Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Gujarati Dal Recipe
Sweet, spicy and tangy, this Gujarati Dal is comfort food at it’s best! This thin consistency dal is tempered with lots of spices like cinnamon, cloves, cumin, mustard and flavored with ginger, jaggery, lime juice. Best enjoyed with plain rice.
As someone who grew up eating dal everyday of her life, it still is (and will always be) an integral part of my diet and life. I cannot do without eating dal at least 2 times a week. That’s bare minimum!
Sure, I do not cook it everyday like it was in my house but it’s my comfort food and I need it every week. There’s so much variety when it comes to dal (like green moong, whole masoor dal to name a few). There are so many different types of lentils and each lentil can be prepared in several ways.
I didn’t grew up eating Gujarati Dal (for those who aren’t aware, Gujarat is a state in western part of India) but it has become one of my favorites in the past few years. I grew up eating the same lentil – toor dal/arhar dal everyday but it was cooked in a very different way in my house. There were no spices added and it only had a simple tempering of cumin seeds and sometimes garlic. It was really that basic.
When I first tried Gujarati Dal (and this was many years ago on a trip to Gujarat), I instantly liked it. It was spicy, tangy and sweet and paired so well with all the sabzis (vegetables) and rice. I would call it khatti meethi dal which literally translated to sour and sweet dal.
Now, I make Gujarati Dal often in my kitchen and it gets over in no time. Sarvesh is always happy when I make this dal so that’s an added bonus!
Consistency of Gujarati Dal
The consistency of Indian dal often confuses people, especially my readers who are from US and those who didn’t grew up eating it.
The confusion comes from the fact that most dal on the menu in Indian restaurants in the US are thick. But there’s no one consistency when it comes to dal in India. Every state, every region of India will make it differently and India is such a large country so the cuisines and method of making dals also vary widely.
This Gujarati Dal (which is made in the state of Gujarat and hence the name) has quite a thin consistency. It’s like milk consistency so don’t worry if this looks too thin to you. It is supposed to be thin. It does thicken as it cools down. My everyday dal that mom made was also similar consistency so I am very used to this consistency dal. But I thought I would put a note here in case this confuses some of you.
Ingredients for Dal
The ingredient list for this dal can be divided into 2 parts: the dal itself and the tadka (tempering).
For the Dal
Toor Dal/Arhar Dal: this dal is made with toor dal which is also known as arhar dal or pigeon peas lentil. You can find it at any Indian grocery store. If you don’t have toor dal, you can definitely use moong or masoor as well.
Flavoring: this Gujarati Dal is flavored with ginger, tomatoes and green chilies. If you are not a fan of tomatoes, you can simply skip it.
Spices: the dal gets its spicy flavor from garam masala, red chili powder, the tanginess from lime juice and the sweetness from jaggery. Tamarind can also be added for the tang in place of lemon juice.
Peanuts: boiled peanuts are added to this dal which gives it a nice texture. I usually boil the peanuts along with the dal in the pressure cooker. You can definitely skip the peanuts if you are not a fan or want to make this nut-free.
For the Tadka
The tadka is made with bunch of whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves!
Step by Step Instructions
1- To a pressure cooker, add 1 cup toor dal/arhar dal along with 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and 3 cups of water. Add 1.5 tablespoon peanuts to a small steel bowl and place it in the center of pressure cooker. You can also tie the peanuts in a muslin cloth.
2- Cook for 7 to 8 whistles on medium-high heat. Let the pressure release naturally. If using an Instant pot, pressure cook 8 minutes on high pressure with natural pressure release.
3- Open the pressure cooker, carefully remove the bowl of peanuts using a pair of tongs and set aside.
4- Add 2 to 3 cups more water (adjust according to consistency preference, Gujarati dal is supposed to be on the thinner side, so I recommend adding 3 cups water here).
5- Using an immersion blender, blend the dal until it’s uniform and you see no dal particles.
