Dal a staple in Indian cuisine is a simple, comforting and nutritious dish made with lentils and spices.
Today I am sharing the broccoli dal recipe which can be eaten with chapathi or rice.
What is Dal?
In India Dal is referred in two different ways. Dal can be the dry legumes or pulses. Dal is also a gravy dish made with lentils, onion, tomato and spices.
The Dal we get in restaurants here in U.S is just one of the many ways of making dal. Each region in India have their won variations of Dal.
Whatever the method is unlike many of the recipes from the Indian cuisine, dal uses minimal ingredients. Cooked dal is simmered in a tadka (a tempering of hot oil ans spices) until it becomes soft and creamy. Dal is the most comforting and loved dish in the Indian sub continent.
Today I am sharing the recipe of broccoli dal. Not the typical vegetable used in India, but trust me the recipe works.Just make not to over cook the Broccoli.
Serve this nutritious dal with some sabzi (vegetable fry) on the side, pickle, roti and chapathi. Makes for a comforting weeknight meal.
How do we make broccoli dal?
Cook the dal either on stove top or pressure cooker till soft.
Do a tempering (called as tadka) with mustard seeds, green chilly, cumin, ginger and asafoetida. Saute onion and tomato till soft.
Add the broccoli and cook it is half way done. Add the cooked dal, salt and simmer the dal for few minutes.
A comforting broccoli dal is ready to be served. Squeeze a dash of lemon juice and fresh coriander before serving.
What kind of dal to use?
I used toor dal in the recipe, it is easily available in Indian stores or International Isle in many U.S grocery stores.
But you can substituent with any yellow dal or red lentil (but not chana dal).
What other vegetables can I use to make dal?
Many vegetables pair well with dal like – squashes, carrot, bell peppers, potato and greens like spinach, kale and collards.
More Broccoli recipes from the blog-
More dal recipes-
Ridge gourd Dal / Beerakaya PappuDill Leaves Dal
How to make Broccoli Dal recipe –
Broccoli Dal Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup toor dal or red lentils
- 1.5 cups broccoli florets
- 1 small onion
chopped - 2 tomato
diced - 2 to 3 green chilly
- ½ inch ginger
finely chopped - ½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ¾ tsp cumin seeds
- a pinch of asafatedia
hing - ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsps oil of choice
- ¼ tsp sugar (or jaggery)
- about 2 to 2.5 cups water or more depending on how thick or thin you prefer your dal
- salt to taste
- 1 to 2 tsps lemon juice
Instructions
prepping the ingredients-
- Chop the onion, slit the green chilly and finely chop the ginger.
- Wash the broccoli and cut them to few small and few medium florets.
cooking the dal-
- Wash the dal and cook with 2 cups of water on stove top or pressure cooker. If using stove top method, you may need little more water.
making the dal-
- Heat oil in a pan, Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds and let pop.
- Now add the cumin ,green chilly, curry leaves and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook till soft.
- Add the ginger and saute for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Now add tomato and turmeric powder and cook till mushy.
- Now add the broccoli and cook till slightly soft. Do not over cook broccoli, it will cook further after the dal is added.
- Add the dal, coriander powder, salt and sugar. Adjust the amount of water depending on how thick or thin you prefer the dal.
- Simmer the dal for 7-8 minutes.
- Finally add some Lemon juice and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Notes
Another favorite, lip smacking dal is this Tomatillo Dal
Suzannah
I cooked this today (modified and left out chilis because I didn’t have them)- my first successful dal. My 8 year old son actually licked his bowl and said it was extra delicious! We love it. Thank you.
Madhavi
So happy your son enjoyed the dal. It’s such a comforting dish. Thank you Susannah for your feed back.
crystal
Cooked it today,was absolutely lovely.
Madhavi K
Thanks fir the feed back Crystal. I am glad you liked it.
Nupur UK-Rasoi
One healthy recipe ! I have used Broccoli for Sambhar before , but not for the usual dals.. I wonder how the flavour would be !
Priya Suresh
Wonderful way to sneak broccoli, dal looks comforting.
Resna Nishad
Yummy side dish for rice…looks too good
Sona S
Healthy and delicious dal..
Sony P
Healthy and low calorie dal!!
nandoos Kitchen
very healthy and nice twist to regular dal