Gujarati Dal
- Serves
- 2
Gujarati dal is a culinary wonder, hot, spicy and sweet at the same time. Pour over white rice with a dollop of ghee and you will not want anything else... in life!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (118 grams) split pigeon peas (toor dal)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup (43 grams) raw peanuts
- 1 medium Roma tomato (100 grams), diced
- 2 piece kokam pods (or 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 teaspoon (12 grams) crushed or grated jaggery (or brown sugar)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon red chile powder
- 1 pinch asafetida
- 2 cloves
- 1 serrano pepper or Thai chile pepper, minced (optional)
- 5 to 6 fresh curry leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
- White rice and ghee, for serving
Featured Video
Directions
- Step 1
Wash the split pigeon peas thoroughly, till the water used to wash them runs clear. Add 1 cup water to the rinsed pigeon peas, add peanuts, and cook in pressure cooker till fully cooked. If you don't have a pressure cooker, pour rinsed pigeon peas in a pot. Add 2 cups water, peanuts, and cook on medium heat for about 45 minutes, or till the peas become soft enough to whisk into a mush.
- Step 2
If you've used a pressure cooker, take the peas out of the pressure cooker, pour into another pot, mix with a whisk, add ground turmeric, and stir. Add about 1 cup water to this mix and turn the heat on. If you've cooked the peas in a pot, whisk in the same pot, add turmeric, 1 cup water, and return to medium heat again.
- Step 3
Stir in diced tomatoes, kokam pods (or tamarind paste), salt, jaggery, and lime juice.
- Step 4
While the peas are cooking, take another small pan and put it on medium heat. After 3 to 4 minutes, add vegetable oil, followed by mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
- Step 5
Once the seeds stop popping, turn the heat down to low and add curry leaves, chile peppers, coriander powder, and red chile powder, asafetida, and cloves.
- Step 6
Turn the heat off and add this spiced oil to the dal. Be careful while adding the hot oil to the boiling dal.
- Step 7
Let the dal come to a rolling boil, add cilantro, and turn the heat off.
- Step 8
Eat with white rice and a dollop of ghee.