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Tidali dal
ٽِڙالي دال (tidali dal): Sindhi three-lentil dal of chana, moong and masoor with a garlic tarka
Tidali simply means three in Sindhi, and this dal brings together chana, moong and masoor, each cooking at its own pace so the finished pot has creamy body from the quick lentils and a pleasant bite from the chana. It is everyday food in Sindhi homes from Thatta to Nawabshah, cooked thick and golden, sharpened with tomato and green chilli and finished with a generous tarka of garlic and cumin fried in oil until crackling. Serve it with bhuga chawal or plain rice, a crisp papad, aloo tuk and a little pickle. Many cooks put all three lentils in at once, so the masoor dissolves to mush while the chana stays hard. Chef's tip: give the soaked chana dal ten minutes on its own, then add the moong and masoor so all three finish together.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dal
- 2 ⅞ oz chana dal (split chickpeas)soaked 30 minutes
- 2 ⅞ oz yellow moong dalrinsed
- 2 ⅞ oz red lentils (masoor dal)rinsed
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tomatochopped
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 2 cm piece fresh gingergrated
For the tarka
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 6 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder
To serve
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 2 ⅞ oz chana dal (split chickpeas) and simmer it in 4 ¼ cups water with 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric for 10 minutes, skimming off the foam.
10 minStep 2: Add 2 ⅞ oz yellow moong dal, 2 ⅞ oz red lentils (masoor dal), 1 tomato, 2 green chillies, 2 cm piece fresh ginger and 1 ¼ tsp salt and simmer partly covered for 18–20 minutes, stirring now and then, until all the lentils are soft and the chana dal crushes easily.
20 minStep 3: Whisk the dal briefly with a balloon whisk or the back of a ladle to make it creamy, leaving some whole grains; it should pour thickly from the spoon, so add hot water if needed.
2 minStep 4: For the tarka, heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, then 6 cloves garlic and 2 dried red chillies, and fry for about 1 minute until the garlic is golden.
2 minStep 5: Take the pan off the heat, stir in 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder and pour the tarka over the dal at once. Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tidali dal take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of red lentils (masoor dal)?
- Yellow split peas (soak 2 hours and cook longer).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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