I cooked red lentil dahl for the first time yesterday, but it had a gritty texture, what did I do wrong?

Question

I rinsed them thoroughly and then let them soak for about 15 minutes. I rinsed again and changed water then brought to boil and reduced heat for about 20 minutes.

Answer 1

Failproof method:

"Rinse the lentils at least 3 times in a large, shallow bowl to get rid of any impurities. This is very important, else you will very likely have a gritty result. Once washed, soak the lentils in clean water for at least 15 minutes. Prepare other ingredients in the meantime".

Indian Red Lentils

Preparation time: less than 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients:

1¼ cups red lentils
¼ tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp mustard or any other vegetable oil
½ tsp brown mustard seeds
½ tsp panch phoran
4 hot dried red chillies
1 bay leaf
1¼-1½ tsp salt
2 tbsp thick tamarind paste or to taste
1 tbsp sugar or to taste

Method:

1. Wash the lentils in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Put them in a medium-sized pan with the turmeric and mix. Cover with 1l/1¾pt/4½ cups water. Bring the lentils to the boil over a medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Stir now and then during the last 10 minutes. When the lentils are cooked, mash with a spoon to a pulp-like consistency.

2. Heat the oil in a large, wide, preferably non-stick pan or wok over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, a matter of seconds, add the panch phoran, chillies and a bay leaf. Stir and fry for 5-6 seconds or until the chillies darken in colour. Add the cooked lentils, 150ml/5fl oz water and the salt. Stir to mix. Add the tamarind paste, a little at a time to get the sourness you desire. Add just enough sugar to balance the sourness. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. The finished dal should have the consisitency of a thick purée.

Answer 2

Gritty lentils usually mean insufficient cooking,not long enough to totally tenderize the grain,soaking for an hour or more before cooking,adding a few drops of oil while cooking & cooking for a while longer are my suggestions,press a cooked grain between finger & thumb,easily & smoothly crushed lentil will indicate it is fully cooked & will mash to a smooth paste.Having tried this if you still get a gritty result,the fault lies with the lentil,better to use it in soups & get yourself a fresh packet.

Answer 3

Ingredients & Directions

1 c Lentils

6 c Water

1/2 ts Salt

1/2 ts Turmeric

1 ea Onion, small and chopped

1 tb Butter/oleo

1/2 ea Green chili, chopped


Soak lentils for one hour. Drain and wash lentils in cold water.

Place lentils in a 2-qt saucepan. Add water, green chili, salt and turmeric. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 1 1/2 hrs.

Melt butter/oleo in a small frying pan. Saute the onion. Add the onion and the butter/oleo to the lentils and boil the whole thing for 2 or 3 mins.

Serve with fresh lemon juice. Rice is also a good addition.

VARIATIONS: Instead of onion you can try 1/2 ts of whole cumin seed. You can also add 1/2 cup of mixed veggies, or 1/2 cup of chopped potatoes and cauliflower, or 1/2 cup of green peas.

Answer 4

well--when you say you rinsed them--did you rinse them once?...when I cook Indian food--I rinse out the dals about 4-5 times first--to get rid of any little stones or things----I add water--rinse--and repeat--many times--it doesn't take long though--The you soak it in water--if you want--for several hours--or if you want to--you can put it in a pressure cooker and cook it--but just soaking it for a short while and then boiling it on the stove won't cut it--If you just want to boil it--then you have to soak it a bit and boil it for a LONG time...otherwise it will not soften enough...20 minutes in a pressure cooker is okay--but not okay on the stove...Good luck...

Answer 5

did you rinse the lentils? like any dried bean product you should always rinse them off.

Answer 6

Probably you cooked it to long.