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Home » Side Dishes » Dhal / Dal

Published: Nov 27, 2014 · Modified: Feb 10, 2021 by Sandhya Ramakrishnan · This post may contain affiliate links

Nimbu Dal – Lemon Lentils Recipe

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Nimbu Dal is an excellent comfort food if paired with hot rice. These Lemon Lentils can also be paired with Rotis along with a subzi on the side for a sumptuous meal.

Nimbu Dhal in a Bowl

Dal – chawal is my comfort food and I look forward to cold winter nights to eat a bowl of steaming hot rice and lentils with some desi ghee in it. For the third and last day of cooking with lemons, I chose this classic tangy Nimbu Dal.

I made this dal with masoor dal (orange lentils), just because I love the flavor of the dal. You could also use moong dal or tuvar dal for the same recipe or a mix of dals.

We had this for dinner along with some phulkas and pumpkin subzi (recipe coming soon). I made the dal a bit on the runny side to allow us to sip it as soup. I have used onions in the recipe, but if preferred the onions could be skipped.

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Nimbu Dhal in a stock pot

Preparation time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 30 minutes
Difficulty level – easy

Ingredients to make Nimbu Dal – (serves 4)

  • Masoor dal (orange lentils) – ¾ cup
  • Onion – 1 medium (chopped finely)
  • Tomatoes – 3 (chopped finely)
  • Green chilies – 2
  • Ginger – 1 teaspoon (finely grated)
  • Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Red chili powder – 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon – ½ inch piece
  • Ghee or oil – 1 tbsp
  • Lemon juice – from 1 lemon or about 3-4 tbsp
  • Salt – to taste
  • Cilantro – for garnish
 Lemon Lentils garnish with cilantro

Procedure to make Lemon Lentils

  • Wash the lentils couple of times and then cook it in enough water with a pinch of turmeric powder until soft. I usually cook the masoor dal on stove top, but if preferred you could cook it in pressure cooker.
Dal in a bowl
  • In a pan, heat the ghee or oil or a combination of both and then add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the cinnamon stick and fry for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the onions and sauté until golden brown. Then add the grated ginger and green chilies and fry for a minute more.
Cooking the ingredients in a pan
  • Next goes in the chopped tomatoes along with salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder.
  • Fry until the tomatoes are mushy.
Frying the tomatoes in a pan
  • Now add the cooked dal along with some water (if needed) and let the mixture boil for about 8 – 10 minutes in medium heat.
  • Add the cilantro and let the Lemon Lentils boil for a minute. Remove from the flame and add the lemon juice.
  • Mix well and serve the Nimbu Dal steaming hot.
 Lemon Lentils is ready to serve

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Nimbu Dal – Lemon Lentils Recipe in a pot

Nimbu Dal – Lemon Lentils Recipe

Nimbu Dal is an excellent comfort food if paired with hot rice. These Lemon Lentils can also be paired with Rotis along with a subzi on the side for a sumptuous meal.
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Course: Lunch Box Recipes, Quick and Easy, Side Dishes
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 209kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

  • bowl
  • Stock pot
  • pan
  • spatula

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Masoor dal Orange lentils
  • 1 medium Onion chopped finely
  • 3 Tomatoes Chopped finely
  • 2 Green chilies
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger Finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
  • ½ inch piece Cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Ghee or oil
  • 3-4 tablespoon Lemon juice 1 lemon
  • to taste Salt
  • for garnish Cilantro

Instructions

  • Wash the lentils couple of times and then cook it in enough water with a pinch of turmeric powder until soft. I usually cook the masoor dal on stove top, but if preferred you could cook it in pressure cooker.
  • In a pan, heat the ghee or oil or a combination of both and then add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the cinnamon stick and fry for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the onions and sauté until golden brown. Then add the grated ginger and green chilies and fry for a minute more.
  • Next goes in the chopped tomatoes along with salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder.
  • Fry until the tomatoes are mushy.
  • Now add the cooked dal along with some water (if needed) and let the mixture boil for about 8 – 10 minutes in medium heat.
  • Add the cilantro and let it boil for a minute. Remove from flame and add the lemon juice.
  • Mix well and serve the Nimbu Dal steaming hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1000IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
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Sandhya

I am Sandhya Ramakrishnan, author, recipe developer and photographer in this journey! 'My Cooking Journey' is all about family friendly Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from around the World with focus on Indian cuisine.

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