Instant Gujarati Dal

What if I told you I made this Gujarati dal without a pressure cooker and without soaking the dal! I created a simple instant dal powder that is easy to use and you can get dal bhaat (dal and rice) out in less than 20 minutes!  I love how simple it is to make this Gujarati dal using homemade instant powder.  Now everyone has their own recipes but I feel like this dal powder is a good base for you to play with and make yours! I grew up having Gujarati dal every single day of my life. It one 1/4 of the base of a typical Gujarati meal, which consists of dal, bhaat (rice), shaak (veggies), rotli (bread). My mom would soak dal every night for the next day. As a grown up I don’t eat dal as often because to be quite frank it’s super labor-intensive and requires forethought. I will always forget to soak the dal! 

Gujarati dal typically has a sweet and sour component. I used jaggery and amchur (dried mango powder) to get those flavors. You can omit the jaggery if you like. But if you want to keep it, you can also use granulated sugar (2 tbsp). For sour, if you don’t have amchur, you can add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice to the dal or use kokum. My dal is super mild, so feel free to increase the red chili powder to your liking. Again, this instant Gujarati dal mix is flexible and is meant to be used as a base. This powder is perfect for college students who are looking to have a bit of home food in their dorms or busy moms who want to get dinner on the table quickly! 

This recipe makes 1 1/2 cups of Gujarati dal powder. You can store it in a jar and use it as needed. Just use 2 tbsp of instant Gujarati dal powder for every 1 cup of water. The vaghar, tempered spices, in this recipe is super simple. I’ve seen people add fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, and more to their vhagar. Again change it up to what you use in your home! I just used the bare minimum of what should be in a vaghar for Gujarati dal. 

The key to a tasty dal is to taste often. Adjust the seasoning at the end to your liking. You can adjust the consistency by adding water. I like my dal on the thicker side so this recipe makes a thick dal. 

To make this recipe even quicker you can use par-boiled recipe or minute basmati rice. Store your leftover Gujarati dal powder in a jar in a cool place. 

Instant Gujarati Dal

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• Author: Milk and Cardamom
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Instant Gujarati Dal without a pressure cooker or soaking the dal! Makes 1 1/2 cups of instant dal powder. Dal recipe makes 2-4 servings of dal (~2 cups)

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Ingredients

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INSTANT GUJARATI DAL POWDER

• 1 cup (195 g) toor dal
• 1/4 cups (53 g) jaggery
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp red chili powder (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp amchur (dried mango powder) (optional)
• 1 tbsp salt

GUJARATI DAL

• 2 tsp oil or ghee
• 1/2 cup (100 g) tomato puree
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup Instant gujarati dal powder
• 2–3 cups of water
• 1–2 tbsp raw or roasted peanuts (optional)

VAGHAR

• 2 tsp oil or ghee
• 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds (rai)
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch of hing (asofoetida)
• 1 dried chili
• 2 whole cloves (optional)
• 5–8 curry leaves
• 1 tsp lemon or lime juice (use 2–3 tsp if you didn’t add amchur)
• 1 tbsp cilantro (optional)

RICE

• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 cup water

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Instructions

INSTANT DAL POWDER

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. Wash and drain 1 cup (195 g) toor dal. Spread it on a baking tray in a thin layer and bake for 5-10 minutes or until dry. Cool and then use.
3. Into a blender cup, add dried toor dal , 1/4 cups (53 g) jaggery, 1 tbsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp cumin powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tbsp red chili powder (or to taste), 1 tbsp garam masala, 2 tsp amchur, and 1 tbsp salt. Blend until you have a fine powder. Store your instant dal powder in an airtight container.

GUJARATI DAL

1. In a saucepan, add 2 tsp oil or ghee over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add 1/2 cup (100 g) tomato puree and 1 tsp ginger. Saute for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of instant dal powder and mix well. Sautee for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of water. Add 1-2 tbsp of raw or roasted peanuts. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. While the dal simmers, make the rice.
2. To make the rice, wash 1/2 cup of basmati rice until the water runs clear and drain. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Add drained rice and saute the rice for 30 seconds, mixing well. Add 1 cup of water, mix, and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes while covered.
3. Once the dal has simmered, make your vaghar. Add 2 tsp of oil to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of thing, 1 dried chili, 2 cloves, and 5-8 curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start popping, pour the mixture over the dal.
4. Stir the dal well and add additional water if needed so that your dal is a consistency to your liking. I like mine on the thicker side. Taste for seasoning and adjust, salt, jaggery, red chili powder to your liking. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp lemon juice (or 2 tsp if you didn’t use amchur), and 1 tbsp cilantro. Stir and serve with cooked rice.

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Indian

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