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
	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 Seed
	2 tablespoons	Oil
	2 cloves	Garlic , minced
	1 inch	Ginger , grated
	2 tablespoons	Cilantro , 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.