How to Make Traditional Gujarati Dal: Mom’s Special Recipe
You just need 30 minutes to make this ultimate comfort rich dar bhat (Dal rice) that is my mom's special recipe.
Ingredients
For cooking lentils
- ¾ cup Tuvar Dal (Arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils)
- 1.5 to 2 cups water (see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Tempering and Flavouring
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (meethi dana)
- 2 whole dry red chili
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- 3 small tomatoes
- 1 handful peanuts or as desired
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (if you want spicy then use 1tsp)
- 1 teaspoon mom's dal masala (see note 2 for substitutes)
- 1.5 teaspoon salt or as needed
- ½ to 1 cup water, to cook all spices together
- 1 tablespoon jaggery (you can add more if you like it more sweeter)
- 1 tablespoon tamarind water, soaked in water and strained to remove pulp (see note 3 for substitutes)
- 1 handful fresh coriander to garnish
Instructions
Cook the Lentils
- Rinse tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils) couple items until the water runs clear.¾ 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 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon 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 tablespoon 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).¼ teaspoon mustard seeds (rai), ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (meethi dana), 2 whole dry red chili, ¼ teaspoon 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. Add salt.3 small tomatoes, 1.5 teaspoon salt or as needed
- Add peanuts and grate fresh ginger.1 handful peanuts or as desired, 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- Stir in red chili powder and dal masala. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring well to combine the spices.½ teaspoon red chili powder (if you want spicy then use 1tsp), 1 teaspoon mom's dal masala (see note 2 for substitutes)
- Transfer the spice blend mixture to the boiled dal in the cooker
- Add ½ to 1 cup water to adjust the consistency (Gujarati dal is usually medium - thin consistency and soupy). Stir to combine.½ to 1 cup water, to cook all spices together
- Add 1 tablespoon jaggery and 1 tablespoon tamarind water.1 tablespoon jaggery (you can add more if you like it more sweeter), 1 tablespoon tamarind water, soaked in water and strained to remove pulp (see note 3 for substitutes)
- 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 (rice crackers) 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 1 tsp of garam masala. Please note this will vary the results of the dal so if you can then I'd highly recommend using the spice blend or at least its whole spices listed as much as you have them.
- Tamarind Substitute: If you don’t have tamarinds, you can substitute it with lemon juice or 1.5 tablespoon soaked dried kokum water to achieve a similar tangy flavor.