Khatti Dal | Hyderabadi Khatti Dal
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
20 mins
-
Total Time
40 mins
-
Servings
4
-
Calories
184 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Indian
Khatti Dal | Hyderabadi Khatti Dal
Description
To prepare Khatti Dal, toor dal is thoroughly rinsed and pressure cooked with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, turmeric, and water until soft and mushy. After cooking, the lentils are mashed smooth and tempered with tamarind pulp soaked and extracted from seedless tamarind, which gives the dal its characteristic sourness. Green chilies add a subtle heat, while coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt balance the flavor and color.
The finishing tempering is prepared separately by heating ghee or oil with whole dried red chilies, chopped garlic, curry leaves, cumin seeds, and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). This aromatic seasoning is poured over the simmered dal, imparting complexity and an inviting fragrance typical of South Indian dals.
This dal can be served with rice or Indian breads. For stovetop cooking, soaking lentils beforehand and keeping an eye to remove scum during boiling helps a cleaner broth. Adjust water amount to desired consistency. The dal simmers until the raw tamarind aroma dissipates and flavors meld.
Ingredients
Pressure cooking lentils
- 1 cup toor dal tur dal or arhar dal
- 2.5 cups water - for pressure cooking the lentils
- ½ cup tomato chopped or 1 medium-sized tomato
- 1 inch ginger peeled and finely chopped or grated
- 2 garlic medium-sized, grated or crushed or minced, cloves
- 1 pinch turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
Other ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tamarind (seedless), soaked in ½ cup hot water for 20 minutes
- 2 to 3 green chilies chopped or slit - add as required depending on the hotness of the chilies
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ¾ to 1 cup water to be added later or add as required
- salt as required
For tempering
- 3 to 4 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or oil
- 2 to 3 dried red chili - kept whole or broken and deseeded - add as required
- 6 to 8 garlic small to medium-sized, finely chopped, cloves
- 12 to 15 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
Instructions
Cooking the lentils
- Rinse the lentils a few times in water.
- In a 3 litre pressure cooker, cook the lentils with the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric powder, 2.5 cups water for 7-8 whistles or more till the lentils are tender and mushy.
- When the pressure settles down naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid.
- Mash the dal with a madani, wooden spoon or hand blender till fine and smooth.
- Meanwhile when the dal is cooking, soak tamarind in hot water for 20 minutes.
- Squeeze the pulp from the tamarind directly into its bowl of water.
- Strain the tamarind pulp and add to the dal.
- Also add the green chilies, turmeric, red chili powder and coriander powder. Stir in ¾ or 1 cup water along with salt.
- Keep the dal on a low heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or till the raw aroma of the tamarind goes away, all the flavors have blended well and the dal has reached a medium consistency.
- Cover and keep the cooked dal aside.
Making tempering
- Heat ghee or oil in a small frying pan. Keep heat to a low. Crackle the cumin seeds first.
- Then add the garlic and fry for 4 to 5 seconds on low heat. Add the dried red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida.
- On low heat fry till the red chilies change their color and the curry leaves become crisp.
- Pour this entire tempering mixture over the khatti dal and stir to combine.
- Cover and keep aside the dal for 5 to 6 minutes for the flavors to mingle.
- Serve Hyderabadi Khatti Dal with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, saffron rice or roti.
Notes
- When cooking lentils on the stovetop, soak for at least one hour before boiling with turmeric and skim off any scum that forms for a cleaner broth.
- Add tomatoes and other ingredients after lentils are soft, then simmer until tomatoes are cooked before tempering.
- Adjust water quantity to achieve preferred dal consistency during cooking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 184 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 184kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 29mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 386mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 281mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 417IU | 8% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.05mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 35mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin C | 68mg | 76% |
| Vitamin E | 0.2mg | |
| Vitamin K | 3µg | |
| Calcium | 58mg | 6% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 403µg | |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
| Magnesium | 32mg | 8% |
| Phosphorus | 72mg | |
| Zinc | 1mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
