Toor Dal Recipe- Gujarati Style

recipe-dal-toor-gujarati

Dal is one thing that is cooked most often in Indian households. It is like a lentil soup or curry, but can have several variations; from Toor Dal to Chana Dal, Mung, Urad or even mixed Panchvati Dal, there is no end to how much you can customize! However, the taste and flavor of the Dal depends on the origin of the recipe, like this Toor Dal cooked in Gujarati style will be different from the Makhani Dal made in Northern India! But each Dal recipe is unique on its own, and makes for a healthy, filling dish that can be enjoyed with rice or bread.

Priya from Akshayapaatram asked for recipes that deck up on a wedding buffet table, and you might wonder how a simple recipe like Toor Daal fits the bill!! But let me tell you – any Gujarati wedding feast is incomplete without the traditional Vara ni Dal, or Toor Dal. It has a characteristic taste that comes from spices like cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves and fenugreek, and the Tadka is made of Ghee, instead of oil, giving it that rich velvety feel which keeps you getting up again for another cup of Dal! Try it, and you’ll see for yourself why this fuss-free recipe is so cherished even on wedding occasions.

Off this goes to deck the tables at JFI-Wedding Feasts, an event started by Indira, and also to Delicious Dals from India event, hosted by Suma.

Toor Dal (Vara ni Dal – Gujarati Style)

Ingredients
2 cups Tuver Dal
10-12 raw peanuts
1 tsp each of mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp methi seeds(dried fenugreek)
2-3 cloves (lavang)
5-6 curry leaves
3-4 pieces of dried kokum
1 tsp ginger-green chili paste
a pinch of asafoetida (hiing)
salt – to taste
sugar or jaggery – to taste
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder(dhana-jeeru powder)
lemon juice – to taste
1/2 tomato – chopped
3 tbsp coriander – chopped

Method
Take the tuver dal and pressure cook it (covered upto 5 whistles) with a little extra water to make it soft. Add the peanuts, jaggery and kokum in the cooker along with the dal.

Now take a saucepan, add some mustard and jeera seeds, black cloves, and a pinch of asafoetida. When the seeds start to splutter, add the cooked dal in the pan. Use a hand blender to make a thick soup and add water to achieve the consistency you like.

Now add salt, sugar, lemon juice(to taste), and all the dry spices. Add curry leaves, chopped tomatoes, green chili-ginger paste, half of the chopped coriander and bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower the flame, cover partially, and let it cook for another 8-10 mins.

Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves. Serve the traditional Gujarati Dal with a hot plate of Jeera Rice!

Related Recipes:
Dal Makhani
Panchvati Garlic Dal
Gujarati Kaddhi


Comments

  1. Looks so yumm. Thanks Mansi for sending over this lovely, Gujarati dal.

  2. Love this version Mansi!!

  3. Priyanka says:

    I’m Indian, but i dont like that much indian food… but i do love samosa!!! thats my favorite indian food!!!

  4. This looks fabulous!

  5. WOwo yummy dal!!

  6. Have always wanted to try toor dal this way.Nice of you to share this recipe. 🙂
    And you have a nice blog Mansi. 🙂

  7. baskaran – kokum should be available by that name anywhere in India; it is dried and blackish-brown in color…however, if you don’t get it, try using Amchur or Lemon juice, but not tamarind, as it wouldn’t be the typical gujarati taste otherwise:)

    I usually use lemon and tomatoes when I am out of Kokum:) hope this helps!

  8. How Kokum is called in Tamil. Can we substitue amchur or tamarind juice in place of Kokum
    Thanks
    Baskaran

  9. Thanks for dropping by Mansi! I’m a regular lurker at your blog…

    Love dal, especially gujju dal…will try this 🙂

  10. I love this dal. Nice presentation

  11. Thanks for the recipe Mansi. I have had something similar with Gujarati thali. Would love to try it now.

  12. wow, I loved the gujju dal that my friend made for us when we were in grad school! with your delicious-looking recipe, I’m going to try to see if I can recreate the magic:)

    ~nandita

  13. my favorite kind of Dal too! I love the pic, its so refreshing!:)

    -anjali