Sultani Dal or Lucknowi Dal is a nawabi lentil recipe that is of Mughal origin. Lentil is cooked along with rich ingredients which gives it a truly royal feel. Here is how to make it.
About This Recipe
Having been born and brought up in Uttar Pradesh and having lived in the hub of the Mughal Empire for a few years, my love for Mughlai food has no boundaries. From Kebabs, Biryani, Kormas to the rich vegetarian spread, this cuisine has something in store for everyone.
Sultani Dal is one of the dishes from the royal cuisine where the humble meal of the day has been given a majestic makeover. It is our everyday lentil cooked in milk and then made royal with the addition of cream and other spices.
For preparing sultani dal, firstly, the lentil is cooked in milk, cream, and exotic Indian spices. It is then simmered in a mixture of milk, yogurt, cream and tempered with ghee infused with garlic, ginger, and chilies, this dal is sure to make your lunch and dinner more regal.
Whenever we get tired of the monotonous meals, all we need is a piping hot bowl of this creamy Lucknowi Dal to bring in some fresh breeze in our day to day lives!
Having said that, I have even served it to my guests on countless occasions. It turned out to be a delicious delight for them as well.
This dish brings in royal flavors on the table yet it does not compromise with the feeling of relishing a homely meal. Made from the most basic ingredients which we always have at our homes, it doesn’t require any extra effort or preparation.
Now that you are impressed by this recipe, do the honor of preparing wholesome Lucknowi Dal at home, serve it with Zeera Rice or Laccha Parathas to your loved ones and let them feel royal, eh?
Ingredients
Tuvar Dal – This recipe uses your good old tuvar dal, which is cooked along with salt, turmeric powder, and water.
Cream – Sultani Dal is known for its richness, and therefore this one has a lot of cream in it. You can either use the homemade cream or buy the store-bought one.
Yogurt – Yogurt adds a little bit of tang and adds to the creamy texture.
Milk – To thin out the dal, we will add in a little milk which will make it thin without making it watery.
For Tadka – This Dal uses a ghee tadka of cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, green chilies, onion, dry red chilies, and red chili powder.
You can adjust the amount of green chilies as per your taste. Dry red chilies and red chili powder add a subtle heat when added to the tadka.
Always add red chili powder after switching off the gas, otherwise, it might burn in the hot ghee and won’t taste great.
How to make Sultani Dal?
Wash 1 cup of tuvar dal (yellow pigeon lentil) a few times with water until the water runs clear. Add it to a pressure cooker along with salt to taste, ½ tsp turmeric powder and 2 cups of water.
Cook the dal on high heat for one whistle and then simmer the heat to low and cook for another 2 whistles.
Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Once the pressure is released, open the lid of the cooker and whisk the dal using a wire whisk.
Add 300 ml milk, 2 tbsp yogurt and 2 tbsp heavy cream to the cooker and mix everything well.
Cook the dal on low heat until it thickens a bit.
Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a small pan.
Once the ghee is hot, add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Fry for 20 seconds. Add 1 tsp chopped ginger, 2 tsp chopped garlic, and 2 tsp chopped green chilies and fry for a few seconds.
Add ½ cup chopped onion and 2-3 dry red chilies and fry on medium-high heat till onions are slightly browned. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
Switch off the heat and add 1 tsp red chili powder to the pan. If the heat is not switched off, red chili powder will burn and will give a very bad taste.
Pour this tadka immediately over the dal. We don’t want the chili powder to burn. Mix well and serve hot with jeera rice or naan.
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Recipe Card
Sultani Dal Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow pigeon peas (tuvar dal)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 300 mili liter milk
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon plain yogurt
- 3 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoon chopped green chili
- 2-3 whole dry red chilies
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
Instructions
- Wash 1 cup of tuvar dal (yellow pigeon peas lentil) a few times with water until the water runs clear. Add it to a pressure cooker along with salt to taste, ½ tsp turmeric powder and 2 cups of water.
- Cook the dal on high heat for one whistle and then simmer the heat to low and cook for another 2 whistles.
- Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Once the pressure is released, open the lid of the cooker and whisk the dal using a wire whisk.
- Add 300 ml milk, 2 tbsp yogurt, and 2 tbsp heavy cream to the cooker and mix everything well.
- Cook on low heat until it thickens a bit.
- Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a small pan.
- Once the ghee is hot, add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Fry for 20 seconds. Add 1 tsp chopped ginger, 2 tsp chopped garlic, and 2 tsp chopped green chilies and fry for a few seconds.
- Add ½ cup chopped onion and 2-3 dry red chilies and fry on medium-high heat till onions are slightly browned. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Switch off the heat and add 1 tsp red chili powder to the pan. If the heat is not switched off, red chili powder will burn and will give a very bad taste.
- Pour this tadka immediately over the dal. We don’t want the chili powder to burn. Mix well and serve hot.
