Gujarati Dal is a mildly sweet, spicy and tangy dal made with pigeon peas (toor dal). A staple dish in Gujarati house holds, you can enjoy this dal as a soup or serve with rice and a side of sabzi.
Sharing the instant pot and stove top method of making Gujarati dal.
Dal is a staple food in India. They are excellent source of protein. Each region has its own version of preparing dal.
Today I am sharing the recipe of gujarati dal which is popular for its khatti-meethi flavors. Compared to the other dals from India, gujarati dal is thin in consistency and sweeter in taste. Gujarati dishes are popular for the sweet flavor in their food. 🙂 This dal falls in the same category. Jaggery gives the sweetness, which compliments well with the ginger,chilly, cloves and cinnamon in the recipe.
This Gujarati dal
- is easily made in the instant pot
- comforting and healthy dal
- sweet, spicy and tangy
- serve with rice or enjoy as a soup
- its a no onion no garlic dish
Unlike many other dals, this gujarati dal does not have onion or garlic. Traditionally kokum is used for sourness, if not available you can easily substitute with lemon.
Boiled peanuts can also be added to the gujarati dal.
Ingredients needed to make this traditional Gujarati dal –
How to make Gujarati Dal in Instant Pot with step by step pics-
Step 1- Add one cup of washed toor dal, tomato, green chili, ginger, salt, coriander powder and jaggery to the instant pot.
Step 2- Add 3.5 cups of water and give amix. Close the lid and adjust the vent to the sealing position.
Step 3- Press maual or pressure cooker mode on high and adjust the time to ten minutes. After the ten minutes are done, wait till the pressure releases naturally.
Step 4- While the dal is cooking do a tempering – In a small pan heat 3 teaspoons of oil and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard pops, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, dry red chili and curry leaves. Saute for 45 seconds and add the asafoetida. Turn off the heat.
Step 5- Open the instant pot and using a whisk mix the dal till smooth. Add one cup of water and the tempering.
Step 6- Press the saute mode and cook the dal for few minutes till you get the right consistency of the dal. Check for seasoning and adjust. Finally add some lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves.
Serving Suggestions – Enjoy this sweet and tangy gujarati dal with rice, pickle and papad.
Few tips to make the best tasting gujarati dal-
Spice, sweet and sour are key components in this dal, everything needs to be added in the right amount to get the best taste.
If you are not vegan, do the tempering with ghee for more flavor.
Make sure the consistency of the dal is slightly thin.
Add lots of coriander with the tender stems,which gives a wonderful flavor for the dal.
What kind of dal to use ?
Pigeon peas also called as toor dal, tuvar dal or arhar dal is used to make the gujarati dal.
what can I replace the whole spices with?
Highly recommend using the whole spices, but you dont have them use garam masala. After you do the tempering, turn off the stove and add the garam masala to the hot oil. If not the spices will burn.
To make it Jain version, skip the ginger in the recipe.
More dal recipes –
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You can watch the video of the gujarati dal recipe and the other videos, in my you tube channel Madhu’s Everyday Indian
GUJARATI DAL RECIPE | HOW TO MAKE GUJARATI DAL WITH VIDEO
Ingredients
- tuvar dal/toor dal-1 cup
- medium tomato- 2, chopped
- ginger-¾ inch grated
- green chilly- 2, slit
- turmeric powder- ½ tsp
- red chilly powder- ½ tea spoon or to taste
- coriander powder- 1 tsp
- jaggery- 1 to 1.5 tsp ( or sugar)
- water – 4.5 cups total, add more for a thinner dal
- Lemon juice to taste
- Salt to taste
- few freshly chopped coriander leaves
Tempering –
- oil- 3 tsps
- mustard seeds- ½ tsp
- cumin seeds- ½ tsp
- bay leaf-2
- cinnamon sticks-1 ( broken into two pieces)
- cloves -3
- curry leaves – few
- hing (asafatedia)- small pinch
Instructions
Gujarati Dal Instant Pot Method –
- Add one cup of washed toor dal, tomato, green chili, ginger, salt, coriander powder and jaggery to the instant pot.
- Add 3.5 cups of water and give amix. Close the lid and adjust the vent to the sealing position.
- Press manual or pressure cooker mode on high and adjust the time to ten minutes. After the ten minutes are done, wait till the pressure releases naturally.
- While the dal is cooking do the tempering – In a small pan heat 3 teaspoons of oil and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard pops, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, dry red chili and curry leaves. Saute for 45 seconds and add the asafoetida. Turn off the heat.
- Open the instant pot and using a whisk mix the dal till smooth. Add one cup of water and the tempering.
- Press the saute mode and cook the dal for few minutes till you get the right consistency of the dal. Check for seasoning and adjust. Finally add some lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves.
Gujarati Dal on Stove Top-
Cooking the dal-
- Wash the tuvar dal few times until the water runs clear and pressure cook the dal with quarter spoon of turmeric and 3.5 cups of water.
- Cook for 4 whistles and wait for the steam to release.
- Using a hand blender or a whisk, mash the dal completely.
Making the Gujarati dal-
- Turn on the stove again, add the chopped tomato, green chilly, ginger,red chilly powder, coriander powder, jaggery and salt. Mix well.
- Add 1 to 1.5 cups of water and stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook the dal for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For tempering-
- Pour oil in a small pan and place over low heat add the mustard seeds, once the mustard splutters add the cumin seeds and let slightly brown.
- Add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, red chilly, turmeric powder and hing. Make sure not to burn the spices.
- Add the tempering to the dal and stir to combine and check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- Finally add some lemon juice and fresh coriander leaves.Serve the dal with rice.
Anj
When do you add the tomato for the instant pot version?
Madhavi
Thank you for pointing out…We add the tomato with the dal while cooking in the instant pot.
Veronica
This looks amazing! Could you suggest any substitute for the pigeon peas? Maybe chick peas?
Madhavi
Unfortunately Chickpeas won’t work. Red lentils or yellow lentils will work…. hope you get to try it soon.
Neeraja
What is that square thing’s on your plate with dal and rice?
Madhavi
Its muthia, gujarati snack.