Parsi Dal
Veg
Vegan
Yellow toor dal cooked until very soft, seasoned with turmeric and salt, then tempered with mustard seeds, cumin, dried red chilli, and curry leaves in ghee — simpler and less sweet-sour than the dhansak dal, this is the everyday dal eaten at Parsi lunches with plain steamed rice. Sometimes a piece of jaggery is added to lend the faintest sweetness. The everyday face of a cuisine more celebrated for its complex festive dishes, the Parsi dal reflects the community's ability to be both simple and nourishing on a Tuesday and extraordinarily complex on a Sunday.
Cuisines
Parsi
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 60 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | toor dal (pigeon peas) |
| 3 cups | water |
| 1 medium | onion, finely chopped |
| 1 medium | tomato, finely chopped |
| 1 teaspoon | turmeric powder |
| 1 teaspoon | red chili powder |
| 1 teaspoon | cumin seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | mustard seeds |
| 2 tablespoons | oil |
| 2 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 inch | ginger, grated |
| 2 tablespoons | coriander leaves, chopped |
| — | salt to taste |
| 1 tablespoon | lemon juice |
Instructions
- 1 Wash the toor dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
- 2 Drain the dal and add it to a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water, turmeric powder, and salt.
- 3 Cook the dal in the pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles or until soft.
- 4 In a separate pan, heat oil over medium heat and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
- 5 Once the seeds splutter, add the chopped onions and sauté until golden brown.
- 6 Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, sauté for another minute.
- 7 Stir in the chopped tomatoes and red chili powder, cook until the tomatoes are soft.
- 8 Add the cooked dal to the pan and mix well.
- 9 Simmer the dal for 10 minutes, adjust salt as needed.
- 10 Stir in the lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving.
Tips
For a richer flavor, add a pinch of asafoetida (hing) when tempering the spices.