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

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Gujarati Dal

4.86 from 14 votes

By Dassana Amit

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

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

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Cuisine Gujarati

Course: Main Course

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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.

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