Gujarati Dal Recipe

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 20 min

Serves: 5

Main Ingredients: tur dal jaggery

Ingredients

• Tur dal - 1/2 cup (kandi pappu/split pigeon peas)
• Peanuts - fistful, raw
• Tomato - 1, medium, finely chopped
• Jaggery - 1 tbsp to 1 1/2 tbsps, grated
• Green chilis - 2, slit
• Ginger - 1", finely minced
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 to 1 1/2 tbsps or 1/2 tsp amchur powder or 2 pieces of dried kokum or 3/4 tbsp tamarind paste
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves to garnish
• For poppu/tempering/tadka:
• Oil - 1 tbsp OR ghee
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp (methi/menthulu)
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Dry red chilis - 1 or 2, tear, de-seed
• Cinnnamon stick - 1"
• Bay leaf - 1
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method

1. Wash tur dal, add one cup water to the dal and pressure cook upto 4 whistles. Once the pressure eases, transfer the dal to a deep vessel and mash it with a masher.
2. To the mashed dal, add 3 cups of water, raw peanuts, turmeric powder, red chili powder, minced ginger, green chilies, chopped tomatoes, jaggery and salt to taste and simmer for 12-15 mts on low medium flame. Keep stirring in between.
3. Heat oil or ghee in a small pan. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilis, bay leaf, cinnamon stick. asafoetida and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds till the fenugreek seeds turns red and the cumin turns brown. Turn off flame.
4. Pour the tempering into the simmering dal and mix. Add lemon juice and mix. Taste the dal. It should have spicy tangy and sweet flavors. Adjust red chili powder, lemon juice and jaggery accordingly. Turn off flame
5. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with roti or rice.

Tips

• Dried dates are also used to sweeten the dal in place of jaggery.
• You can add 1/2 tsp of cumin-coriander powder.
• 2 cloves and a star anise can be added at the time of tempering.
• Do not cook the dal after adding the lemon juice.
• If adding tamarind paste or kokum, add them after the dal simmers for 5 mts.
• Ensure the dal is completely mashed before proceeding to prepare the dal. Add enough water to the mashed dal. This is not a thick dal but slightly thinner in consistency.
• For a tangy flavor, add more lemon juice and adjust jaggery according to your preference.
• There are a few other versions where 2 to 3 types of dal like chana dal and split green gram are also added along with tuvar dal.