This is one of my FAVOURITE recipes to share – Dal for me is an emotion, a comforting satisfying soul food that takes me back to my childhood sitting in my grandparents house having darr bhat (dal-rice). Honestly I love all kinds of dals so much especially this Gujarati dal that I grew up having made by my mom and It was and still is one of the most missed dish of hers since I moved to Canada, I remember making it again and again and always felt something lacking because it just wouldn’t taste like hers, I’m sure we all experienced this. At last after multiple tries I believe I finally have it closest to my mom’s dal and I’ve had my partner say is just like my mom’s which to me is the biggest compliment I can get haha and I also know a couple of my previous roommates also really loved this dal so I want to share it with you all and I will also share her secret spice blend to help you make it amazingly finger licking in the first try!
💌 Why I Love This Recipe
- Comforting: A hug in a bowl when you add hot piping dal to rice and top it with some ghee. I also love it with a dollop of cold yogurt which might sound weird but tastes so good when paired with a hot bowl of dal rice.
- Quick and Easy: Gujarati dal is really easy with minimal cooking needed than other dals.
- Complete meal: When combined together its packed with complete protein profile making it a healthy meal and is also easy to digest.
- Customizable: Just like any dal, the process and steps are entirely customizable and can be adjusted to taste
What does Gujarati Dal TASTE like?
Gujarati dal is made using Pidgeon Peas aka yellow lentils (Tuvar or Arhar dal) and is a staple dal in Gujarat. It is a very special dal because it combines all flavour profiles, its sweet, spicy, tangy and slight bitter – bursting with so many flavours in every slurp of this dal. It is also a vegan recipe with no onion garlic which is common in most Guajarati dishes.
🛒 INGREDIENTS:
🔑ESSENTIALS for Gujarati Dal:
Toor Dal/ Arhar Dal: This is a very common lentil in Indian cooking that you can find in any Indian grocery store.
Tomatoes: This add the flavouring to the dal for that sweet, tarty and tangy flavour.
Peanuts: This is a must to add in gujarati dal for that added nuttiness texture.
Spices: The spiciness comes from the red chili powder, tanginess from kokum and the tomatoes, and the sweetness is from the jaggery. The Mustard and fenugreek seeds give that slight bitter and pungent taste which is essential to balance it all. Ginger adds that warmth and comforting blend.
Mom’s secret spice blend (Dal Masala): My mom’s Gujarati dal Masala is a big hit to this recipe in fact whoever she’s shared this with would keep asking for the recipe every time they’d go out of stock so you definitely need to add this for that authentic Guajarati dal experience. Click here to view it.
TIP: If you don’t have the time to make the Dal Masala then simply use whole spices that I have listed in that post or alternatively you can use garam masala instead.
👣 STEP-BY-STEP: A Quick Recipe Snapshot
Tempering:
- Step 1: Once Oil is hot, add mustard seeds and let it splutter
- Step 2: Add fenugreek seeds and let is brown
- Step 3: Add dry red chili
- Step 4: Add Asafoetida aka Hing
Flavouring:
- Step 5: Add chopped tomatoes
- Step 6: Add spice blends (see notes)
- Step 7: Add peanuts and Kokum
- Step 8: Add water
Assembly/Final steps:
- Step 9: Add boiled lentils (see notes) and add more water to make it medium-thin consistency
- Step 10: Add jaggery
- Step 11: Grate an inch ginger
- Step 12: Add chopped cilantro and let it boil
How to Make Traditional Gujarati Dal: Mom’s Special Recipe
Ingredients
For cooking lentils
- 3/4 cup Tuvar Dal (Arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils)
- 1.5 to 2 cups water (see note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Tempering and Flavouring:
- 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (meethi dana)
- 2 dry red chili
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 2 small to medium tomatoes
- 1 tbsp red chili powder
- 1.5 tsp mom's dal masala (see note 2 for substitutes)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 handful peanuts, soaked in water for at least 30 mins
- 3 to 4 dried kokum, soaked in water for at least 30 mins (see note 3 for substitutes)
- salt as required
- 1/2 to 1 cup water, to cook all spices together
- 1 tbsp jaggery (you can add more if you like it more sweeter)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 handful fresh coriander to garnish
Instructions
Cook the Lentils:
- Rinse tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils) couple items until the water runs clear.3/4 cup Tuvar Dal (Arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils)
- In a pressure cooker, add the rinsed dal, water, salt, and turmeric powder.1.5 to 2 cups water (see note 1), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- Close the lid and cook on medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 whistles, or until the dal is soft and fully cooked.
- Once done, let the pressure release naturally, then open the lid and whisk the dal or use a hand blender until smooth. Set aside.
Tempering and Next Steps:
- In a large pot, heat 1-2 tbsp oil on medium heat.
- Add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add fenugreek seeds and once they slightly brown up add dry red chilies, and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).1 tsp mustard seeds (rai), 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (meethi dana), 2 dry red chili, 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
- Sauté for a few seconds until the spices are fragrant but be careful not to burn the fenugreek seeds.
- Add chopped tomatoes to the tempering and cook until soft and mushy.2 small to medium tomatoes
- Stir in red chili powder, dal masala, and garam masala. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring well to combine the spices.1 tbsp red chili powder, 1.5 tsp mom's dal masala (see note 2 for substitutes), 1 tsp garam masala
- Drain the soaked peanuts and kokum, then add them to the pot with the spices and mix well.1 handful peanuts, soaked in water for at least 30 mins, 3 to 4 dried kokum, soaked in water for at least 30 mins (see note 3 for substitutes)
- Add the cooked dal to the pot.
- Add 1/2 to 1 cup water to adjust the consistency (Gujarati dal is usually medium – thin consistency and soupy). Stir to combine.
- Add 1 tbsp jaggery (or more if you prefer a sweeter taste).
- Add Salt to taste.
- Grate fresh ginger directly into the dal.1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- Stir and simmer for about 10-15 minutes on low heat, allowing the flavors to meld together.
Garnish and Serve:
- Once the dal reaches your desired flavor and consistency, garnish with a generous handful of fresh coriander leaves.1 handful fresh coriander to garnish
- Serve hot with rice or rotis topped with ghee if you are not vegan. Alternatively you can also add yogurt to it which makes it creamy and tangy – I really love this combination as well
- You can also have pickles or papdi on the side
Notes
- Adjusting Water for Lentils: Depending on the age of the tuvar dal, it may soak up more or less water. Older dal tends to require more water for cooking. Feel free to adjust water quantity as needed. Ideally you want to use a 1:2 ratio for cooking dal but you can adjust more and that is okay for Gujarati dal as we anyway need it to be blended and smooth with a medium – thin consistency so more water will not hurt this recipe.
- Dal Masala Substitute: If you don’t have time to make dal masala, you can substitute it with an additional 1 tsp of garam masala.
- Kokum Substitute: If you don’t have kokum, you can substitute it with 1.5 tbsp lemon juice or 1.5 tbsp soaked tamarind pulp water to achieve a similar tangy flavor.
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