Amritsari Sookhi Dal is easy to make and makes a comforting meal served with Roti, Bhakari, or as a side dish. Jump to:About Urad Dal (Split Black Gram)Why Is It Known As Sookhi Dal?What To Love About Amritsari Sookhi DalIngredients and SubstitutionsHow To Make Amritsari Sookhi Dal Step-by-StepServing SuggestionsHelpful TipsMore Indian Dal RecipesRecipe Card
About Urad Dal (Split Black Gram)
Urad Dal is one of the famous lentils used in India. It is rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fat and is a great source of iron, folic acid, and calcium. This Lentil has a prominent nutty flavor. We need to soak Urad Dal for at least an hour. In this recipe, I used split and skinned black gram (Dhuli Urad Dal). This lentil dish is made without any sauce or gravy. For that reason, we need to boil the dal first, and then we will use the boiled and drained dal to make Amritsari Sookhi Dal.
Why Is It Known As Sookhi Dal?
In India, we mostly make two types of curry or Sabji, one with gravy and the other without gravy. Some are also semi-liquid or semi-dry. So, to make this Dal, we don’t need any gravy or sauce. Each lentil will stay separate, and we don’t add any water to the tomato mixture. Hence, it is called Dry Urad Dal. But dry Sabji doesn’t mean that it will taste dry and unpleasant. In fact, Amritsari Sookhi Dal is soft, creamy, and flavorful and has enough moisture from the tomatoes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For Cooking Dal
For Amritsari Sookhi Dal
How To Make Amritsari Sookhi Dal Step-by-Step
Wash Urad dal for a few times or until water runs clear. Soak washed Urad dal into 2 cups of water for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Drain the dal in a colander and set aside.
Add the drained dal, 2 cups of water, salt, turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon grated ginger or ginger paste in a medium-size saucepan or Kadai.
Mix and bring this mixture to the boil on high heat.
Remove the scum, if any, from the top of the dal. Then, turn the heat on low and cover the pan with a lid.
Cook the dal until it is thoroughly cooked, but the grains are separate. Dal should be entirely cooked but not mushy. It will take about 12-15 minutes. Drain the dal into a fine sieve and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and dry red chili.
When cumin seeds start sizzling, add ginger and asafoetida powder. Stir well and saute for a few seconds.
Add chopped tomatoes, mix well, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add cumin powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and Garam masala powder.
Mix well and continue cooking until the tomatoes are soft and the oil separates from the mixture.
Add drained cooked dal and mix well. Mix it gently so that the grains stay intact. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add Amchur powder and chopped coriander leaves. You can also use lime juice instead of Amchur powder. Mix well and turn off the heat.
Transfer Amritsari Sookhi Dal into a serving bowl and serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the Amritsari Sookhi Dal as a side dish with Roti and vegetable curry. This Sookhi Dal Amritsari can also be served with Roti or Paratha. We love to have this dal with Gujarati-style Bhakri and Rotla. For a simple and filling dinner, serve this dal with sorghum Roti (Jowar Roti) or Bhakri.
More Indian Dal Recipes
Recipe Card
Ginger: If you dislike using too much ginger, you can skip it while cooking the dal. Tomatoes: Tomatoes add moisture to this dal, so do not skip them. However, you can add more or fewer tomatoes to your taste preference.
