Gujarati Toor Dal recipe

We all know lentils and legumes are great sources of protein and iron. One day on social media one of my friend had posted about iron deficiency. She asked others how they manage the amount of iron intake on a daily basis. Instead of taking supplements, she wanted to include iron-rich food in her daily diet. That's when I decide to share my regular Gujarati Toor Dal recipe. I am born and brought up in Gujarat one of the states in India. Traditionally in my house every day 6 things are prepared for lunch. The lunch menu is like Roti (Indian Bread), dry vegetable sabzi, Toor Dal, Rice, Salad and Papad. The only variation you will see in the vegetable sabzi, the rest of the dishes remains the same. Even in my house, I follow the same tradition, but I have cut off on rice and wheat so consume little less than usual. For those who are looking for an iron-rich recipe do try this Gujarati Toor Dal Recipe.

Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Pea)

Toor Dal is a major source of protein for us and widely used in Indian cooking. Pigeon pea is a legume from the family Fabaceae. Besides protein, it also contains a good amount of iron, potassium, and vitamin B. Those who watch their carb intakes, please make sure how much amount you are eating as it contains a good amount of carbs as well.

We usually pressure cook the dal for three whistles and do the tempering later but my friend doesn't use a pressure cooker. Hence I am sharing the recipe of Toor dal without using a pressure cooker. Let's prepare the ingredient first

Ingredients

1. 1 cup Toor Dal (Pigeon pea)
2. 3-4 cups of Water
3. 1Tbsp oil
4. 1tsp mustard seeds
5. 4-5 Methi seeds
6. pinch of Asafetida
7. 6-7 curry leaves
8. 1/2 tsp red chili powder
9. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
10. 1 tsp cumin powder
11. 1 tsp coriander powder
12. 1/2 tsp lemon juice 
13. 1 small piece of Jaggery 
14. salt to taste

Recipe of Gujarati Toor Dal

1. Wash the dal(lentil) 2-3 times. Soak Toor Dal about an hour (it helps Toor dal to cook faster and if you use pressure cooker then you can avoid soaking step.)
2. Now heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add muster seeds and let it splutter. As soon as it starts spluttering add Methi seeds and asafoetida. Now add curry leaves and add socked Dal. 
3.  Add water to the tempering mixture. Keep Dal to water ratio 1:3. You can adjust consistency later.
4. Now add spices to make your Dal flavorful. We will start with the salt. Add salt, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder. Add lemon and Jaggery as per your taste. 
5. Cover and cook until lentil is cooked nicely and textured seems mussy. You can adjust the spices according to your taste. 

Serve this Toor Dal with white rice or you can have it as hot lentil soup. If you are planning to use this dal like soup then keep the consistency little thinner and serve it hot.