Gujarati Khatti Meethi Dal
A Gujarati staple- flavourfully balanced sweet, sour and spicy dal.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
for cooking dal
- ½ cup Toor Dal/ Pigeon Peas
- 2 to 2.5 cups water for pressure cooking
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger green chili paste
- 2 tablespoons peanuts
- 1 to 1.5 cups water to be added later
- 2 tablespoons organic jaggery powder or grated jaggery
- 3 to 4 pieces dried kokum
- salt as required
for tempering
- 1.5 tablespoons ghee
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
- 2 to 3 small dry red chilies
- 3 to 4 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 pinch asafoetida
Instructions
for cooking dal
- Rinse the lentils thoroughly in running water 2 to 3 times.
- Add the dal in a pressure cooker along with 2 to 2.5 cups water, turmeric, ginger-green chili paste and peanuts.
- Pressure cook for 7 to 8 minutes on a medium flame till the dal has turned mushy and cooked very well.
- Mash the dal with a wooden spoon. Then add 1 to 1.5 cups water to the dal.
- Add the jaggery powder, kokum and salt and simmer the dal for 7 to 8 minutes on a low to medium flame.
for tempering dal
- For the tempering, heat the ghee in a small pan. Crackle the mustard seeds first.
- Then add the cumin and fenugreek seeds and fry till they are browned – just a few seconds.
- Then add the curry leaves, red chilies, cloves, cinnamon and asafoetida.
- Stir and fry for some seconds. Pour this tempering on the simmering dal. Mix and continue to simmer for 5 to 6 minutes more.
- Garnish the dal with coriander leaves if you prefer.
- Serve the Gujarati khatti meethi dal with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes
In the absence of kokum, add about 1 tbsp lemon juice to the dal. Add the lemon juice towards the end once the dal is done and then give a stir.