Arhar Dal Recipe (Toor Dal)

Arhar dal or toor dal (Split toor, tuvar dal) will surely complete your meal on a good note. Here is a quick and easy recipe for busy moms and dads to cook Arhar ki dal without a pressure cooker. Yes, it's so easy with my tested and proven method.
This recipe includes stovetop and Instant pot Toor dal instructions that will make it easy to make in your kitchen.

In Subcontinent, especially from India and Pakistan, people love to eat arhar dal and make it with their regional taste by adding different spices. Here, I am making a traditional style, arhar ki dal that will give a fried and spicy taste due to rice tadka.

What is Arhar Ki Dal

It's pigeon pea lentils famous as Arhar dal or toor dal in the subcontinent. A yellow-colored, flat, and oblong shape lentils widely used in Indian and Pakistani cooking. Originates from the Eastern part of peninsular India. It almost takes a longer cooking time as compared to other lentils.

Here in this recipe, I took almost 30 minutes to cook the dal on medium to low temperature without a pressure cooker. Most recommended soaking the dal before an hour of cooking.

My family and I personally love to serve this dal in lunch with laccha paratha and a small piece of mango pickle (Achar).

SERVE WITH: Green Chutney | Homemade Tawa Naan 

Health Benefits

Arhar dal (Split Pigeon Peas) famous as toor dal packed with protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and multivitamins. Experts say it contains a rich amount of folic acid that is required for fetal growth. It can help you to get the daily amount of calcium and iron through natural sources. If you have flu then make this dal and eat. It will help to get rid of phlegm. If you are dealing with hypertension then must try this dal in your daily meal to stay away from stress.

Ingredients

Arhar Dal: Used fresh dal taken from the local grocery store.
Spices: Added salt, red chili powder, and turmeric powder to cook the dal.
Water: Required to cook the dal with a thick consistency.
Tempering (Tadka): Used oil, chopped garlic, green chilies, whole red peppers, cumin (zeera) and red chili to make delicious tadka.
Garnished with freshly chopped coriander.

How to Make Arhar Dal

Cooking Arhar dal on Stovetop without Pressure Cooker

Place the dal in a bowl and wash it properly with running water. Soak for 30 minutes in deep-filled water. After soaking, wash the dal again.

Now add the dal in a deep cooking pan and add 2.5 glasses of water. Season with salt, red chili powder, and turmeric.

Cover and cook the dal for 30 minutes on low/medium heat. After 30 minutes, mix the dal with a spoon to create a smooth texture. Cook until it gets a semi-thick texture.

Tadka Preparation (Tempering)

In a pan, add ghee/oil and heat it up. Add chopped garlic, green chilies, cumin seeds and red whole peppers. Fry the tadka ingredients as it gets aromatic or slightly brown. Add a pinch of red chili powder and fry for few seconds.

Pour the tadka over the cooked dal and cover the pan immediately to make it aromatic.

Now dish it out and serve with boiled rice or roti/chapati

Toor Dal Instant Pot

Here is the toor dal instant pot recipe step by step:

Place the soaked dal in an instant pot cooker and add water with salt, red chili, and turmeric. Choose Pressure cook/manual for 10 minutes. Don't forget to seal the vent knob. After 8 minutes, when it beeps, release the vent and give time to settle the steam. Carefully and gently open the lid and mix the dal with a mashing spoon. Check the thickness and dal consistency. If everything ok then move to the temper step.

Tadka in Instant Pot

Shift the dal to any other dish, and prepare an instant pot for tadka. Wash it first! Turn on Saute mode and oil and let it heat up. Then add chopped garlic, green chilies, cumin, and whole red peppers. (you can make variations in tadka as per your taste). Cook the tadka for few minutes and then add the dal in it to give a good mix if it is convenient then place the tadka over dal.

Tadka Variations

There are many ways to make delicious tadka in dal. Here are some options to add tadka in dal.

Option 1: Indian Style Tadka, add ghee/oil/butter in a pan and heat it up for a few seconds now add heng, garlic slices, cumin seeds, green chilies and Kashmiri red peppers and fry until it slightly changes the color and gives an aroma. Pour over the dal and cover the pan for few minutes.

Option 2: It's a Pakistani style dal tadka, add ghee/oil/butter in a pan and heat it up for a few seconds now add chopped garlic, cumin seeds, green chilies, and whole red pepper and fry until it is slightly changing the color and gives an aroma. Before adding in dal, adds a pinch of red chili powder and then pour over the heated dal.

Share this recipe with your family and friends. It would be great if you leave your feedback in the comment box. If you make this recipe at home then share a picture with the hashtag #hinzcooking

Quick Tips

1. Properly soak the dal before an hour of cooking.
2. Make sure to wash the dal properly before cooking.
3. Almost cook dal in deep filling water for 30 minutes on medium to low temperature.
4. Add salt and spices during cooking the dal.
5. After softening the dal, make sure to mash with a spoon to make a smooth and clear texture.
6. Maintain the dal consistency as per your taste bud. I personally like semi-thick dal.
7. Make a rice tadka in dal to make it delicious.
8. Cover the pan after adding the tadka for 5 minutes to penetrate the tadka aroma in dal.

