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Dalithoy
Mild toor dal with mustard
Dalithoy: the mild, soupy Konkani toor dal with mustard, asafoetida and curry leaves
Dalithoy is the comfort dal of Konkani-speaking families in Goa, Mangalore and Udupi, eaten almost daily at lunch with red rice, and the first thing many make for someone recovering from illness. It is deliberately simple: toor dal cooked very soft with ginger and green chilli, thinned to a pourable soup and finished with coconut oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves and a good pinch of asafoetida. A portion gives about 19 g of protein from the toor dal, or about 23 g with a plate of rice, for about 330 kcal. With a pressure cooker it is on the table in half an hour. The most common mistake is skimping on the asafoetida or burning it: it is the main flavour here, so add it off the heat at the end of the tempering. Chef's tip: whisk the cooked dal until it is completely smooth before thinning it; dalithoy should be silky, with no whole grains left.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dal
- 12 oz toor dal (split pigeon peas)rinsed
- 5 ½ cups waterplus a little hot water to thin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ oz fresh gingerfinely chopped
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the tempering
- 1 ½ tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 dried red chilliesbroken
- 12 curry leaves
- ½ tsp asafoetidagluten-free if needed
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 12 oz toor dal (split pigeon peas) in a pressure cooker with 900 ml of the 3 ¾ cups water, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ½ oz fresh ginger and 2 green chillies. Cook for 4–5 whistles (about 15 minutes) and let the pressure drop by itself. Without a pressure cooker, simmer in a covered pot for 45 minutes.
18 minStep 2: Open the cooker and whisk the dal until completely smooth. Add the rest of 1 ¾ cups water and 1 ½ tsp salt and bring it back to a gentle boil, stirring. It should pour like a thick soup; add a little more hot water if needed.
4 minStep 3: Heat 1 ½ tbsp coconut oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and wait until they crackle, then add 2 dried red chillies and 12 curry leaves and let them crisp for a few seconds.
1 minStep 4: Take the pan off the heat, stir in ½ tsp asafoetida and pour the tempering over the dal at once. Stir, simmer for 1 minute so the flavours join, and serve hot over rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 51 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dalithoy take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of toor dal (split pigeon peas)?
- Red lentils (masoor dal) (cook 10 minutes less).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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