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    Home » Recipes » Beans and Lentils

    Kaali Daal (Black Lentils)

    June 5, 2016 by Maryam Jillani 13 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    When you talk about comfort food in Pakistan, people always bring up daal. They however, are mostly talking about masoor ki daal rather than kaali daal.

    I would have masoor ki daal for every meal when I was a broke graduate student. In DC, I would make it every time I came back from work late. My husband would insist on having it as a complement to every meal we cooked. And because daal is such a generous, abundant dish, it would inevitably make its way to my lunchbox at work.

    And so I grew to hate it.

    It's a controversial position, I know. But when you have had it nearly three (four or five) times a week for the past eight years of your life, you're bound to grow tired of it.

    And so I decided to bring kaali daal back. It was a lunch staple in my home in Islamabad but is often overlooked as a "dish to learn" when you move away.

    It takes longer to cook than but when done right, it's just as tasty as masoor ki daal. The recipe below was generously shared by my old neighbor and mom's good friend, Fazila Aunty's fabulous home cook, Aziz.

    kaali daal vertical

    What to Pair with Kaali Daal

    Kaali daal is always meant to be served with plain white basmati rice. To complement it, I would suggest pairing it with:

    • Easy, no fry ground beef kebabs
    • These delicious potato cutlets
    • If you are looking for a lighter side, this simple, bright patta gobi (fried cabbage) works really well
    • Or this beautiful, delicate side of fried okra

    kaali daal-square

    Kaali Daal (Black Lentils)

    Kaali daal was a lunch staple at my home. This simple vegetarian main is elevated by a rich tadka that infuses it with great flavor.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Indian, Pakistani Cuisine
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    Daal

    • 1 cup black lentils rinsed (they are sometimes called green lentils in American stores)
    • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
    • ¼ medium-sized yellow onion thinly sliced in half rings
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
    • 2 teaspoon red chili powder (preferably Kashmiri red chili powder)
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

    Tadka

    • ¼ medium-sized yellow onion thinly sliced in half rings
    • ¼ cup oil canola/sunflower/vegetable
    • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
    • 2 dried red chilies
    • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

    Instructions
     

    • Add the lentils to a medium-sized sauce pan, add 5 cups water and bring to a boil.
    • Once the water has come to a boil, add ½ of the onion, turmeric, red chili powder, salt and pepper.
    • Give the daal a quick stir, cover it with a lid and let it cook undisturbed for 35-40 minutes, until soft.
    • About 20 minutes in, start getting the tadka (tempering) ready. Heat oil in a frying pan. Once it begins to shimmer, add the remaining chopped onion. Fry on high heat until it starts to brown. Add the garlic and fry until it slightly changes color. Add cumin seeds and stir until fragrant (while keeping an eye on the onions and garlic, making sure they don’t burn). Add chilies and fry for a few seconds. Remove from heat.
    • Once the tadka is ready, check your daal to see if it's done. If the lentils are soft, remove from stove and place daal in serving dish. Pour the tadka (including the oil) over it.
    • Serve with rice and achaar (pickles).

    Notes

    The tadka is probably the most difficult part of this dish. Since each pan is different, you will have to adjust the heat and timing to ensure that the onions, garlic and spices don't burn. They should be a nice medium brown. The sequencing is also important. The onions take longest to brown so add them first, and then add the rest of the ingredients in fairly quick succession.
    Keyword Vegan

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    More Beans and Lentils

    • Quick Lobia Masala (White Beans with Tomatoes)
    • Urad Dal or Mash Ki Dal (Instant Pot and Stove Top)
    • Moong and Masoor Daal (Instant Pot and Stove Top)
    • Chana Chaat with Tamarind Chutney

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. No

      June 16, 2016 at 11:39 pm

      This is awesome-so simple but so flavorful

      Reply
    2. Kelli

      March 26, 2020 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      So simple yet so delicious. I rely on this recipe especially during the week when schedules are tight.

      Reply
      • pakistaneats

        March 27, 2020 at 3:58 pm

        This made my day Kelli! Thank you so much xx

        Reply
    3. Sarah

      April 28, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      5 stars
      I had to make a few adjustments based on what I had at home (chopped jalapeno instead of dried chilies and red onion instead of yellow) and I used actual black lentils instead of green, but I was blown away by how delicious this was. The tadka has an incredible umami flavor that stayed with me all night - worth taking the time to cook it just right.

      Reply
    4. Webmaster.m106.com

      January 06, 2021 at 2:03 pm

      When I view your RSS feed it gives me a bunch of strange characters, is the issue on my reader?

      Reply
    5. Kit H

      November 14, 2021 at 6:01 pm

      I have just moved away from home and have desperately wanted to cook Pakistani dishes to remind me of home, your blog has been an absolute lifesaver! Thank you, this recipe is great!

      Reply
      • pakistaneats

        November 15, 2021 at 12:48 am

        Thank you so much! This comment made my day xx

        Reply
    6. Hina

      August 17, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      Hi, came across your website by chance while looking for a masoor daal recipe . It’s on the stove as i am browsing through other recipes . I love the simplicity and the tips you give about pairings and tarka.
      This will become an oft visited blog when looking for inspiration or help 🙂 thank you !

      Reply
      • pakistaneats

        August 18, 2022 at 12:41 am

        Hi Hina - thanks so much for your kind comment! I hope the dal came out well, and that you will continue to come back for recipe inspiration 🙂

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Chana Daal (Split Yellow Gram Daal) - Pakistan Eats says:
      February 14, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      […] urad dal I grew up eating in my home in Islamabad. It’s very different from the masoor ki daal or kaali daal or masoor mong daal featured earlier because it’s dry and had with a naan or chapati instead of […]

      Reply
    2. Mariam's Masoor Moong Daal - Pakistan Eats says:
      March 1, 2020 at 2:59 am

      […] she learned from her Gujarati friends. The daal that I grew up eating was either green lentils (kaali daal) or simple red lentils (masoor daal) boiled with some turmeric and red chili powder. This mixed […]

      Reply
    3. Saveur Blog Awards Finalist for Best Food Culture Blog - Pakistan Eats says:
      April 15, 2020 at 8:39 am

      […] Kaali Daal (Black Lentils) […]

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    4. 23 meilleurs plats pakistanais (+ recettes traditionnelles) - Cakes Paradise says:
      September 27, 2022 at 5:02 pm

      […] 1. Kaali Daal (lentilles noires) […]

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    Hi! I'm Maryam, an international educator and food writer, excited about bringing you traditional Pakistani recipes from across the country. Learn more.

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