Tuvar Dal

Tuvar dal

This traditional dal recipe has a characteristic sweet and sour flavor and is an inherent part of the Gujarati food culture. This everyday dal uses all the typical spices and ingredients that you see in a lot of other Gujarati dishes. Tuvar dal is the most widely used dal in Gujarat and for special occasions it is boiled several times till achieve that ideal balance of that sweet and sour levels. Eat it with rice or rotli.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1 cup tuvar dal (arhar)
4 cups water
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 inch ginger grated 
1-2 green chilies chopped fine
For tadka
1 tbsp ghee or oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
pinch asafoetida (hing)
2 cloves
1/2 inch piece cinnamon
1 bay leaf
7-8 curry leaves (kadi patta)
2 small round whole red chilies
2 large tomatoes finely chopped
1/3 tsp red chili powder

1 tbsp grated jaggery
2 tbsp lemon juice 
Fresh coriander chopped for garnish

• Wash dal and put it in a pressure cooker along with water, salt, turmeric, coriander powder, grated ginger and green chilies. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. 
• While this cools melt ghee in a pan at medium heat and add cumin and mustard seeds. When seeds crackle add the hing, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves and round chilies. 
• After 10 seconds add the tomatoes and saute for 5. Add a few tablespoons of water to help soften the tomatoes. Add red chili powder and put this tadka in the cooked dal. Mix well, add jaggery and lemon juice and boil for 1-2 minutes. 
• Taste to adjust the sweet and sour balance. Serve hot garnished with coriander.