6- At this point, I transferred the dal from the pressure cooker to a pot on medium heat but you don’t have to do it. You can do rest of the steps in the pressure cooker as well. Add 1/3 cup chopped tomato, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 sliced green chili to the dal.
7- Now, add the following:
- 2 & 1/2 tablespoons jaggery powder (or use 1 small piece of jaggery)
- 3/4 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (add more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt (adjust to taste)
8- Give everything a good stir and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile make the tadka.
9- To make the tadka, heat 2 tablespoons ghee (or use oil) in a small pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the following:
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon hing
- 4 cloves & 1-inch cinnamon stick
Let the seeds sizzle and mustard seeds pop.
10- Add in the curry leaves. They will splutter a lot so move away from the pan as soon as you add the curry leaves.
11- Pour the tadka over the pot of simmering dal.
12- Add the lemon juice and also the boiled peanuts back into the dal. Garnish with cilantro and simmer 2 more minutes! Serve piping hot.
Serving Suggestions
The dal is best enjoyed with plain white rice. Some other options are to serve this dal with:
You can also serve it as a part of thali along with sabziz, Gujarati kadhi etc.
Cooking Dal on Stove-top
If you don’t have a stove-top pressure cooker or Instant pot, you can soak the lentils for 2 to 4 hours. Then drain and rinse them and transfer to a pot with around 3 cups water.
Cook on medium heat until the lentils are completely cooked. This will take around 30 minutes.
Instant Pot Version
Add the dal along with salt and turmeric and the peanuts to the steel pot of your Instant Pot. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Then press the sauté button and do the rest of the steps on sauté mode. Make tadka in a separate pan and pour over simmering dal.
Vegan Version
This dal is vegan as such except the use of ghee in the tadka (tempering).
To make this gujarati dal vegan, just replace the ghee with oil. Rest of the steps and ingredients will remain same.
Tips & Notes
- Leftover dal can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The consistency of dal will thicken so you will need to add water while re-heating. You can re-heat in microwave or in a pan on stove-top.
- If you want to store dal for even longer time, you can freeze it in a freezer safe bag.
- Skin hing (asafoetida) to make this recipe gluten-free.
- This is a thin consistency dal, so keep that in mind while making the recipe.
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Gujarati Dal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup toor dal also known as arhar dal/pigeon peas lentil
- 1.5 teaspoon salt divided, to taste
- 1.5 tablespoons peanuts raw
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 5-6 cups water divided, 40-48 oz
- 1/3 cup chopped tomato
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 green chili sliced, add more to taste
- 2.5 tablespoons jaggery powder or a small piece of jaggery
- 3/4 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder add more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder not hot, added for color
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Tempering/Tadka
- 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon hing asafoetida, use gluten-free hing to make this gluten-free
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 8-10 curry leaves
- cilantro chopped, to garnish
Instructions
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To a pressure cooker, add toor dal/arhar dal along with 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and 3 cups of water. Add 1.5 tablespoon peanuts to a small steel bowl and place it in the center of pressure cooker. You can also tie the peanuts in a muslin cloth.
Cook for 7 to 8 whistles on medium-high heat. Let the pressure release naturally. If using an Instant pot, pressure cook 8 minutes on high pressure with natural pressure release.
-
Open the pressure cooker, carefully remove the bowl of peanuts using a pair of tongs and set aside.
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Add 2 to 3 cups more water (adjust according to consistency preference, Gujarati dal is supposed to be on the thinner side, so I recommend adding 3 cups water here). Using an immersion blender, blend the dal until it’s uniform and you see no dal particles.
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At this point, I transferred the dal from the pressure cooker to a pot on medium heat but you don’t have to do it. You can do rest of the steps in the pressure cooker as well. Add the chopped tomato, grated ginger and sliced green chili to the dal.
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Now, add jaggery powder, coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt (adjust to taste). into the dal. Give everything a good stir and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile make the tadka.
