Radish Greens Masoor dal (Red lentils with Radish greens)
Gorgeous and peppery Radish greens are paired with nutritious masoor dal in this awesome one-pot dish. Its super delicious and flavorful and goes perfect with either rice or roti.
A quick FAQ about Masoor dal and Radish Greens:
Masoor dal or Red lentils are this tiny but nutrient-rich lentils, are very popular in India and make a protein-rich and delicious curry. Masoor dal comes in two forms: One is the split lentils or red lentils which cook super easy and one is Sabut or whole lentils which take a little longer to cook but are equally delicious. The protein content in masoor dal is comparable to any meat dish, making it a great option for vegetarians and vegans.
Radish greens are the tops of radish plants with subtle peppery flavors and are more nutritious than their radish roots. They are rich in many vitamins and minerals and also rich in antioxidants. They are good for your skin, aids with digestion, lower cholesterol and has many more benefits.
Yes! All kinds of radish greens are edible, either raw or cooked. Young radish leaves have an interesting peppery flavor that tastes amazing in a salad. They wilt easily when cooked and blend and mellow perfectly with other flavors, which makes this dal wonderful.
In this recipe, I used an Instant pot to make the radish greens dal. But Yes, you can easily adapt this recipe to a pressure cooker. Just pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. And this dal can also be made on the stove top, let the dal come to a boil and simmer it for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and tender.
How to make the Radish Greens Masoor dal?
Its super duper easy! I usually pot-in-pot with rice and its a perfect weeknight meal. Here is how I make it:
- Wash and rinse the red lentils couple times and soak in water until you prep other things.
- Separate Radishes from the greens and chop the greens roughly.
- Turn on Sauté mode(High) on Instant pot. Add ghee/ Avocado oil and let the ghee melt.
- Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chilies and let the mustard seeds splutter. If you don’t have mustard seeds and dried red chilies, just add cumin seeds.
- Add roughly chopped onion, green chili, garlic and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Next, add turmeric and salt and sauté till the onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and cook till they are mushy.
- Add Radish greens and sauté till they are wilted.
- Drain the water from the dal and add it to the pot. Add salt, chili powder and water. Scrape the sides so all the lentils are under the water.
- The next step is completely optional. I like to pot in pot with rice, this dal tastes really good with rice and its a complete meal done in one shot.
- Place a trivet in the dal and place a bowl of rice with water on the trivet.
- Close the lid and set the pressure cook/Manual mode, set the timer for 5 minutes, Vent in sealing position.
- Let the pressure release naturally (NPR) and the dal and rice are ready to eat.. enjoy!!!
Can I use other lentils in this dal?
This dal can be easily made with Moong dal or Toor dal. Moong dal takes the same time as red lentils but Toor dal takes a little longer, set the timer for 10 mins in Instant pot if using Toor dal.
How to store and serve the leftovers?
Radish greens dal stays good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Or can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Heat it in the microwave or stove top with a little water and serve it hot with rice or roti.
Other dals on my blog:
Radish Greens Masoor dal
Flavorful and delicious Red lentils dal with Radish greens
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Ghee/Avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 Dried red chili
- 6-7 Curry leaves
- 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
- 5 Thai Green chili, slit
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 bunch of radish greens (about 2 cups loosely packed)
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Red chili powder or to taste
- 1 cup Masoor dal/ Red lentils
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Rinse the red lentils until the water runs clear and soak in water for 15 minutes.
- Separate Radishes from the greens and chop the greens roughly.
- Turn on Sauté mode(High) on Instant pot. Add ghee/ Avocado oil and let the oil get hot. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chilies and let the mustard seeds splutter.
- Add roughly chopped onion, green chili, garlic and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add turmeric and salt and sauté till the onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
- Add Radish greens and sauté till they are wilted.
- Drain the water from the dal and add it to the pot. Add salt, chili powder and water. Scrape the sides so all the lentils are under water.
- Close the lid and set the pressure cook/Manual mode, set the timer for 5 minutes, Vent in sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally (NPR).
Notes
- If you don't have mustard seeds and dried red chilies, just add cumin seeds. Cumin seeds and lentils always go together. Don't skip it!
- I like to pot in pot with rice, this dal tastes really good with rice. Its a complete meal done in one shot, do give it a try and let me know in the comments.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 1024mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 11gSugar: 8gProtein: 20g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Hi Tay,
I’m about to make this dal and would like to make sure I understand your instructions:
1) do you ass the dal to the frying pan WITH the water it has been soaking in or do you drain that water, add the lentils into the pan, then add three cups of clean water?
2) what with the dried chilli at the start, the three fresh green chillis, and the tablespoon of chilli powder, what is the spice level of this dish?
3) which type (heat level) of dried chilli do you temper at the start?
4) rough idea of how much salt you use in each stage of adding it?
Thank you and looking forward to the dish 😊
Hi Rob,
Sorry for the delay! Lemme answer your questions below.
1. Drain the water, add just the lentils and then add 3 cups of water to the instant pot.
2. Ha ha! I am sorry, we eat it very spicy. Please adjust according to your spice levels. Skip the green chilies and dried red chili if needed and just add red chili powder for color and spice.
3. You can skip if you like. But, any dried chili should work. Try the less spice ones.
4. Salt is as per taste. I would say start with a tablespoon and then add more if needed. Since it’s a semi liquid recipe, salt mixes well anytime.
Hope this answers it. Please let me know
How it goes and thanks so much for your comments.