Urad Dal is a healthy recipe to make for any Indian vegetarian meal as it is loaded with Vitamin B, iron, and other essential nutrients. It is a rich source of vegetarian protein and can be a good substitute for non-vegetarian food. Here is how to make it.
Dals are the ultimate comfort food and it’s the best comfort food you can make on a weekday.
There are so may dals that you can make at home, but here we are making my favourite one, Urad Dal.
It is mostly grown in the southern regions of South Asia, and can be used to make many dishes.
Popular in the Northern as well as the Southern states of India, this dal is used throughout the country for making vada, rotis, parathas, dals, salads, and snacks.
Whenever I feel like preparing a different dal during the week, I prepare Punjabi Sookhi Urad ki Dal or Dal Amritsari and soak in the goodness of this enriching lentil.
And, without this Dal, I cannot imagine making creamy Dal Makhani, which we so gladly eat with Jeera Rice.
And the other day when I wanted to try a new version of Dal, I tried my hands on this simple and comforting Urad ki Dal.
Simply made using subtle spices such as hing, jeera, turmeric powder, this Dal turns to be homely and a meal that you can feed even to your kids without worry.
Here are some more everyday Dal recipes, that you can make for your weekday meals – North Indian Style Toor Dal, Sultani Dal, Dal Palak, Dhaba Style Punjabi Dal Tadka, Raw Mango Dal, Gujarati Dal, Cholar Dal and Whole Masoor Dal.
What is Urad Dal?
It is a simple dal where the soaked dal is pressure cooked along with salt, turmeric powder, ginger and water.
Once it is boiled properly, it is tempered with hing, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, ginger and onion.
Cook the onions till they are slightly brown, as they lends a nice flavour to the simple dal.
Also make sure that the tadka is given only in ghee, as it tastes the best. You can also garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves.
Serving Suggestions
It is a simple Dal that can be served with Roti or Tawa Paratha. It also tastes good with Steamed Rice or Jeera Rice with a side of Raita and Papad.
Health Benefits
This dal is a great source of vegetarian protein.
It is rich in calcium, folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, and other minerals.
It has a lot of fibers and hence easy to digest.
Urad Dal also helps reduce cholesterol and is good for the health of your heart.
It is also considered a natural aphrodisiac and increases libido.
Common Questions about Urad Dal
Is it bad for your health?
It is one of the richest sources of vegetarian protein and vitamin B.
It is also rich in folic acid, iron, and magnesium.
So it is definitely not bad for your health, in fact, if you are vegetarian, you should cook it more often to meet your protein needs.
Does it have gluten?
This dal is totally gluten-free. You can use this dal if you are gluten intolerant.
Does Urad ki Dal cause gas?
There have been a few incidences of Urad Dal causing gas and that is the reason it is usually cooked by adding ingredients like ginger and ajwain.
These ingredients help to combat the gas and avoid bloating.
Can it be given to babies?
This Dal has a lot of health benefits and is recommended to give it to kids once they turn 8 months old.
You can make khichdi using this Dal and give it to your kids.
Does it increase Uric Acid?
It’s a popular belief that pulses increase uric acid and cause gout but it has not been clinically proven.
In fact in the west, doctors advise patients to take lentils as their other source of proteins like meat, eggs, etc are reduced. You can read more about it here.
However, please consult your doctor before consuming lentils if your uric acid levels are high.
Can it be eaten during pregnancy?
Since this dal is rich in iron, folic acid, and other nutrients, it is recommended for pregnant women. Try to include in your diet at least once a week.
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Step by Step Recipe
Wash the dal and soak it in enough water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and add the dal in a pressure cooker.
Add turmeric powder, salt and ginger along with 4 cups of water.
Pressure cook until the dal is cooked. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release. Mash the dal using the back of a ladle. Add more water if required.
Heat ghee in a pan.
Once the ghee is hot, add hing and zeera and let them crackle for a few seconds.
Add dry red chillies, ginger and onion and fry until onion turns golden brown.
Now add the tadka in the cooked dal and mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve the dal hot with roti
Urad Dal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dhuli Urad Dal
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- ¼ tsp Heeng
- 1 tsp Zeera
- 2-3 Dry red chilli
- ½ cup Onion (Chopped)
- 1 tsp Ginger (Grated)
- 2 tbsp Fresh coriander (Chopped)
Instructions
- Wash the dal and soak it in enough water for 30 minutes.
- Drain the water and add the dal in a pressure cooker.
- Add turmeric powder, salt and ginger along with 4 cups of water.
- Pressure cook until the dal is cooked.
- Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release.
- Mash the dal using the back of a ladle.
- Add more water if required.
- Heat ghee in a pan.
- Once the ghee is hot, add hing and zeera and let them crackle for a few seconds.
- Add dry red chillies, ginger and onion and fry until onion turns golden brown.
- Now add the tadka in the cooked dal and mix well.
- Garnish with fresh coriander.
- Serve the dal hot with roti.
Notes
Nutrition
