Mango Dal (North Indian Green Mango Dal)
Mango dal is a tangy north indian lentils dish made with split pigeon pea lentils, green mangoes and a few basic spices.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
For Pressure Cooking the Dal
- 1 cup toor dal /arhar dal split pigeon pea lentils
- ½ cup raw mango/green mango peeled and diced (adjust quantity depending on how sour the mango if or how tangy you like)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard oil
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 3 cup water or as needed
For Tempering The Dal
- 2-3 tablespoon ghee
- ⅛ teaspoon hing asafoetida
- 2-3 dried red chilies or use 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon garlic finely chopped (about 3 large garlic cloves)
- ⅓ teaspoon red chilli powder (hot), adjust to taste
Optional Ingredients
- Ghee for serving
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Pressure Cook The Dal
- Add lentils to a large bowl and wash 3-4 times under running water till the water runs clear.
- Place the dal in pressure cooker, add 3 cups water and soak for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile you can peel and dice the green mango, chop garlic etc.
- Once soaked, place the pressure cooker on a medium high stove and bring to a rolling boil. Using a spoon, skim and discard the white foam using a spoon.
- Add the chopped mango, turmeric powder, salt and mustard oil. Close the lid and pressure cook on low medium heat for 8-10 minutes (about 3-4 whistles). Please adjust time and whistles depending quality of lentils. For IP, close the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 8-10 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid and make sure that the dal is cooked fully. Using back of a spoon or a whisk, mash the dal until creamy. This dal tastes good when it isnt too thick so add cold water to adjust the consistency if needed. If you do add water, simmer the dal for 3-5 minutes.
Tempering (Dal Tadka)
- Heat ghee in a kadai/cooking pot and add hing and dry red chillis and cumin seeds. Let crackle.
- Add the chopped garlic. Let brown lightly. Switch off the heat and add the red chilli powder. Immemdiately add the cooked dal and mix with the tadka. Alternatively, you can prepare the tempering in a small pan and add on top of cooked dal. Done!
- Ganish with fresh chopped cilantro if you wish. Serve.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Avoid using old lentils that are lying around for more than 3 months in your pantry.
- Always taste the green mango before adding to dal. Once the dal and mango are cooked together, hardly much can be done to reduce the tanginess.
- On the same lines, add more raw mango after tasting them in case you prefer to make a tangy dal.
- The taste of dal from this recipe is mellow. Add extra spices for heat or flavor during tempering if you wish.
- If you wish, substitute with matar dal (split yellow pea lentils), red lentils (masoor dal) or chana dal (bengal gram lentils).
- Substitute mustard oil with any cooking oil of choice or ghee if you wish.
- Raw Mango (Green Mango)- I purchase green mangoes from indian grocery stores during spring and summer months.
- Serve mango dal with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice and dollop of ghee.
- Pair it with rotis or rice and a dry sabzi like bhindi aloo, bharwa baigan or bharwa bhindi.
- Keep the dal slightly thick and serve as a soup with a dollop of spicy garlic pickle or yogurt and fresh chopped cilantro.
Nutrition
Calories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 500mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 164IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg
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