White Lentil Recipe with Cumin and Dried Red Chilies (Only 6 Ingredients)

White lentils are one of the fastest-cooking lentils you can have in the pantry. Yesterday, I was in a hurry, and I had these, and I also wanted something quick, warm, and filling for dinner.

So I cooked them in about ten minutes with just oil, cumin, dried red chilies, and salt, and ate them with bread. 

If you want a quick lentil recipe that comes together with whatever’s already around, go with these white lentils. 

Ingredients

• 200g white lentils
• 50g oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 7 to 8 dried red chilies, cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 glass of water (around 250ml)

Wash and Soak the Lentils, Then Prepare Spice

Wash the lentils under cold running water until the water runs clear, then put the lentils in a bowl, cover with water, and soak for 10 minutes. 

While they’re sitting, cut the dried red chilies into small pieces and put everything on a plate with the cumin seeds and salt; keeping it organized saves scrambling once the pan is hot.

You’ll only need to soak them for 10 minutes because they’re already split and hulled (unlike whole lentils. 

Fry the Cumin and Chilies

Heat the oil in a pan or pot (I used a pot) on medium flame until it’s properly hot. 

Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds, then drop in the cut red chilies right after. 

Let both fry for about 30 to 45 seconds, stirring once, until the chilies darken slightly and you can see their color bleeding into the oil.

Medium flame is the right heat for this step; if it’s too high, the cumin will burn before you add chilies, and burned cumin has a bitterness that will run through your whole dish. 

However, get the oil hot first, then add the cumin, and move to the chilies quickly.

Add the Lentils, Water, and Salt, Then Cook for 10 Minutes

Drain the soaked lentils and add them to the pan with the tempering.

Pour in one glass of water (around 250ml) and add the salt. 

Stir everything together, bring it to a boil, then lower the flame slightly, put a lid on, and cook for 10 minutes. 

Check once halfway through and give it a stir so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

After 10 minutes, most of the water will be absorbed, and the lentils will be soft and thick. 

If there’s still liquid sitting in the pan, take the lid off and let it cook a little more, like 1 or 2 minutes, to reduce. You’ll want lentils thick enough to scoop with bread.

Why White Lentils Cook So Quickly

Splitting and hulling removes the tough outer skin that makes other lentils take 30 to 40 minutes on the stovetop. 

Without that skin, water gets into the grain quickly, plus when you soak it for 10 minutes, it also makes it cook faster because the lentils are already hydrated before they hit the hot oil. 

A whole lentil in the same situation would still need a pressure cooker at the 10-minute mark. 

What to Eat These With

Bread is the simplest option, which is what I had these with, and any plain bread works here: white sandwich bread, a thick slice from a loaf, whatever is available. 

The lentils are saucy enough to scoop but thick enough to stay on the bread, so it’s an easy match. 

Roti and chapati work the same way, and you can serve them alongside a vegetable dish if you want to turn it into a more complete meal.

Besides this, you can use rice too, especially when you want something more filling or when making it for lunch. 

Serve the lentils on top or on the side, the way you would with any thin lentil preparation over rice.

However, if you’re after something with a deeper, more layered lentil base that takes more time, you can make a whole brown lentil with rice recipe.

One More Dish to Round Out the Meal

These lentils with bread make a complete meal on their own, but if you want to put a bit more on the table, one extra dish covers it. 

This yellow rice with potato recipe will taste good here because the mild spicing of the rice won’t compete with the cumin and chili from the lentils. 

Spoon the lentils over the rice, and both can be cooked at a similar time. If you’d rather keep it simple, just serve the lentils over plain rice instead and skip the extra cooking.

Additions That Change the Flavor Without Much Extra Time

This recipe is good as it is, but you can use a few things to change the flavor direction without adding more than a minute or two. 

You can add three or four cloves of garlic, chopped, into the oil right after the cumin and before the chilies. 

Garlic fries in about a minute, and it’ll give the whole dish a savory depth that the plain version doesn’t have. 

Besides this, you can stir a pinch of turmeric in with the salt; it’ll add an earthy warmth and turn the lentils a soft yellow.

For sourness, squeeze half a lemon over the finished lentils just before serving; it’ll cut through the oil’s richness and lift the flavor without any extra cooking. 

You can add a small chopped tomato after the cumin and chilies; it’ll take about two minutes to soften down before you add the lentils, and it will make your dish a little thicker and more tangy. 

Scattered fresh coriander over the top just before serving is optional (I did it, and do in most recipes) as it adds freshness.

Tips for Getting It Right

The most common thing that goes wrong with this recipe is the tempering burning before adding the lentils, so keep the flame at medium and don’t leave the pan. 

It takes 30 seconds for cumin to go from crackling to bitter; if the heat is too high, you can’t fix it once that happens. 

That’s why I recommend you start the oil properly hot, add the cumin, and get the chilies in immediately after the crackling starts.

Salt is the only seasoning here apart from the tempering, so taste before you take it off the heat and adjust. 

Because the lentils will absorb salt as they cook, what tasted right in the water can end up slightly undersalted in the finished dish.

You can start with 1 teaspoon, and continue to add based on your taste.

Tip: I’ve ruined my recipes many times by adding too much salt, so I’ve learned one thing: I’ll add less salt at the beginning and cook the food. If it turns out bland, I can always add more salt later and adjust it. But if I add too much salt, I’ll have to add water or make several other adjustments, which I don’t want to do with every recipe.

Also, if you want the lentils to stay a little looser (for serving over rice, for example), hold back a splash of the water and add it at the end after the cook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip soaking the lentils?

You can, but then you’ll have to cook for about 15 minutes, and the texture can be uneven, with some grains softer than others. 

With a 10-minute soak, the lentils cook consistently and stay at the 10-minute mark reliably. 

How spicy is this with 7 to 8 dried red chilies?

It has a clear heat, but it’s not overwhelming for most people (by North Indian home cooking standards, this is on the milder side of moderate). 

If you want it less hot, you can use 4 to 5 chilies, and if you want more, add a couple of fresh green chilies alongside the dried ones. 

Remember that seeds carry most of the heat, so if you’re using very potent dried chilies, remove some of the seeds before cutting them.

What if the lentils dry out before they’re fully cooked?

You have to add a small splash of water, stir it through, and cover for another minute or two. 

White lentils absorb water quickly, so this happens if the flame is running higher than medium. 

Keeping the lid on during the cook holds most of the moisture in, but a small top-up is an easy fix if needed.

But you should go slowly with the added water and check after a minute, because these lentils thicken too fast.

Can I use a different oil?

Yes, any cooking oil will work; I used mustard oil to add a sharp edge that some prefer with lentils. 

Besides this, you can have Ghee if you want a richer, buttery finish, and it is a common choice for this type of simple preparation. 

Regular neutral oil (sunflower, vegetable) is also good, as it lets the cumin and chili flavor carry through without competition.