Masoor Dal (Split Red Lentils)

Quick-cooking with a mild flavor and hearty texture. A pantry staple of the Indian kitchen. 

We've been slowly expanding our lentil offerings, and we find we love each new variety more than the last. These tender, flavorful lentils are easy to love, and have quickly become a staff favorite. 

According to Indian chef Arnab Chakladar, who holds court at myannoyingopinions.com:

"Masoor dal is typically used in South Asia in one of two variants: either whole and unpeeled (these look like tiny dirty brown pebbles) or split and peeled (these span the colour gamut from orange to red to pink). Despite starting out on the orange-red-pink spectrum, split masoor dal will turn yellow when cooked (and will also completely fall apart when cooked).

The word 'dal' both refers to the ingredient (lentils) and to one specific class of dishes made with the ingredient ('stewed' lentils)."

To learn more about masoor dal from an expert, check out this post from Arnab with cooking advice and variations.