Tadka/Tempering
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To make the tadka, heat 2 tablespoons ghee (or use oil) in a small pan on medium heat.
-
Once hot, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing, cloves & cinnamon stick. Let the seeds sizzle and mustard seeds pop. Add in the curry leaves. They will splutter a lot so move away from the pan as soon as you add the curry leaves. Remove pan from heat.
-
Pour the tadka over the pot of simmering dal. Add the lemon juice and also the boiled peanuts back into the dal. Garnish with cilantro and simmer 2 more minutes! Serve piping hot.
Instant Pot Version
-
Add the dal along with salt and turmeric and the peanuts (place over trivet in a small bowl) to the steel pot of your Instant Pot. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Then press the sauté button and do the rest of the steps on sauté mode. Make tadka in a separate pan and pour over simmering dal.
Notes
- Leftover dal can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The consistency of dal will thicken so you will need to add water while re-heating. You can re-heat in microwave or in a pan on stove-top.
- If you want to store dal for even longer time, you can freeze it in a freezer safe bag.
- Skin hing (asafoetida) to make this recipe gluten-free.
- This is a thin consistency dal, so keep that in mind while making the recipe.
- If you don’t have jaggery, you can use sugar in place.
Nutrition
Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Paneer Tikka Masala
Paneer Tikka Masala is a popular Indian curry where cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese), onions and peppers are marinated with yogurt and spices, grilled and then tossed in a creamy tomato based curry. This dish goes extremely well with butter naan or paratha or basmati rice.
About This Recipe
You know the most famous Indian food in the world? It is Chicken Tikka Masala, at least that’s what I think. You talk to anyone in the UK or USA and even if they don’t know much about Indian food they definitely know about chicken tikka masala. I think the dish is synonyms with Indian food in the west. The vegetarian version of it is of course Paneer Tikka Masala which is also quite popular and you would find it on the menu of most Indian restaurants.
Growing up in India, I had never heard of paneer tikka masala. Sure, we had paneer tikka but adding it to a curry was unknown, at least to me. I remember watching a MasterChef India episode some 10 years back which had chef Vikas Khanna and chef Kunal Kapoor talking about the origin of this dish. They also shared a recipe and so this recipe is inspired from their version.
They of course shared the recipe for chicken tikka masala but I changed it to paneer tikka masala and also made few changes depending on my preferences and availability. This recipe uses curry powder which is a common spice mix in the west (again this spice mix doesn’t even exist in India) and it makes sense since this dish originated in the UK. There are stories of how a chef added cream sauce to chicken tikka to please the taste buds of British people and that’s where it originated from.
There are 2 parts to this recipe- the tikka part where paneer, onions and peppers are marinated with yogurt and spices and then grilled. You can cook the tikka in tandoor, oven or in your pan. The other part of the recipe is the curry which is a smooth curry made with onions, tomatoes, cream and butter. The grilled tikka is added to the curry and then served as a main course with side of bread.
This Paneer Tikka Masala
- is super creamy, smooth.
- goes well with naan, paratha.
- makes a comforting meal.
- leftovers are great as well!
Ingredients
There are 2 parts to this recipe- the paneer tikka and the curry.
Paneer Tikka
Paneer: you can use either homemade or store bought paneer but whatever paneer you use, it should be firm and be able to hold it’s shape. You can find paneer at Indian grocery stores or make it at home.
Yogurt: for the marinade, it is best to use thick yogurt. Either use Greek yogurt or if using regular yogurt, use store bought yogurt which tends to be thicker than homemade yogurt. If using homemade yogurt, strain it using a muslin cloth for at least 3 to 4 hours to get rid of all the excess water.
Spices: the marinade uses coriander powder, garam masala, two types of chili powder, ginger-garlic and lime juice. You can also use fresh herbs like cilantro, mint.
The Masala/Curry
Curry base: the base is made with onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic which is quite a staple for most creamy Indian curries. I like using white onion for that sweet, subtle flavor.
