Lasoony kali-mirch masoor dal
VEGETARIAN, VEGAN, NUT-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE
Red cabbage is an often ignored vegetable which I find very versatile to use. I usually never cook it, I roast it or grill it. The flavors are almost like red onions albeit with more crunch. It can be added to a lot of Indian dishes where you do not want to do the onion + tomato + etc. route – you get it right !!!!
This pink lentils (masoor dal) is one such recipe, where there are no onions or tomatoes. Leading aromatics are curry leaves and garlic. This dish is spiced only with pepper powder. After the lentils are cooked, top it off with roasted red cabbage. This preparation can be put together in under 30 minutes by using the InstantPot to cook the lentils. A regular pressure cooker can also be used. I use whole masoor dal with the skin for this dish. These are the typical pink lentils we see very commonly in grocery stores but with the skin intact. This adds to the fiber content and gives the dal a nice chewy texture.
Step 1 – cook the lentils with turmeric powder and salt
Step 2 – prepare a tadka with mustard seeds, jeera seeds and curry leaves
Step 3 – roast red cabbage with chopped garlic and pepper powder either in the oven or the stovetop
Mix all 3 together. Top with curry powder for added flavor (totally optional) and serve immediately when the red cabbage is still crisp
Note – If you have leftovers the cabbage will turn the dish purple and also become soft, but it is still very tasty.

Peppery and garlicky whole pink lentils with roasted red cabbage
Equipment
- InstantPot
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole Masoor dal
- 2 cups Red Cabbage
- 10 pods Garlic
- 1 tsp Pepper Powder
- 1 tsp Curry powder
- pinch Turmeric powder
To Season –
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp Curry leaves
Instructions
- Cook the masoor dal with salt and turmeric powder in InstantPot (cooking time 8 minutes) or in a pressure cooker, ensuring the dal is cooked but still has a firm bite
- Meanwhile – in a cookie sheet, mix the cabbage, garlic and pepper powder with a drizzle of oil
- Roast at 425 degree hot oven until the red cabbage turns light brown and crisped up (about 15 – 20 minutes)
- Prepare a seasoning (tadka) – with oil, mustard seeds, jeera seeds and curry leaves
- Add the seasoning and roasted red cabbage to the dal and mix
- Top it with curry powder and serve immediately while the cabbage is still crunchy
- Enjoy with hot naan or roti. Works with thick chips as a dip as well.
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