Gujarati khatti meethi dal aka Gujarati toor dal recipe is a healthy and comforting dal recipe which is frequently prepared in Gujarati houses. This toor dal recipe is mildly spicy along with slightly sweet and tangy in taste. In this preparation, toor dal aka split pigeon peas and yellow lentils are pressure cooked till soft and then cooked with peanuts, tomatoes, ginger paste, coriander leaves, tamarind water, jaggery and some specific spices. It is mostly relished with steamed rice but can be accompanied by flat bread like roti. It is a very simple and easy recipe which makes it easily adaptable to a regular diet.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Health Benefits of Toor dal
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Gujarati dal (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
About the recipe
Dal aka lentils is the most common staple which is a superb source of protein in the Indian diet. There are myriad dal recipes prepared every day in each house in India. Whether it’s lunch or dinner, a bowl of comforting dal is always there on the dining table. Khatti meethi dal is one of them which got the regional taste and flavour of Gujarat.
Toor dal or Tur dal is known by many different names. In a few places, it is famous as Arhar dal and in a few other places, it is also referred to as Tuvar dal. In English, it is referred to as split pigeon peas. Many classic Indian dishes are prepared with this dal. There are hundreds of dal recipes that are prepared with this Arhar dal.
Toor dal is a versatile legume and many other recipes are prepared with it other than dal recipes like vegetable curry, stuffing, pakoda etc.
I never tried Gujarati khatti meethi dal until one of my Gujarati friends asked me for dinner at her place. I just loved the preparation and asked her about the dish. Then she explained to me that recipe for Gujarati dal is one of their staple food and they prepare it frequently in-house.
After that, I prepared the dish at home and everyone loved it. Since then the Gujarati khatti meethi dal has become our family favourite and I often prepare this recipe at home for weekday lunch.
Why you will love this dal recipe
- It is super delectable and easy to make
- Healthy & nutritious
- High source of protein and fibre
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
- It is a no-onion no garlic recipe
- A versatile dish which can be paired up with rice or flatbread.
Gujarati khatti meethi dal is a very simple and easy-to-make recipe. The difficulty level of cooking this recipe is very low which makes it perfect for beginners. It gets prepared with very common ingredients which are readily available in any Indian kitchen pantry. The best part of the recipe is that it gets prepared very quickly without investing much time.
Gujarati dal ingredients
Toor dal: The primary component of the recipe. Any dal can be used for the recipe but toor dal works best.
Ginger paste: This is one of the most common ingredients used to give texture and to flavour the dal.
Tomato: The addition of tomatoes adds a slight tanginess and enhances the taste of the dish.
Green chillies: It adds a heaty taste and refreshing flavour to the dish.
Coriander leaves & curry leaves: Coriander leaves are added at the final stage of cooking the dal. It adds a nice flavour to the dal. On the other hand curry leaves are used during the time of tempering the whole spices at the initial stage of cooking.
Peanuts: The addition of peanuts is completely optional but enhances the flavour and taste of the dal.
Tamarind water: It adds tanginess to the dal. If you don’t have tamarind then you can use lemon juice instead of it.
Jaggery: The addition of jaggery gives a sweet taste to the dal and balances the tangy taste.
Whole spices & hing: Add whole spices like cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves and hing aka asafoetida into the oil for tempering. These spices induce a nice aroma to the dal. So, try not to skip any of these whole spices.
Ground spices: Other than whole spices, I have used ground spices turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder for the recipe. All the spices help to develop a nice flavour and taste for the dish.
Salt: The most important ingredient which adds saltiness to the dish.
Oil or clarified butter: You can use either ghee or oil to cook this dal. It’s completely up to you. I have used oil to keep the recipe vegan-friendly.
Water: Water is used to cook the dal and to adjust the consistency of the dish.
Gujarati khatti meethi dal with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section. I have included all the tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the recipe and the hero ingredient of the recipe ‘Toor dal’.
Health Benefits of Toor dal (split pigeon peas)
- Toor dal (split pigeon peas) is one of the healthiest dals. It contains folic acid, which is very important for a woman’s body, especially if she is planning to conceive.
- It contains folic acid which prevents many birth defects in children.
- It is a great source of fibre, protein and carbohydrates.
- It is very healthy for growing children. Regular consumption of Toor dal can reduce many health risks.
Tips to prepare perfect Gujarati dal
- Soak the split pigeon peas in enough water for at least 1 hour.
- Pressure cook the dal till soft and not al dente for better flavour.
- Whisk the dal till smooth with a wired whisker or hand blender.
- The addition of too much spice can spoil the real taste of the recipe. I have used very limited spices for the recipe.
- The consistency of the dal is neither too thick nor too runny. But you can adjust the consistency according to your own choice.
- You can adjust the green chillies, red chilli powder and dry red chilli according to your own preferred taste.
- You can adjust the amount of tamarind and jaggery according to your own preference.
How to make Gujarati dal?
To prepare Gujarati khatti meethi dal, it is very important to soak the dal. Take ½ cup of toor dal and wash it properly. Soak the dal for at least 1 hour. Then, drain the excess water and add fresh water to the lentil. Wash the dal again and drain the excess water.
Transfer the dal to a cooker. Add 1½ cup water, 1 teaspoon salt and give a stir. Close the lid of the cooker and put it over medium flame. Cook it till 5 whistles and allow the pressure to release on its own.
Then make a smooth paste of the dal either with a wired whisker or with a hand blender. Keep the dal aside.
Take a bowl and add tamarind to it. Add hot water and soak it for 15 minutes. Mash the tamarind and strain out the tamarind water in a separate bowl. Keep it aside.
Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot. Temper the whole spices – cloves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and let them crackle. Then add hing and give a quick stir.
