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:
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
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Gujarati Dal
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
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I used tamarind instead of kokum but the taste was authentic, just like how I remember from Gujarati-style thaali restaurants. Instructions are spot on! Good job!
Thanks for the review and the rating. Yes, tamarind also works well in the recipe. Glad that the instructions were helpful.
AMAZING… I loved loved loved this recipe. I tried this multiple times. And even for guests. And it was absolute hit. No matter how much I make it. I never have anything leftover !!
I have made this thrice now
Accidentally added extra jaggery today, but it is still yummy
Thank you.
Your recipes have helped me a lot as I am a total newbie to cooking.
❤️❤️❤️
great and thank you bhanisha. i am glad that the recipes are helping you to cook good food.
most welcome and happy cooking.
you forgot one thing is jaggery
jaggery is added in the recipe. its also there in the photos as well as in the ingredient list and stepwise instructions. i have also mentioned about jaggery in the main content of the post.
I’ve been using your recipes for quite some time now, and I realised that not only does my food taste better, but also I have fallen in love with cooking again. Thanks for the clear, detailed instructions and the step by step photos : they really help a lot!
Looking forward to many more recipes from you 🙂
welcome girija. nice to know this. thanks for sharing this encouraging feedback on recipes.