Spices: this paneer tikka masala recipe uses curry powder which is a mix of spices and is popular in the western world. It’s not so much popular in India actually, in fact I didn’t even know it existed until I moved out of India. If you don’t have it, you can use a blend of coriander, cumin, turmeric and ginger.
Flavor enhancers: to make the curry creamy, we finish the recipe with butter, cream and cilantro!
Step by Step Instructions
1- We will start by making the paneer tikka. To a large bowl, add yogurt (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon), make sure the yogurt is thick (if using regular homemade yogurt, drain the yogurt for 3 to 4 hours before using in the recipe). To that add the following:
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- juice of 1/2 lime
2- Using a spatula or whisk, mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
3- Now add 225 grams paneer (cubed into big cubes), 1 medium red onion (quartered and separated into petals) and 1 medium green pepper (cut into 1 inch cubes).
4- Mix until the paneer, onion and peppers are well coated with the marinade. You can use your hands here. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes at the least.
5- Meanwhile, let’s work the curry part of this recipe. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1-inch cinnamon stick.
6- Let the seeds sizzle and then add 1 large white onion (roughly chopped), 3 to 4 large garlic cloves, chopped and 1-inch chopped ginger.
7- Stir and cook for around 5 to 6 minutes until onions turn light golden brown in color, stir often in between.
8- Then add 3 large tomatoes (chopped) along with the following:
- 1& 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
9- Stir and cook the tomatoes for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and completely cooked. This step is important so do not rush this step.
10- Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down a bit and then remove the cinnamon stick and transfer everything to a blender and blend to a fine paste. Set this aside.
11- Back to the tikka now, take the marinated paneer out of the refrigerator. Now, you can cook this in a pan or grill or in your oven. I have used a grill pan that I had. Spray the pan with oil and then add the marinated paneer, onions and bell peppers on the pan.
12- Cook until the paneer turns light golden brown in color and onions and peppers are slightly cooked, turning them few times in between for even cooking. Now it’s time to bring the curry together.
Oven instruction: arrange tikka on skewers and bake at 450 F degrees for 10 minutes and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get it browned (optional).
13- Now put the pan back on medium heat and add the pureed paste to it that we had prepared earlier. You can also add remaining 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder at this point if you prefer a brighter color of the curry.
14- Add 1 cup water (or more depending on how much gravy you want), and stir well. Then add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons cream and 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Mix and let it cook for 2 minutes.
15- Add the roasted paneer, onions and peppers into the curry.
16- Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve paneer tikka masala with naan or paratha.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve paneer tikka masala with the following:
- Butter Naan: nothing like fluffy, soft homemade naan to dip into the curry.
- Jeera rice: rice seasoned with cumin seeds makes the perfect pairing.
- Roti: you can never go wrong with the classic Indian everyday bread.
- Tandoori roti: another great bread to serve the curry with.
Vegan Variation
For a vegan version of this recipe you can do the following substitutions:
- use extra-firm tofu in place of paneer.
- marinate the tofu with thick coconut milk (use the top part from the can) or vegan yogurt (plain almond milk works well).
- replace butter with vegan butter.
- replace heavy cream with coconut milk.
Tips & Notes
- I don’t add cashews or any nuts to this recipe but you can definitely add some cashews along with the onions and tomatoes to make it more creamy.
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) can definitely be added toward the end for that nice aroma.
- If using store bought paneer, remember to soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes before using in the recipe.
- You can also strain the onion-tomato mixture after blending it, that will make the curry totally smooth. I didn’t do it to save time.
Frequently Asked Questions
No they are different. Paneer Tikka is served as an appetizer and has cubes of grilled paneer where for paneer tikka masala the grilled paneer is added to a creamy curry and served as a main dish.
Go for a mix of coriander powder, turmeric, cumin and ginger. For replacing 1 u0026 1/2 teaspoon curry powder in this recipe, I would probably use 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger.
