5 from 14 votes
Khatti Dal | Hyderabadi Khatti Dal
Hyderabadi Khatti Dal is a tangy lentil dish made by pressure cooking toor dal with tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and turmeric, then simmering with tamarind pulp, green chilies, and spices before finishing with a tempering of garlic, curry leaves, dried red chilies, cumin seeds, and asafoetida in ghee or oil. The result is a hearty, mildly sour dal with fragrant seasoning typical of Hyderabadi cuisine.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings:
4
Calories:
184 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Indian
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.
Cup of Yum
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
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
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 184
% 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.