authentic gujarati dal (vegan & no onion no garlic)

Gujarati dal recipe with step by step photos – easy to make, mildly sweet and sour Gujarati dal recipe. No onion no garlic and a vegan dish.

Dal is a staple at home. So I often try various dal recipes. This Gujarati dal is one of those dal recipes that I make many times. Give us a bowl of hot steaming dal with some steamed rice and we don’t need anything else 🙂

Like most dal recipes, This Gujarati dal is also easy. the consistency of this dal is thin and has mild sweet & sour taste.

Sweetness comes from jaggery and sourness comes from kokums (garcinia indica). Kokums are not easily available everywhere, so I suggest to add lime juice or tamarind pulp in the dal.

Both the sweetness and sourness can be adjusted as per your taste. This recipe does not have peanuts. Sometimes I add them and sometimes I don’t. With or without peanuts, the dal always tastes good. Few more Gujarati dal recipes on the blog are:

• Khatti meethi dal
• Trevti dal
• Surati dal.

This Gujarati dal is best served with steamed rice. Accompany a vegetable dish or salad by the side.

How to make Gujarati dal

Cooking lentils

1. Take ¾ cup arhar dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils). First pick the arhar dal for stones etc. Then rinse the lentils thoroughly in running water for 4-5 times.

2. add the rinsed dal in a pressure cooker.

3. Add 2 to 2.5 cups water.

4. Pressure cook for 7 to 8 minutes on a medium to high flame.

5. The lentils have to be cooked completely.

6. Mash the dal very well with a wired whisk or with a spoon.

7. The lentils should be mashed very well.

8. Add green chili-ginger paste, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, 1.5 to 2 tbsp jaggery, salt as required, 3 to 4 dried kokums and 1 small sized chopped tomatoes (optional).

9. Stir.

10. Add 1.5 to 2 cups water.

11. Stir again and keep the dal back on the stovetop.

12. bring the dal to a simmer on a low flame for 7 to 8 minutes.

Tempering for Gujarati dal

13. For the tempering, heat 2 tbsp oil or ghee in a small pan. Crackle ½ tsp mustard seeds first and then add ½ tsp cumin.

14. Add 2 to 3 small dry red chilies, 3 to 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 8 to 10 curry leaves, a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing) and ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds. Stir and fry for some seconds till the red chilies change color.

15. Pour this tempering on the simmering dal.

16. Switch off the flame.

17. Add 1 tbsp coriander leaves.

18. Stir finally.

Serve Gujarati dal with steamed rice.

More dal recipes

• Dal makhani
• Dal fry
• Whole masoor dal
• Moong dal
• Chana dal

If you made this recipe, please be sure to rate it in the recipe card below. If you'd like more delicious Indian vegetarian recipes delivered straight to your inbox, Sign Up for my email newsletter. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest or Twitter for more vegetarian inspiration.

Save

Gujarati Dal

4.87 from 15 votes

By Dassana Amit

Gujarati dal is a mildly sweet and tangy thin tempered dal made with pigeon pea lentils.

Save Pin Print

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

---

Cuisine Gujarati

Course: Main Course

---

Servings 4 to 5

Units

Ingredients

for pressure cooking lentils

• ▢ ¾ cup arhar dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils)
• ▢ 2 to 2.5 cups water

other ingredients

• ▢ 1 small tomato chopped (optional)
• ▢ 1 or 2 green chilies + ½ inch ginger - crushed in a mortar pestle to a paste or about 1 teaspoon ginger green chili paste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ▢ 3 to 4 dried kokums * check notes
• ▢ 1.5 to 2 cups water or add as required
• ▢ 1.5 to 2 tablespoon organic powdered jaggery powder or grated jaggery or add as required
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
• ▢ salt as required

for tempering

• ▢ 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sabut methi (fenugreek seeds)
• ▢ 2 to 3 small dry red chilies or 2 regular to large dry red chili - halved and deseeded or kept whole
• ▢ 8 to 10 curry leaves
• ▢ a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• ▢ 3 to 4 cloves
• ▢ 1 inch cinnamon

Instructions

pressure cooking lentils

• First pick the arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils for stones etc. 
• Then rinse the lentils thoroughly in running water for 4-5 times.
• Add the rinsed dal in a pressure cooker. Add water. Pressure cook for 7 to 8 minutes on a medium to high flame.
• The lentils have to be cooked completely. 
• Mash the dal very well with a wired whisk or with a spoon. The lentils should be mashed very well.

making gujarati dal

• Add green chili-ginger paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander-cumin powder, jaggery, salt, tomato(optional) and kokums. Stir.
• Add water. Stir again and keep the dal back on the stove top.
• Bring the dal to a simmer on a low flame for 7 to 8 minutes.

for tempering gujarati dal

• Heat oil or ghee in a small pan. Crackle mustard seeds first and then add cumin.
• Add the dry red chilies, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves, asafoetida and fenugreek seeds. 
• Stir and fry for some seconds till the red chilies change color.
• Pour this tempering on the simmering dal. Switch off the flame.
• Add coriander leaves. Finally stir the dal.
• Serve gujarati dal with steamed rice.

Notes

In the absence of kokum, you can add about 1 tbsp lemon juice or as required in the dal. Add the lemon juice towards the end once the dal is done and then give a stir.

Like our videos? Then do follow and subscribe to us on youtube to get the latest Recipe Video updates.

Tried this recipe?If you have made the recipe and liked it then do share the recipe link on facebook, twitter & pinterest. For instagram mention @vegrecipesofindia and tag #vegrecipesofindia!

All our content & photos are copyright protected. Please do not copy. As a blogger, if you you want to adapt this recipe or make a youtube video, then please write the recipe in your own words and give a clickable link back to the recipe on this url.