Here is a simple recipe for Gujarati Dal, a delicious lentil soup popular in Gujarati cuisine:
Component
- 1 cup toor dal
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium sized tomato, chopped
- 1 small green chilli, cut lengthwise
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon jaggery or brown sugar Salt as per taste
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin
- a pinch of asafoetida
- 6-8 curry leaves
- 2-3 whole dry red chillies
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- Fresh coriander for garnishing
Instruction
Wash the toor dal under running water until the water runs clear. Soak the lentils in water for about 15 minutes. Drain the water and keep the dal aside.
In a pressure cooker or deep saucepan, add soaked toor dal, water, chopped tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder (if desired), grated ginger, jaggery or brown sugar and salt.
mix well. If using a pressure cooker, close the lid and cook the dal on medium flame for about 3-4 whistles.
If using a saucepan, cover it with a lid and cook until the lentils are soft and mushy (about 20-25 minutes).
Once the dal is cooked, you can adjust the consistency by adding more water if needed. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to lightly mash the lentils.
In a separate small pan, heat ghee or oil for tempering. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves and dry red chilli.
Fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Add cumin powder and coriander powder to the tempering and stir for a few seconds.
Pour the tadka over the cooked dal and mix well. Boil the dal on low flame for 2-3 minutes so that the flavors get mixed together.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve Gujarati Dal with hot rice or roti.
This vegetable goes well with curry or pickle. Enjoy your home made Gujarati Dal.