They are both popular paneer recipes but the way you make them is different. For the tikka masala, we first marinate the paneer, grill it and then add to the curry. For the paneer makhani, the sauce is made with nuts, onions, tomatoes and then paneer pieces are added to it directly.
This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in April 2014. I have updated the recipe with better photos, videos and made slight modifications to make it better. The curry part of the recipe is same but I have added onions and peppers to the tikka part. If you wish to make it like the old recipe, just skip on the onions and peppers.
If you’ve tried this Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen and on YouTube to watch my latest videos.
Paneer Tikka Masala
Ingredients
Paneer Tikka
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp yogurt use thick plain whole milk yogurt which has been strained or Greek yogurt
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder for color
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
- 1/2 lime juice of
- 225 grams paneer cut into cubes
- 1 medium red onion quartered and separated into petals
- 1 medium green pepper cut into 1-inch cubes
Curry
- 1 tablespoon oil I used avocado oil, use oil of choice
- 2 tablespoons butter divided, unsalted or salted either works
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 large white onion roughly chopped, around 150 grams
- 3-4 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 3 large tomatoes roughly chopped, around 400 grams
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder divided (for color, not hot)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar I used granulated white sugar
- 1 cup water or more as needed
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream 30-45 ml
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
-
We will start by making the paneer tikka. To a large bowl, add thick yogurt, make sure the yogurt is thick (if using regular homemade yogurt, drain the yogurt for 3 to 4 hours before using in the recipe or use Greek yogurt).
-
To that add ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, red chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and juice of 1/2 lime.
Using a spatula or whisk, mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
-
Now add cubed paneer, onion (quartered and separated into petals) and green pepper
Mix until the paneer, onion and peppers are well coated with the marinade. You can use your hands here. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes at the least.
-
Meanwhile, let’s work the curry part of this recipe. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds and cinnamon stick.
-
Let the seeds sizzle and then add white onion (roughly chopped), chopped garlic cloves and chopped ginger. Stir and cook for around 5 to 6 minutes until onions turn light golden brown in color, stir often in between.
-
Then add the roughly chopped tomatoes along with curry powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and sugar. Stir and cook the tomatoes for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and completely cooked. This step is important so do not rush this step.
-
Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down a bit and then remove the cinnamon stick and transfer everything to a blender and blend to a fine paste. Set this aside.
-
Back to the tikka now, take the marinated paneer out of the refrigerator. Now, you can cook this in a pan or grill or in your oven. I have used a grill pan that I had. Spray the pan with oil and then add the marinated paneer, onions and bell peppers on the pan.
Cook until the paneer turns light golden brown in color and onions and peppers are slightly cooked, turning them few times in between for even cooking. Now it’s time to bring the curry together.
Oven instruction: arrange tikka on skewers and bake at 450 F degrees for 10 minutes and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get it browned (optional).
-
Now put the pan back on medium heat and add the pureed paste to it that we had prepared earlier. You can also add remaining 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder at this point if you prefer a brighter color of the curry.
-
Add 1 cup water (or more depending on how much gravy you want), and stir well. Then add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cream and chopped cilantro. Mix and let it cook for 2 minutes.
-
Add the roasted paneer, onions and peppers into the curry. Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve paneer tikka masala with naan or paratha.
Video
Notes
- I don’t add cashews or any nuts to this recipe but you can definitely add some cashews along with the onions and tomatoes to make it more creamy.
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) can definitely be added towards the end for that nice aroma.
- If using store bought paneer, remember to soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes before using in the recipe.
- You can also strain the onion-tomato mixture after blending it, that will make the curry totally smooth. I didn’t do it to save time.
- Older recipe: I have updated the recipe to make it better. The older recipe didn’t have onions and pepper added to the marinade and had a tablespoon of less butter in the curry. You can definitely use the old recipe, it’s almost same except these minor changes.
Nutrition
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