Masoor Dal & Lentils

Masoor is the lentil most British cooks already know as the red split lentil, though it is really a brown lentil with the skin removed to show the orange inside. It needs no soaking, cooks in a quarter of an hour and breaks down completely, which makes it the quickest dal in our dals range. In Sri Lanka it is parippu, simmered with turmeric, green chilli and coconut milk, then finished with mustard seed, onion and curry leaves fried in oil.

Whole lentils behave differently. Brown and green lentils keep their shape, so they suit sabut masoor, lentil soups, salads and a meat-free shepherd's pie, and they need around thirty to forty minutes without a pressure cooker. Mixed lentils combine several split pulses in one bag and give a dal with more depth and body, close to the panchmel dal of Rajasthan.

Skim the foam from red lentils as they come to the boil and keep the pan partly covered, because they bubble up quickly. Add a little more water than seems right; masoor thickens as it stands, and leftover dal loosens with a splash of hot water. For firmer dals with more bite, try chana dal or urad dal, and for a pale, creamy dal, moong.