Red lentil — the fastest dal to cook and the highest in iron of the common ones.
Masoor dal is the split red lentil. It cooks faster than any other common dal
— often fifteen minutes without soaking — and collapses into a smooth purée
rather than holding its shape.
It is also among the better pulses for iron, which
matters in a region where iron deficiency is common. Served with something acidic, the
absorption improves substantially.
Per 100g dry, split. Whole masoor (brown lentil) holds more fibre and takes longer to cook.
Based on the nutrients and fibre this food supplies. These are supporting foods, not treatments.
Fifteen minutes, no soaking. Masoor is the dal for when you have not
planned anything.
Add tomato or lemon — there is a real reason.
Vitamin C converts plant iron into a form your body absorbs far more readily. A squeeze of
lemon at the end can multiply the iron you actually take in from the same bowl. This is the
single most useful habit on this page.
Do not add acid too early, or
the lentils stay firm. Cook first, acidify at the end.
Skim the foam
in the first few minutes — it makes the finished dal cleaner-tasting.
Plant iron is non-heme iron, and your body absorbs it poorly on its own —
often only a few percent of what is on the plate. Vitamin C changes its chemical form and can
increase absorption several-fold from the same meal.
Working against you: tea and
coffee contain tannins that block iron absorption. Drinking chai with your dal undoes part of
what the lemon achieved. Leave an hour either side if iron is your reason for eating it.
Kidney disease: pulses are high in potassium and
phosphorus, and protein often needs limiting. This needs your doctor's numbers, not a general
rule.
IBS: pulses are high-FODMAP. Small, well-soaked, well-cooked
portions are tolerated far better than large ones.
Gout: pulses
contain moderate purines, though plant purines appear to be much less of a problem than those
from meat and seafood. If you flare after dal, trust your own pattern.
This is information, not a prescription. If you are managing a diagnosed condition or taking medication, talk to your doctor before making a large change to your diet.
Nutrition figures on this page come from standard food composition data. These links let you check the numbers and read the underlying research yourself rather than taking our word for it.