A tangy and flavorful lentil dish that’s a staple in Hyderabadi cuisine, made with yellow lentils and tamarind.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1cuptoor dal (yellow pigeon peas)
- 1tbsptamarind paste
- 3piecegreen chilies, slit
- 1piecetomato, chopped
- 5clovegarlic, crushed
- 7sprigcurry leaves
- 1tspmustard seeds
- 1tspcumin seeds
- 3piecedry red chilies
- 1/4tspturmeric powder
- 1/2tspred chili powder
- 1tbspoil or ghee
- 1pinchsalt
- 1sprigfresh coriander leaves, for garnish
How to make Hyderabadi Khatti Daal
Cook the Dal
Wash the toor dal thoroughly and cook it in a pressure cooker with 2-3 cups of water, turmeric powder, and salt. Cook for about 3-4 whistles or until the dal is soft and mushy.
Prepare the Tamarind Water
If using tamarind pulp, soak about 1 tbsp of tamarind in warm water for 10-15 minutes and extract the juice. Alternatively, use tamarind paste.
Add Tamarind
Add the tamarind juice to the mashed dal and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir and adjust salt to taste.
Tempering
In a pan, heat oil or ghee. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves, dry red chilies, and green chilies.
Add crushed garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
Garnish
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.
Tips & Tricks
For a richer flavor, use ghee instead of oil for tempering.
Adjust the amount of tamarind paste according to your taste preference for tanginess.