Add ½ tablespoon ginger paste, 10-12 curry leaves and give a quick mix. Cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
Add roasted peanuts and cook it on low flame for a minute. If you are using raw peanuts then fry it before using.
Add tomatoes, 2-3 green chillies and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a couple of minutes.
Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Stir it in between.
Add tamarind water to the pan and give a stir. Add jaggery and cook it until the tomatoes become mushy.
Add the boiled smooth dal mixture into the pan and mix it well. Add 1 cup water to the pan and give a nice stir. Put the flame on high and allow the dal to boil. Then turn the flame low and cover the dal. Cook the dal until you get the desired consistency.
Add garam masala powder into the pan and mix it. At the final stage add chopped coriander leaves and mix it. Check the salt of the dal and add more if required. Switch off the flame. Now the Gujarati toor dal recipe is ready to serve.
I have already shared many dal recipe Indian in my previous posts. I hope you may like a few of those recipes like
Dal fry
Dal makhani
Moong dal tadka
Kali dal
Dhuli urad dal no onion no garlic
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
To pressure cook the dal
- ½ cup Toor dal (Split pigeon peas)
- 1½ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Salt
For tamarind water
- 10 grams Tamarind
- ¼ cup Water
Other ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Peanuts, roasted and peeled
- 1 large Tomato
- ½ tablespoon Ginger paste
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 3 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 10-12 Curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds (Sarso)
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
- 4 Cloves (Laung)
- 2 inches Cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon Jaggery
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Oil or Ghee (Clarified butter)
- 1 cup Water, adjust according to desire consistency
Instructions:
- Take ½ cup of toor dal and wash it properly. Soak the dal for at least 1 hour. Then, drain the excess water and add fresh water to the lentil. Wash the dal again and drain the excess water.
- Transfer the dal to a cooker. Add 1½ cup water, 1 teaspoon salt and give a stir. Close the lid of the cooker and put it over medium flame.
- Cook it till 5 whistles and allow the pressure to release on its own.
- Make the dal smooth either with a wired whisker or with a hand blender. Keep the dal aside.
- Take a bowl and add 10 gm tamarind into it. Add ¼ cup hot water and soak it for 15 minutes. Mash the tamarind and strain out the tamarind water in a separate bowl. Keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Temper the whole spices – 4 cloves, 2 inches cinnamon stick, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle. Then add ¼ teaspoon hing and give a quick stir.
- Add ½ tablespoon ginger paste, 10-12 curry leaves and give a quick mix. Cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Add 3 tablespoons of roasted peanuts and cook it on low flame for a minute. If you are using raw peanuts then fry it before using.
- Add tomatoes, 2-3 green chillies and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a couple of minutes.
- Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Stir it in between.
- Add tamarind water (Step 4) into the pan and give a stir.
- Add 1½ tablespoon jaggery and cook it until the tomatoes become mushy.
- Add the boiled smooth dal (Step 3) into the pan and mix it well.
- Add 1 cup water to the pan and give a nice stir. Put the flame on high and allow the dal to boil. Then turn the flame low and cover the dal. Cook the dal until you get the desired consistency.
- Add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder into the pan and mix it.
- At the final stage, add 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and mix it. Check the salt of the dal and add more if required.
- Switch off the flame. Now the Gujarati toor dal recipe is ready to serve.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the Gujarati khatti meethi dal into a serving bowl. Serve the dal hot or warm to enjoy the best taste. Pair up the delectable dal with steamed rice or with flatbread like roti and enjoy your comforting Gujarati meal.
Ingredients
To pressure cook the dal
- ½ cup Toor dal (Split pigeon peas)
- 1½ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Salt
For tamarind water
- 10 grams Tamarind
- ¼ cup Water
Other ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Peanuts, roasted and peeled
- 1 large Tomato
- ½ tablespoon Ginger paste
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 3 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 10-12 Curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds (Sarso)
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
- 4 Cloves (Laung)
- 2 inches Cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon Jaggery
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Oil or Ghee (Clarified butter)
- 1 cup Water, adjust according to desire consistency
Instructions
- Take ½ cup of toor dal and wash it properly. Soak the dal for at least 1 hour. Then, drain the excess water and add fresh water to the lentil. Wash the dal again and drain the excess water.
- Transfer the dal to a cooker. Add 1½ cup water, 1 teaspoon salt and give a stir. Close the lid of the cooker and put it over medium flame.
- Cook it till 5 whistles and allow the pressure to release on its own.
- Make the dal smooth either with a wired whisker or with a hand blender. Keep the dal aside.
- Take a bowl and add 10 gm tamarind into it. Add ¼ cup hot water and soak it for 15 minutes. Mash the tamarind and strain out the tamarind water in a separate bowl. Keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Temper the whole spices – 4 cloves, 2 inches cinnamon stick, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle. Then add ¼ teaspoon hing and give a quick stir.
- Add ½ tablespoon ginger paste, 10-12 curry leaves and give a quick mix. Cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Add 3 tablespoons of roasted peanuts and cook it on low flame for a minute. If you are using raw peanuts then fry it before using.
- Add tomatoes, 2-3 green chillies and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a couple of minutes.
- Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Stir it in between.
- Add tamarind water (Step 4) into the pan and give a stir.
- Add 1½ tablespoon jaggery and cook it until the tomatoes become mushy.
- Add the boiled smooth dal (Step 3) into the pan and mix it well.
- Add 1 cup water to the pan and give a nice stir. Put the flame on high and allow the dal to boil. Then turn the flame low and cover the dal. Cook the dal until you get the desired consistency.
- Add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder into the pan and mix it.
- At the final stage, add 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and mix it. Check the salt of the dal and add more if required.
- Switch off the flame. Now the Gujarati toor dal recipe is ready to serve.