Arhar Dal Video

It's a quick and easy recipe of 'arhar dal' for lunch or dinner that you can easily make at home and serve your family and friends. You can join our Facebook group of foodies to interact with other foodies!! At Hinz cooking, you can find more recipes related to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and teatime. Explore recipe collection to get your desired recipes.

Q & A

Is Arhar dal good for weight loss?
It contains low GI (glycemic index) and is also low in calories. It keeps full for longer hours so it would be ideal for weight loss. But make sure to avoid heavy tadka in dal as it increases the calorie count. If you are making this dal to lose weight then make tadka with extra virgin olive oil.

Is Toor Dal and Arhar Dal Same?
Yes, it's the same dal. Many people call it Arhar and some knew it as Toor dal or Tuvar dal.

How to know the Arhar dal is good?
Check the dal and make sure the lentils are well in shape, it should not be broken, holed, or decolor.

Is organic Toor dal better?
Yes, probably it doesn't carry additives and is also not polished using artificial methods.

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5 from 2 votes

Arhar Dal Recipe (Toor Dal)

Arhar dal or toor dal (Split toor, tuvar dal) will surely complete your meal on a good note. Here is a quick and easy recipe for busy moms and dads to cook Arhar ki dal without a pressure cooker. Yes, it's so easy with my tested and proven method. This recipe includes stovetop and Instant pot Toor dal instructions that will make it easy to make in your kitchen.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Active Time30 minutes mins

Soaking Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: dal, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Keyword: arhar dal, arhar dal recipe, toor dal instant pot

Yield: 2 Persons

Calories: 268kcal

Author: Hinz

Cost: $2

Materials

• Arhar Dal Toor Dal – 1 Cup
• Salt – ½ Tsp
• Red Chili Powder – ½ Tsp
• Turmeric Powder – ½ Tsp
• Water – 2.5 Glasses
• Fresh Coriander chopped
• Tadka Ingredients:
• Oil / Ghee – 1 Tbsp
• Chopped Garlic – 1 Tsp
• Green Chilies – 3
• Whole Red peppers – 3
• Cumin Seed – 1 Tsp
• Red Chili Powder – ⅓ Tsp optional

Instructions

• Preparation of Cooking Dal: Place the dal in a bowl and wash it properly with running water.
• Now soak the dal for 30 minutes in deep filled water.
• After soaking, wash the dal again.
• Now place the dal in a cooking pan and add 2.5 glasses of water.
• Add salt, red chili powder, and turmeric.
• Cover and cook the dal for 30 minutes on low/medium heat.
• After 30 minutes, mix the dal with a spoon to create a smooth texture.
• Cook until it gets semi-thick texture.
• Preparation of Tadka: In a pan, add ghee/oil and heat it up.
• Now add chopped garlic, green chilies, cumin seeds and red whole peppers.
• Fry the tadka ingredients as it gets aromatic or slightly brown.
• As the tadka is getting ready, add pinch of red chili powder and fry for few seconds.
• Pour the tadka over the dal and cover the pan immediately to make it aromatic.
• Now dish it out and serve with boiled rice or roti/chapati

Instant Pot Toor Dal

• Place the soaked dal in an instant pot cooker and add 3.5 cups of water with salt, red chili, and turmeric. Choose Pressure cook/manual for 10 minutes. Don't forget to seal the vent knob.
• After 8 minutes, when it beeps, release the vent and give time to settle the steam.
• Carefully and gently open the lid and mix the dal with a mashing spoon. Check the thickness and dal consistency. If everything ok then move to the temper step.
• Tadka in Instant Pot
• Shift the dal to any other dish, and prepare an instant pot for tadka. Wash it first!
• Turn on Saute mode and oil and let it heat up. Then add chopped garlic, green chilies, cumin, and whole red peppers. (you can make variations in tadka as per your taste).
• Cook the tadka for few minutes and then add the dal in it to give a good mix if it is convenient then place the tadka over dal.

Video

Notes

1. Make sure to soak the dal before cooking/boiling.
2. Always cook dal on slow heat.
3. Add salt and spices during cooking the dal.
4. After softening the dal, make sure to mash it with a spoon to make a smooth and clear texture.
5. Maintain the dal consistency as per your taste bud. I personally like semi-thick dal.
6. Make a rice tadka in dal to make it delicious.
7. Cover the pan after adding the tadka for 5 minutes to penetrate the tadka aroma in dal.
8. In an Instant pot, add 3.5 cups of water, if making 1 cup of soaked dal. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 268kcal