Cook Dal Faster: 6 Smart Kitchen Hacks for Delicious, Quick Dal

• Lightly roast dal for 2-3 minutes before cooking to reduce moisture and speed up softening, adding a nutty flavor.
• Choose smaller or split dals like masoor, moong, or toor for quicker cooking compared to whole dals.
• Lightly mash dal after 10-15 minutes of cooking to break down grains and thicken it faster.
• Add salt when dal is almost cooked; adding it too early can harden the outer layer and delay softening.
• Introduce sour ingredients like tomatoes or tamarind later, during tempering, to avoid delaying dal's cooking time.
• A tiny pinch of baking soda can significantly speed up dal cooking, but use sparingly to avoid altering taste.