onions , (sliced)
- 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek leaves
- 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
- 2 cups Water
- ½ teaspoon Water
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Coriander leaves, (chopped)
- 1 Green chili , (slit for garnish)
Instructions
- Soak the masoor dal in water for at least 2 hours.
- Heat ghee in a pressurecooker. Add the bay leaf, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, and green cardamom.
- Next, add the sliced onions and saute. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cumin seeds and dried fenugreek leaves. Saute.
- Add the ginger garlic paste next and mix well.
- Next, add the soaked dal after draining the water and mix well.
- Add water and mix.
- Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Pressure cook the mixture for 4-5 whistles.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and green chilies.
- Serve hot with rice of your choice.
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