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Hmm you'll say...yet another food blog! And I'll beg to differ, although I must say my recipes are not hi-funda, and sometimes the pictures do not do justice to them (I'm working on that) but you'll find them extremely easy to cook, hassle free and down right delicious.
So if you are a newbie in the kitchen department or has not ventured into the kitchen for some strange reason (like me)...then you have come to the right place.

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On My Table Runner

Friday, June 15, 2007

Khatti Dal

Click to enlarge image

This is another versatile dish that goes good with anything. I usually cook it up every other week to break the whole mutton, chicken routine. Its always nice to slurp on some dal when there's too much meat doing the rounds. Anyways, here's the recipe.


Ingredients:
1 tsp oil
2 cups tuvar dal
2-3 tsp salt
2 tsp red chilli powder
3-4 whole garlic cloves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 green chilli
2-4 cups water
1 cup tamarind paste

For tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup mustard seeds
a few curry leaves
2 dried red chillies
1 garlic clove, cut length wise


Method:
Wash the tuvar dal in several changes of water and place it in a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water, garlic cloves, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and pressure cook for about 15-20 min's.

Let off the steam on the pressure cooker, if the dal seems to be a bit undone add the remaining water and cook a little more.

Finally add the tamarind paste. Using a blender, blend them all together.

Throw in the green chilli and cook the dal for as long as the chillies turn yellow, set aside in a serving bowl.

In a small pan, heat oil and add cumin and mustard seeds, as soon as they start spluttering, add the remaining ingredients and splash in onto the dal.

Serve with plain rice, achaar and papad.

15 comments:

Tejuss said...

er...lubna...not mock your recipe here, but this is more the 'slurried' version of dal...do you have a recipe where dal is still discernible in the pot...i recall eating some very simple but delicious dal that a hyderabadi friend brought over once....and he called it 'khatti dal' too, but was nothing like what I see in the picture or surmise from the recipe you provide......:(

Lubna said...

The Nabob of Nowheregunj: I think the simple and delicious dal your friend got was Khadi Dal, which is still discernable in the pot. But as far as I'm concerned I've had the same 'slurried' version of dal for as long as I can remember with the recipe being passed down to us from generations to come.
If its not too much work, please have your friend send me the 'correct' version of Khatti Dal and I'll stand corrected.

Arks said...

Lubna, well said.
Arif

Lubna said...

Thanks Arif, I appreciate!

Anonymous said...

Sounds good... we have a variation of this recipe which is as follows:

we put one cup of yellow dal and one cup of orange dal to boil in water with some chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, garlic paste, ginger paste, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. we cook this on simmer till dal is cooked. Once dal is done we blend it to a smooth consistency. Then we add a couple of small whole tomatoes, a few big green chillies, the tamarind paste, lots of lemon juice (according to taste - we love it super 'Khatti") and a couple of curry leaves and leave it to simmer for a while. At this point we put a lid on the pot and the heat very low so as to avoid overcooking the tomatoes
Meanwhile we make our tarka of cumin, curry leaves, loads of small round red chillies and thinly sliced garlic and cook that on low heat for a few minutes (until the garlic turns golden brown and the smell of cumin starts to seep out). We then lift the lid and pour the tarka onto the dal and serve

:)

Lubna said...

Naima and Akbar A: Asalaam alaikum, Thanks so much for sharing your recipe, your version of khatti dal sure is "super khatti" what with all the tomatoes, lemon juice and tamarind...looks very interesting, Insh'Allah I'll try it and let you know.
Keep visiting :)

Anonymous said...

Walaikum Asalaam Lubna... Hope you enjoy our version of Khatti Dal!! Do let us know if you do once you try it.. all the best
Naima and Akbar

Lubna said...

Asalaam alaikum Naima and Akbar, Insh'Allah I'll definately try it out soon.
Jazak'Allah...

Huma said...

The recipes given by Lubna, Naima and Akbar sound amazing. However, its somewhat different from mine- just wanted to share my variation! 1 cup masoor dal
3-4 cups water
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
1 medium sized finely chopped tomato
few curry leaves
Wash masoor daal and add all the other ingredients, pressure cook till daal is very well done.

In another pan, fry 1/2 finely sliced onion, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp methi seeds, i/2 tsp mustard seeds in 2 tablespoons oil till onion is almost brown. Add 10-15 curry leaves, concentrated tarmarind paste (1/4 cup), salt and 2-3 cups water. Add drumsticks, or any vegetable you like. Bring it to boil and then simmer for 1/2 hour.

Mix to daal. Add more water and salt if needed. Bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat. As dal cools down a bit, add finely chopped coriander leaves and slitted green chillies.

Enjoy!

naima and akbar said...

hey lubna, just out of interest, did u ever try our version and if so what did you think?
Best regards
naima and akbar

Lubna said...

Huma: Never tried Khatti Dal with Masoor ki dal, but my Mom makes it with tomatoes occasionaly. Insh'Allah I'll try it and definately let you know.
PS: sorry for the delay in getting back at you!

Naima and Akbar: Jazak'Allah for visiting my blog, I have yet to try your version, but will soon try it and let you know.

Thanks for visiting!

Unknown said...

I tried it, cant match my moms taste but it was tasty. Very helpful Blog for ppl like me who are away frm Home, and miss the Ghar ka khana.
Thanks Lubna, keep up the good work.

Afzal

Anonymous said...

Lubna aunty Asalamwalikum
Can u tell the whole tell the whole reciepe of khadi dal clearly PLZ CAN U explain in detil if u dnt mind
Allah hafiz

Anonymous said...

My husband has just come back from London where he went to Trichna's restuarant and was hoping to eat Hyderabadi Dhal like they serve in Trichnas in Mumbai. He was soooo dissapointed and so that is why I looked it up on the internet and found you!
I am definitely going to try out this recipe and reading all the blogs, some other variations too!
I love Dhal and we always have it. I have my own variation. I use ginger in the boiling process and add spinach at the end. Very little oil except when I temper the spices and onion and some garlic.
Thank you Labna ... and I hope the Nawab of Nowheregunj, since writing his post, has tried your recipe!

Lubna said...

I hope so too Anonymous. Thanks so much for the appreciation. I like your version of Dal...never tried it along with spinach.

I have not been too active on the blog. Two kids' in Elementary school is too much work already :)

Keep visiting!