Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

3.38 from 8 votes

Hyderabadi Khatti Dal is thick, flavorful curry made using masoor or toor dal. It is tangy and seasoned with curry leaves and mustard. Here is how to make Khatti Dal in Hyderabadi Style.

Khatti dal served in a bowl.

Hyderabadis love all their dal preparation made using tamarind, red chilli powders, garlic. However, Khatti Dal is a Hyderabadi dal that is everyone’s favourite not only amongst Hyderabadis but everyone who tastes khatti dal once! You have to try it once to believe me. Will you?

About the recipe

Originating in South Asia and a main dish in Hyderabadi cuisine, Khatti Dal is thick, flavorful curry made using masoor or toor dal. Delicious, tangy and seasoned with curry leaves and mustard, the dal is a good accompaniment to plain white rice or jeera rice. This light lentil curry can also be enjoyed with chapattis, rotis with Masala Papad on the side.

Khatti refers to tangy or sour, and unlike regular dals that are spicy or salty, this dal is the staple of a cuisine which is spicy. Whether eaten with spicy Mutton Biryani and Bagara Baingan on the side or even Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan, this lentil curry will adds its own flavor to any dish. Here is how to make Hyderabadi Khatti Dal.

You can also lemon juice in place of tamarind to give the sour taste to the dal but traditionally tamarind has been used in this preparation.

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Bhindi ka Salan

Sheer Khurma

Jeera Rice

Step by Step Recipe

Wash tuvar dal and add it in a pressure cooker along with 4 cups of water, salt, turmeric powder, tomato, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and green chilies.

Dal, Tomato, green chilli, salt and turmeric added in a pressure cooker.

Pressure cook till dal is done. (Approx 1 whistle on high heat and 2-3 whistles on low heat. Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let the pressure release. Open the lid of the pressure cooker and add the tamarind pulp in the dal and mix well.

Cooked dal.

For the tempering, add oil in a pan.

Oil heating in a pan.

When the oil is hot, add garlic and fry till it is slightly browned.

Garlic added in the pan.

Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds.

Garlic added in the pan.

Add dry red chilies and curry leaves and let then crackle for a few seconds.

Dry red chillies and curry leaves added in the pan.

Pour the tempering over the dal.

Tempering poured over the dal.

Garnish with fresh coriander.

Coriander added in the dal.

Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot with steamed rice and a dry Sabzi.
3.38 from 8 votes

Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

Hyderabadi Khatti Dal is thick, flavorful curry made using masoor or toor dal. It is tangy and seasoned with curry leaves and mustard.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup Tuvar Dal or Dhuli Masoor Dal
  • Salt (To taste)
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 cup Tomatoes (Chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
  • 2-3 Green chillies (Slit into halves)
  • 1 teaspoon Tamarind pulp

For the tempering

  • 3 tablespoon Vegetable oil
  • 5-6 cloves Garlic (Crushed)
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • 2-3 Dry red chillies
  • 10-12 Curry leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh coriander (Chopped)
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Instructions 

  • Wash tuvar dal and add it in a pressure cooker along with 4 cups of water, salt, turmeric powder, tomato, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and green chilies.
  • Pressure cook till dal is done. (Approx 1 whistle on high heat and 2-3 whistles on low heat)
  • Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let the pressure release.
  • Open the lid of the pressure cooker and add the tamarind pulp in the dal and mix well.
  • For the tempering, add oil in a pan.
  • When the oil is hot, add garlic and fry till it is slightly browned.
  • Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds.
  • Add dry red chilies and curry leaves and let then crackle for a few seconds.
  • Pour the tempering over the dal.
  • Garnish with fresh coriander.
  • Serve hot with steamed rice and a dry Sabzi.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Sodium: 95mg, Potassium: 681mg, Fiber: 16g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 840IU, Vitamin C: 93.4mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 4.8mg
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3.38 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. Any chance you can provide information to do this in the InstantPot? I dont have a pressure cooker but I do have an InstantPot. Hope so.

    1. Pressure cook the dal in an IP for 12 mins at high pressure. Then give the tempering as mentioned.