Bean

Gujarati Dal

by:
March 31, 2017
4
4 Ratings
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

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! —Annada Rathi

What You'll Need
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 pieces kokam pods (or 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons (12 grams) crushed or grated jaggery (or brown sugar)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons 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
Directions
  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.
  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.
  3. Stir in diced tomatoes, kokam pods (or tamarind paste), salt, jaggery, and lime juice.
  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.
  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.
  6. Turn the heat off and add this spiced oil to the dal. Be careful while adding the hot oil to the boiling dal.
  7. Let the dal come to a rolling boil, add cilantro, and turn the heat off.
  8. Eat with white rice and a dollop of ghee.
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Annada Rathi
To some people's frustration, I like to talk about food before cooking, while cooking, while eating and of course after eating.

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