Hyderabadi Meethi Dal | Mild Comfort Dal with Fried Onion and Garlic Tadka | Hyderabadi Nawabs Special Meethi Dal
Hyderabadi Meethi Dal Hyderabadi Meethi Dal is one of Hyderabad's most famous dal recipes, and its name surprises many people. Meethi means sweet, but this dal has no jaggery or sugar at all. The gentle sweetness comes only from onions fried slowly to golden in the tadka. Unlike its tangy cousin, Hyderabadi khatti dal, meethi dal is neither spicy nor sour. It is a mild dal recipe with a rich flavour and a smooth, silky texture that feels very, very comforting. Every Hyderabadi home makes it a little differently. Some add tomatoes and ginger garlic paste, and some give the tadka in oil. This is how I make it at home: soft mashed dal finished with a fragrant onion and garlic tadka in ghee. You can make this onion tadka dal with toor dal, moong dal or masoor dal, and it is the perfect comfort dal for rice or chapathi.
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Tips
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Soak the dal for 1 hour. Soaking helps the dal cook soft and mash easily into a smooth, creamy texture.
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Cook slowly on medium flame. Pressure cooking on medium flame cooks the dal evenly and keeps its flavour rich.
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Mash the dal well. A well mashed dal is the secret to the smooth taste of meethi dal.
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Adjust with hot water. Always add hot water to adjust the consistency, so the dal stays smooth and does not turn lumpy.
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The sweetness is in the onions. Fry the onion slices patiently until golden. This is where the mild sweetness of meethi dal comes from, so do not rush this step.
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Only one rolling boil after the tadka. Once you add the tadka, let the dal come to one rolling boil and turn off the flame. Boiling longer dulls the fresh tadka flavour.
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Choose your dal. Toor dal gives the classic taste, while moong dal or masoor dal make an equally comforting, lighter version.
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Make it your way. You can add tomatoes or ginger garlic paste, and use oil instead of ghee for the tadka, just like many Hyderabadi homes do.
Hyderabadi Meethi Dal | Mild Comfort Dal with Fried Onion and Garlic Tadka | Hyderabadi Nawabs Special Meethi Dal - Recipe Video
Hyderabadi Meethi Dal | Mild Comfort Dal with Fried Onion and Garlic Tadka | Hyderabadi Nawabs Special Meethi Dal
Ingredients
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**For cooking the dal**
- 1 cup toor dal (tovar dal) / moong dal / masoor dal, soaked for 1 hour
- 2-3 green chilies
- salt
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 4 1/4 cups water
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**For simmering**
- 1 1/4 cups hot water
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**For the onion tadka**
- 3-4 tbsp ghee / oil
- 2 dry red chilies
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 10-12 garlic pods, crushed
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 1/4 cups onion slices
- 2 green chilies, slit
Instructions
- Soak 1 cup toor dal, moong dal or masoor dal for 1 hour
- Drain the dal and add it to a pressure cooker. Add 2-3 green chilies, salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric and 4 1/4 cups water. Cover and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles on medium flame.
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Once the pressure releases, open the cooker and mash the dal until smooth. Add 1 1/4 cups hot water and boil on medium flame.
- Heat 3-4 tbsp ghee or oil in a pan. Add 2 dry red chilies, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and 1/2 tsp cumin. Let them splutter.
- Add 10-12 crushed garlic pods and fry until golden. Add 2 sprigs curry leaves, 1 1/4 cups onion slices and 2 slit green chilies. Fry the onions until golden.
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Pour the onion tadka into the dal and let it come to one rolling boil. Turn off the flame.Your Hyderabadi Meethi Dal is ready. Enjoy this comforting mild dal with hot rice or chapathi.
