Dal Curry/ Simple Dal Curry/ Dal Fry

Dal curry or Dal Fry is a nutritious, simple daily dish popular in India. It is quite simple to prepare and are rich in proteins, energy and also helps in easy digestion. Dal curry/ Dal Fry is a popular North Indian recipe made with lentils. Most Punjab based Dal curry or Dhaba style Dal fry uses a mix of lentils like Tur/ Toor/ Arhar Dal, Masoor Dal, Mung Dal, Chana Dal etc. There is no fixed rule though! You can make it with even one variety of lentils. My simple Dal curry recipe for you today is prepared with Toor Dal, but then, I sometimes mix the Masoor Dal and Toor Dal to prepare this Dal Curry. You can try mixing different lentils or stick to one Dal as per your taste; I can assure you, the result will always be delicious!!

Simple North Indian Dal curry is different from the Kerala style Parippu Curry or Padavalanga Parippu curry, which uses ground coconut. It is great and tastes good with plain rice more and is part of the daily vegetarian meals in Kerala. In North Indian states, they have Rotis and Dal as their daily diet with Sabzi made with Potatoes like Aloo Gobi, Aloo shimla Mirch Sabzi, Aloo bhaji and other veggies like Baingan/ Brinjal MasalaBhindi, Gobi dishes, Paneer etc.

This is an everyday Dal curry recipe that goes well with Chapathis/ Rotis, Plain Rice, Jeera Rice or even Pulao. Pair it with Paneer dishes, Chicken fry recipes, Beef Roast, chicken roast, Aloo Gobi Masala, Brinjal Masala, Bhindi Masala etc and have with Rotis, Naan or Pulao and you will find it simply amazing! Dal curry is so easy to prepare and always rescues me when I could think of nothing for surprise guests. Dal Fry is also a great option for lunch Box paired with Chappathis, Pulao and Jeera rice. It provides the perfect nutrition for kids and with rice, you can also try adding little Drum Stick leaves to the Dal to make it even more super food. Enjoy your simple meal of tasty Dal curry!

Ingredients :

Toor Dal/ Arhar Dal: ¾ cup
Water: 3 cups
Green chili: 1 no.
Onion: 1 no.
Garlic: 3 – 4 cloves
Tomatoes: 1 medium
Turmeric Powder: ½ tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Chili Powder: 1 tsp
Cumin/ Jeerah powder: ½ tsp
Curry leaves:  1 sprig
Kasuri Methi/  dry fenugreek leaves: one pinch
Mustard: ½ tsp
Whole Cumin/ Jeerah: a generous pinch
Red dry Chili: few
Curry leaves: little
Coriander leaves/ Cilantro: for garnish

Method:

Wash and clean the lentils/ Toor Dal and cook in a pressure cooker adding enough water, sliced/ chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, crushed garlic, curry leaves, turmeric powder, Chili Powder, Coriander Powder and Jeerah/ cumin Powder. Add few drops of oil to avoid dal spilling over when it is getting cooked. Cook on small flame after first whistle and cook for another 3 – 5 minutes.

Dal Curry / Simple Dal Curry / Dal Fry Dal Curry / Simple Dal Curry / Dal Fry Dal Curry / Simple Dal Curry / Dal Fry

Once it is cooked, keep on medium flame and mash gently with the spoon to get a smooth consistency. Adjust the salt and add more water if required. Add Kasuri Methi optional) and bring to a boil.

Dal Curry / Simple Dal Curry / Dal Fry

Heat oil in a kadai, crackle mustards and whole cumin/ Jeerah, add curry leaves and red chili. Pour over the Dal curry and garnish with chopped Coriander leaves.

Dal Curry / Simple Dal Curry / Dal Fry Dal Curry / Simple Dal Curry / Dal Fry

Serve hot with Chappathis, Naan, Jeera rice or plain rice. Enjoy!

Tips:

  • You may use Toor Dal/ Arhar Dal alone or mix it with Masoor Dal, Mung Dal, Chana Dal as per your choice and taste.
  • Dal should be of medium consistency, but you may add more/ less water to get your right consistency.
  • You may add ghee or a mix of oil and ghee for added flavors.
  • Add a few Drum Stick leaves along with Kasuri Methi to boost up the health benefits of Dal Curry while serving with rice.
  • Crushed Garlic adds to the flavors and helps to control bloating.

Hope you liked this simple Dal Curry/ Dal Fry recipe. It would really motivate me if you will send me your comments or share with friends through the share buttons below. God Bless!

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