Saayi dal, split moong dal pressure cooked with tomatoes and chilies and tempered with garlic. A delicious comfort food served with rice and a dollop of ghee.
Dal Chawal | Saayi Dal | Sindhi style dal | Dal tadka | Dal for lunch | Vegan lunch ideas | How to make Sindhi style dal | How to make saayi dal | Split moong dal gravy | Rice and dal
Jump to:
Dal : Easy Vegetarian Protein Source
Dal-chawal is the staple food of India. We enjoy pizza, pasta, wraps and rolls, but we come home to our simple dal-chawal and our hearts and worries melt away in that small plate of hot rice and dal, served with a dollop of ghee.
Dal is regular at home, i either make North indian style dal like Chana dal or simple Dal Lucknowi, or South-indian style kootu like this Purslane leaves Kootu , ashgourd and chana dal kootu
As i mentioned in the heading, dal is an easy and affordable vegetarian/vegan protein source. It is possible to be eating tofu and paneer everyday, dal makes a great protein source for those who cannot opt for other protein for their day to day meals.
Why you should try this saayi dal?
Today's recipe of Sindhi style saayi dal, a simple split moong dal with skin pressure cooked with tomatoes and chilies, tempered with lots of garlic. A family favorite recipe, enjoyed by both kids and adults.
- Quick and easy recipe
- Easy and affordable plant protein.
- Uses minimal ingredients.
- Can be made both in pressure cooker and instant pot
- Can be easily made for crowd
- Vegan-friendly, Nut-free, Gluten-free
How i make Sindhi style split moong dal?
I use split green moong dal with skin known as chilke wali moong dal. Soak the dal for 15 minutes in water. When soaked, the skin might come off, but i usually strain just the water and add the skin back to the dal. Straining the skin off is your personal choice.
Add the dal to a pressure cooker, along with chopped tomatoes, green chilies and salt. I add 2-3 tablespoon of fresh coconut, which is not used in the original recipe, so feel free to skip it, but i love coconut in my saayi dal.
Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles, let the pressure fall naturally. Heat a tadka pan with oil, splutter mustard seeds, add red chilies, curry leaves, chopped garlic and ginger, let the garlic brown and finally add cumin seeds. Pour this sizzling tadka over the dal, give it a good mix and serve it hot with rice.
The Ingredients
- Split moong dal with skin, I have read that whole green moong can also be used, but i have made this sai dal only with split green moong with skin.
- Spices, green chilies, ginger and garlic are the only spices used this recipe. The dal is cooked with tomtoes, ginger and chilies.
- Tempering, the garlic tadka adds whole lot of flavor to this dal. Curry leaves and cumin adds lot of texture to the dish.
Serve this simple, yet delicious dal with steaming hot rice. Whenever i make dal, i make a simple stir-fry to pair with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this saayi dal in instant pot. Follow the steps and pressure cook for 5-6 minutes. Let it release pressure naturally for 6 minutes. Then Quick pressure release. Finally add tadka as mentioned above.
Saayi dal tastes best when served with steaming hot rice with a dollop of ghee. you can also thin it down and add some pepper and enjoy it as a soup.
Any dal tends to get thicker as it rests, so if you pack the dal in the right consistency, in an insulated lunch box then it would be a great lunch box recipe.
Yes, this delicious Sindhi style dal can be made sattvic without garlic. Just skip garlic in the tadka and you are good to go.
Saayi Dal | How to make Sindhi Style Moong dal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup split moong dal with skin Chilke wale moong dal
- 3 nos green chilies
- 1 no medium-sized tomato chopped
- 3 tablespoon fresh coconut optional, check notes
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- fresh coriander for garnish
Tempering
- 2 teaspoon Oil any vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds/kadugu
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 nos red chilies broken into two
- 3 nos garlic cloves chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon ginger julienned
- a sprig of curry leaf
Instructions
- Wash and soak the dal for 15 minutes in water. Strain any excess water and keep aside until use.
- Heat a pressure cooker with a teaspoon of oil, add green chilies, chopped tomatoes. Dump the strained dal, add turmeric, salt and coconut.
- Add 3 cups of water to this dal mixture and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles. Let the pressure fall naturally. Then open the cooker and give the dal a good mix.
- Let us add the tadka, heat a small tadka pan with oil, splutter mustard seeds, add broken red chilies, curry leaves. Add chopped garlic and ginger to this and let the garlic brown well. finally add cumin to the hot tadka, give it a stir.
- Pour this sizzling tadka over the dal and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve the dal with steaming hot rice.
Notes
- Coconut is not added to the original recipe, since i love coconut in my dal, i have used it here.
- Ginger is added while pressure cooking the dal with tomatoes and chilies. But i love to add it to my tadka. So, feel free to use it either while pressure cooking or in the tadka.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.
kitchen queen
healthy delicious dal.
Rafeeda AR
love the garlic thadka...
Priya Suresh
Thick dal makes me drool..Wat a wonderful spread,inviting.
Chef Mireille
pictures look so amazing. makes me want to grab a spoon and dig in
The Pumpkin Farm
very beautiful clicks, and nice and simple recipe
Corporate to Kitchen
That dal looks so satisfying. Some papad pickle @ rice just completes it.
Pavani
Such a simple and comforting dal. Looks delicious.
Srivalli
Lovely pictures...and no one can say to such simple and comforting dals..
Suma Gandlur
Comforting dal.
Harini R
Very comforting to have moong dal like this!!
vaishali sabnani
This is one of the simplest daals cooked in Sindhi homes..and who can say it has been cooked by a S Indian..u rock Priya!