A deliciously simple Hyderabadi Khatti Dal for dinner tonight. I had my first taste of this dal at my friend Zainab Sulaiman’s home. Her cook, Regina, makes a mean version. Regina’s “secret” is to roast the dried red chillies until they turn dark (almost black in spots). The deeply roasted chillies impart a distinct smokiness to the otherwise simple dish. These lentils get their signature tang from the addition of tamarind pulp (you can use store-bought tamarind concentrate, but homemade pulp is much more flavorful). I’ve further simplified Regina’s recipe and converted it into a no-brainer for busy weekdays. It’s a regular at my table and pairs well with steamed rice and any vegetable/protein of your choice. Am sharing a detailed recipe in the comments below for those who’d like to add another easy variation to their dal repertoire.

Recipe

Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 cup toor dal (dried, split pigeon peas), washed and soaked for an hour
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 large tomato, grated
1 green chilli, slit
1 level tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
4 cups water
50 gms tamarind (soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of boiling water, cool, extract & strain the pulp and set aside to use)
Tempering:
1 tbsp oil/ghee
3 dried red chillies, broken in half ( I prefer to use byadgi chillies that are less fiery and add a smokey flavor)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
10-12 curry leaves
5 garlic pods, thinly sliced
A generous pinch of asafetida
1 tsp jaggery (or more to taste)
1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish

Method

Pressure cook the dal with the onion, tomato, green chilli, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and salt for 2-3 whistles or until the dal is fully cooked. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release, then mash the dal well.

Stir in 3 tbsp of the tamarind pulp (add more/less to taste), jaggery and chopped cilantro. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let it continue to boil while you prepare the tempering.

For the tadka (tempering), place a small tempering wok/pan over medium-low heat and dry roast the red chillies until they are almost black in spots (you may have to take the pan off the heat for a few seconds if it gets too hot). Remove the chillies from the pan and set aside. Add the oil and once it’s hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the sliced garlic and fry until golden. Next, add the curry leaves, asafetida and reserved roasted chillies. Stir for another 30 seconds before adding this mixture into the hot dal.

Stir well, taste the dal and adjust seasonings accordingly (depending upon the sourness of the tamarind, you might need more pulp/jaggery/salt).

Boil for 5 more minutes until the dal thickens slightly, stirring and pressing the chillies against the sides of the cooker to release their oils.

Remove from heat and enjoy.