If you have time, soak the lentils for as long as you can, up to 4 hours, the rinse well. If you don’t have time to soak, that’s okay. Just make sure that you rinse them well.
To rinse, place the lentils in a sieve and rinse with running cold water for 1-2 minutes, until the water runs relatively clear.
Chop the onion, green chili, and ginger. Place together in a small bowl and keep by the stove for use in the next step. Chop the cilantro, and set it aside until needed in the last step.
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
This recipe is written for saucepan, but I have tested it in the Instant Pot and it is much easier. Using SAUTE with the medium heat setting, add ghee and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to sizzle, add the onions, green chili and ginger and saute until lightly browned. Add turmeric, coriander powder and red chili, and stir. Add the tomato puree, and ¼ cup water, and stir well. Add the rinsed lentils and 3 cups of water. Cover with the lid, hit CANCEL, then select PRESSURE COOK on high, and set the timer for 14 minutes. Allow the heat to release naturally, then open the lid and proceed to "Garnish and Finalize" step below.
Cook the lentils - SAUCEPAN
Place the rinsed lentils in a medium saucepan along with 4 cups of cold water. Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are fully cooked. You’ll know the lentils are fully cooked when they are soft, breaking apart, and evenly colored. You may need to add more water to keep the lentils covered. Turn off the heat when the cooking is done.
Cook the spiced tomato sauce - SAUCEPAN
Heat ghee in a second saucepan on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds into the hot oil and watch them sizzle. Once they are fragrant, and have turned a few shades darker, add the prepared onion, green chili, and ginger and cook until lightly browned.
Add the turmeric and coriander power and stir for 10-20 seconds. Add the tomato puree, ¼-cup water, salt, and red chili (or cayenne), and stir again. Bring to a boil, and then simmer 4-5 minutes until an oil sheen appears on the surface of the tomato sauce.
Finish the dal - SAUCEPAN
Transfer the spiced tomato mixture into the cooked pot of lentils. Turn the heat back on if necessary.
Once you combine the spiced tomato with the lentil you need to simmer about 5 minutes to marry the flavors. If it is too thick, add water. If it is too wet, then cook on low until it thickens to your liking.
Garnish and finalize
Stir in fresh lemon and chopped cilantro. Admire the beautiful colors of your professional dish.
Give it a taste. Can you taste the salt? Can you taste the lemon? Is it spicy enough? Add more salt, lemon, or red chili if desired.
Notes
Make this vegan
Replace the ghee with olive oil or coconut oil.
Make this without tomatoes
The dal gets its sour taste primarily from the tomato sauce, and the spices are infused into the tomato. If you are avoiding tomatoes, you could simple use water instead of tomato, and add extra lemon at the end OR you could create an alternative puree using a combo of cooked beets and carrots (possibly even turnip). Peel and chop 1 cup root vegetables. Cook in a covered pot with a ½ cup of water until soft. Puree in a blender to create a healthy alternative to tomato puree.
Instant Pot method
To cook red lentils in the Instant Pot, reduce the water ratio to 3 to 1, and cook under high pressure for 10 minutes.Serve with basmati rice and/or Indian flatbread, such as roti or naan. Garnish with a dab of extra ghee when serving.
Reheating
Add a bit more water and bring to a simmer on medium-low for 2-3 minutes. A sprinkle of salt (and possibly some more fresh lemon) can also help to bring the flavors back to life.