Toor dal is a basic Indian lentil dish made with pigeon pea lentils cooked with spices, onions and tomatoes. It is a staple meal in many Indian homes and is usually served with rice or roti. This homestyle version is simple, light and easy to make. The arhar dal recipe gives a comforting dal that can be adjusted in consistency and spice level.

Recipe Snapshot

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

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (190 grams) toor dal ((tuvar dal, arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils))
  • ⅓ heaped cup (50 grams or 1 medium) onion (– sliced)
  • ⅓ to ½ cup (65 grams or 1 medium) tomato (– chopped)
  • 2 green chilies (– sliced, slit or chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 generous pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • 2 cups water (– for pressure cooking)
  • 1 cup water (– added later, do add as required depending on the consistency you prefer, optional)
  • salt (– add as required)
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (– chopped)
  • 2 tablespoon ghee (or oil)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic cloves (– sliced or chopped or crushed lightly with their peels on)
  • 1 sprig or 9 to 10 curry leaves
  • 1 to 2 dry red chilies (– halved and deseeded)

Method

Pressure Cooking Toor Dal

  1. Rinse the toor dal well and add the lentils to a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker with onions, tomatoes, green chilies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, asafoetida and water.
  2. Pressure cook the dal on medium heat for 8 to 9 whistles or 14 to 15 minutes.
  3. When the pressure drops naturally, open the lid of the cooker. The lentils have to be softened well and look mushy.
  4. With a spoon or wired whisk lightly mash the lentils.
  5. Next, add water as needed to adjust the consistency. If the dal already looks right, skip adding water.For a thicker dal, add less water or skip it. For a medium to thin consistency, add more water.
  6. After adding water, mix well.
  7. Add salt according to taste and mix again.
  8. Simmer until the dal is heated through and reaches the desired consistency. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid.

Tempering

  1. In a small pan or tadka pan, heat ghee or oil. When the ghee or oil is moderately hot, add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
  2. Next add cumin seeds and let them splutter in the oil.
  3. Add the crushed garlic cloves or sliced or chopped garlic. Fry for about 20 to 30 seconds or until lightly golden.
  4. Add dry red chilies (halved and deseeded) and curry leaves. Fry till the red chilies darken a bit and the curry leaves look crisp.
  5. Turn off the heat and pour the entire tempering mixture over the tur dal. Cover the cooker with lid and allow the tempering flavors to infuse with the lentils.
  6. Lastly add chopped coriander leaves and mix.
  7. Stir and serve homestyle toor dal with steamed rice or chapati.

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.