Thecha dal, an Indian red lentil dal that you know and love with a spicy, nutty, umami-packed addition! Blistered chilies garlic are pounded with peanuts to make a chili chutney, and swirled to the lentil soup to make a flavorful dal!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For the dal:

  • 1 cup split red lentils (washed and drained, or other lentils such as moong dal lentils, toor dal)
  • 3 cups water (or broth)
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or paprika)
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional dal additions:

  • 1 tomato (chopped)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk

For the thecha:

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 6-7 Serrano chilies (or Indian long chilies or other green chilies of choice)
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons unroasted or roasted unsalted peanuts
  • generous pinch of salt

For garnish:

  • cilantro, lemon juice

Method

Make the dal.

  1. Add the drained lentils and the rest of the dal ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Partially cover and cook until the lentils are cooked to your preference. 13-17 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor. Add 1/2 cup of water or coconut milk, if needed for preferred consistency, and mix in. You can also add the chopped tomato and cilantro at this point and mix them in.

Make the thecha while the dal cooks.

  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot increase the heat to medium-high and add the green chilies. Cook until the green chilies are slightly brown and blistered. Add the garlic and toss for a few seconds then add the cumin seeds, toss those for a few seconds and add the peanuts. Add a generous pinch of salt and mix really well and switch off the heat.
  2. Keep stirring for the next few seconds to cook the garlic and peanuts in the remnant pan heat, until they get golden.
  3. Once the mixture has slightly cooled down, transfer it to a mortar and pestle and then press and mix to break down all the peanuts until you achieve a coarse mixture. You can also use a small food processor and process it until you achieve a coarse mixture.

Serve the thecha dal.

  1. When the dal is ready, switch off the heat, then top the dal with spoonfuls of thecha and just swirl the thecha into the dal but do not mix in entirely. Garnish with some cilantro and lemon juice and serve with rice, flatbread, or roti.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.