My Mums No Tadka, No Tomato Masur Dal

A thick, tomato-free red lentil dal made in one pot with whole spices. Gently spiced, naturally creamy and delicious with fluffy basmati rice.

This recipe has a history.

My mother learned it from her friend Chechi, an Indian home cook she stayed with in Zimbabwe. Chechi’s cooking was superb — decidedly North Indian — and my mum still laughs about how intimidated she initially felt by her kitchen skills.

Then one day, she spotted Chechi peering at a cookbook hidden away in a kitchen drawer.

That broke the ice between them. They became fast friends, and this was one of the recipes that travelled back to Germany with my mum, originally inspired by that same cookbook.

This is also the dal I grew up eating.

My mum made it as her basic, everyday dal. It appeared alongside fluffy basmati rice, her curry leaf raita and crunchy papadams. Sometimes spiced mustard potatoes joined the feast, but usually it was this simple combination that made its way onto our table.

She kept the dal wonderfully uncomplicated. Instead of making a separate tadka at the end, she fried the whole spices directly in the pot before adding the lentils. Fewer steps and plenty of flavour.

I’ve carried that version into my own kitchen. It’s now one of those recipes I return to when I want something comforting, inexpensive and easy to make from ingredients I already have.

And somewhere along the way, I discovered my favourite version.

My Non-Veg Version of No-Tomato Masur Dal

One day I had some chicken stock left over in the fridge, so I used it instead of the water. The difference was surprisingly good. The stock gave the dal a deeper, savourier flavour, and when I made it with ghee rather than oil, it became wonderfully rich and sumptuous.

That’s how I make it when I’m cooking for myself or when I want the best possible bowl of dal.

The red lentils cook down naturally until thick and creamy, without cream, blending or a thickener. The spices bring warmth and fragrance without making the dal fiery.

You can absolutely make this with water and vegetable oil — and it becomes a simple vegan pantry dal that way. But if you have some good chicken stock to use up and ghee in the fridge, that’s the version I’d choose.

Served with fluffy basmati rice, curry leaf raita and a few crunchy papadams, it tastes like home to me.

Why you’ll love this Masur Dal

• it’s pantry-friendly
• it’s creamy
• it’s easy
• it’s gently spiced
• it’s delicious without a tadka

This dal becomes creamy and spoon-coating — no blending, no cream, no thickeners needed. It’s much closer to a puree in texture, especially in comparison to this everyday masur dal which is much more soupy and tomato based.

The Ideal Dal for Baby-led Weaning

It also happens to be an ideal dish for baby-led weaning.

My six-month-old loves this dal. It’s packed with plant-based protein and healthy fats (especially if made with ghee), and it has just enough texture to be interesting while still being soft, creamy, and easy to eat with tiny hands and without teeth.

If you cook a large pot, you can spoon a few baby-sized portions into ice cube trays and freeze them. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a container and defrost as needed — no pureeing needed – and far easier than cooking a separate meal every day.

Recipe note: This recipe is adapted from and inspired by an original by Aruna J. Riemenschneider-Isaacs.

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Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

• 250 g red lentils (masur dal), rinsed (roughly 1,25 cup)
• 750 ml water, just enough to cover the lentils
• 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil, ghee, or butter
• 1 medium onion
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small piece fresh ginger, grated
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt, to taste (see baby note below)
• 2 mild green fresh chilies, halved lengthwise (optional) alternatively use one or two dried Birds Eye chillies

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How to Make One-Pot Everyday Dal without Tadka

This is the quick and easy way of cooking the lentils using only one pot.

1. Soak the Lentils (Optional but Recommended)

Place the red lentils in a bowl and cover with plenty of water.

Soak for 20–30 minutes if you have time. This helps them cook more evenly and improves digestibility — especially helpful if serving to little ones.

If short on time, you can skip this step.

2. Wash the Lentils

Drain the soaked lentils and wash repeatedly.

Rinse under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear. Set aside.

3. Bloom the Whole Spices

Heat the oil (ghee, or butter for a non-vegan version) in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the cloves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick. Fry for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.

Make sure you are using enough oil, or a generous dollop of ghee or butter to coat the spices. This way the spices develop their aroma perfectly and the whole dish will become more flavorful.

4. Add the Aromatics

Slice the onion and add it to the pot. Sauté until soft and lightly golden.

Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook briefly until fragrant.

5. Add Lentils and Spices

Add the rinsed lentils, turmeric, salt, chilies (if using), and water to cover the lentils directly to the pot.

6. Simmer

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer half-covered for about 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are very soft and breaking down.

The dal should become naturally thick and creamy as it cooks.

7. Adjust and Serve

Taste and adjust salt as needed.

The finished dal should have a thick consistency and be gently spiced.

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Baby-Led-Weaning (BLW) & Sensitive Palate

• You can omit the green chilies entirely. We never did, but made sure that baby didn’t get a piece of the whole chilies. If you want to be extra careful, leave them out.
• This Dal is ideal for babies under one year, because the dal is naturally cooked without salt. The salt is only added at the end, so you can easily separate portions and cook the dal without salt and season your own portion separately before eating.
• Because the consistency is naturally already purée like, there’s no need to blend or mash the lentils. If you cut the aromatics small enough, there’s no need to make any adjustments for baby.
• Freeze small portions in ice cube trays for easy defrosting.

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Optional: Add Flavor with a Classic Tadka

If you’d like a more layered aroma — for guests or a festive meal — you can finish the dal with a traditional tadka.

What is Tadka?

Tadka (also called tarka or tempering) is a North Indian technique where spices are briefly fried in hot fat and added to a finished dish. This final step creates an aromatic lift and a more pronounced spice finish.

How to Add It

1. In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp oil or ghee.
2. Add an extra pinch of whole spices (cloves, cardamom, cinnamon) or a small pinch of ground spice.
3. Fry briefly until fragrant. If you are using the ground spices they will ‘bloom’ or blubber and you will instantly smell the fried spices. Immediately take the pan off the heat. If you are using the whole spices this step will take a little longer.
4. Pour the hot oily spice mixture directly over the dal and stir to combine both.

If you have guests over, I would add the Tadka for extra flavor. If you’re in a hurry this is a solid recipe without the Tadka.

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Serving Suggestions for Masur Dal

This tomato-free masur dal pairs beautifully with:

• Steamed basmati rice
• Roti or chapati
• Crunchy deep fried papadums
• Curry leaf raita

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How to Store

This dal freezes so well! I suggest freezing it in a ziplock bag, this allows me to squish it into even the fullest of freezer drawers. It can also be refrigerated for a few days and heated up again in a microwave or on the stove top.