Gujarati Dal Recipe (Khatti Meethi Dal)

gujarati dal in a black rimmed bowl on a white and yellow linen napkin.

4.86 from 27 votes

Gujarati Dal Recipe (Khatti Meethi Dal)

Gujarati Dal is a flavorful lentil curry made with toor dal, herbs and spices. Jaggery adds sweetness while tamarind gives a light tang. The dal has a thin, comforting consistency. Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Gujarati

Diet: Vegan

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 191kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

For cooking lentils

¾ cup arhar dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils)
2 to 2.5 cups water or add as needed

Other ingredients

1 tomato small-sized, 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 point 3 in notes
1.5 to 2 cups water or add as required, to be added later
1.5 to 2 tablespoon organic powdered jaggery powder or grated jaggery or add as required
1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
salt as required

For tempering

2 tablespoon oil or add Ghee if you prefer
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
2 to 3 dry red chilies small-sized or 2 regular to large dry red chili - halved and deseeded or kept whole
8 to 10 curry leaves
1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
3 to 4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

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 to 5 times.
Add the rinsed dal in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add water. Pressure cook for 7 to 8 minutes on a medium to high heat.
Read on below in the notes section on cooking lentils in the Instant pot or in a pan.
The lentils have to be cooked completely and softened really well.
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. Mix well.
Add water to get a medium to medium-thin consistency. Mix again and keep the cooker back on the stove top.
Bring the dal to a simmer on a low heat for 7 to 8 minutes stirring often.

For tempering

Heat oil or ghee in a small pan. Crackle mustard seeds first and then add cumin seeds.
Add the dry red chilies, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves, asafoetida and fenugreek seeds.
Stir and fry for some seconds until the red chilies change color.
Carefully, pour this tempering mixture together with the oil in the simmering dal. Switch off the heat.
Add coriander leaves. Finally stir the dal.
Serve piping hot gujarati dal with steamed rice.

Serving Suggestions

Gujarati dal is best served with hot steamed rice. Drizzle a bit of ghee on the dal if you like. Have a complete meal by pairing the dal and rice with a side of any Indian vegetable dish or salad or raita or a plain yogurt.
You can relish the dal with some soft roti or crispy paratha or even bread or dinner rolls (pav).

Storage

It is best to eat Gujarati dal when freshly cooked. Lentils always taste best when served hot and as soon as they are cooked. If you have leftovers, then store in the refrigerator and try to consume the same day or at the most next day.
Dal when refrigerated, will thicken with a change in flavor and taste. Refrigerated dal does not taste as better or good than freshly cooked dal. Moreover I suggest that for health reasons, it is best to eat dal the day it is made.

Notes

Lentils: Gujarati dal is usually made with tur dal, but you can use moong dal or masoor dal. A mix of different lentils also works well. I prefer unpolished tur dal for better taste and overall nutrition.

Gluten-free option: Asafoetida adds a light onion and garlic note. If you avoid gluten, skip it. You can add ¼ to ⅓ cup chopped onions and ½ to 1 teaspoon chopped garlic while cooking the lentils, or use a certified gluten-free asafoetida.

Kokum substitutes: Replace kokum with 1 to 2 teaspoons unsweetened tamarind pulp or 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice. If using lemon juice, add it after the tempering goes into the dal.

Scaling: Double or halve the recipe depending on how much you need.

Nutrition