Sultani Dal / Lentil Stew

Sultani Dal / Lentil stew – A Rich n Creamy Royal Dish from the Nawabi Cuisine!  A must try recipe with deliciousness in every bite, and a total comfort food.

Hello 2022!

Welcoming the New Year on a royal note with a Nawabi style dal / lentil stew which is rich and so delicious.

Sultani dal is a specialty of Awadhi cuisine, which belongs to the Northern part of India, Uttar Pradesh. The first time I tried Sultani dal was a few years back at a restaurant in Hyderabad, and then later at a friend’s party after which I got totally hooked into it. This is not your ordinary lentil curry if you are wondering, it is a royal dish which was served to Nawabs in palaces, ages ago.

A bowl of piping hot dal along with basmati rice is totally a food heaven. The recipe is fairly simple being mild on spices but using ingredients like ghee, milk, yogurt, and cream, making it rich and creamy. The consistency of the dal is smooth velvety and the ghee tadka with cumin, ginger and garlic totally elevates the taste all together. Plus, lentils are healthy and a great way to add vegetarian protein to your diet.

If this is the first time you are preparing this dish, then cooking dal with milk might feel a bit skeptical, but trust me, it is beyond delicious. We love Sultani dal so much that it has become a part of our weekly menu and my son enjoys every spoonful of it.

Sultani Dal

Serve it alongside with basmati rice, jeera rice, paratha, naan or roti. Enjoy!

Interested in other dal recipes? Check these out:

• Sambar
• Kale and Zucchini dal

Happy Cooking…!

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Sultani Dal

Sultani Dal / Lentil stew - A Rich n Creamy Royal Dish from the Nawabi Cuisine! 

Servings: 4

Author: Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 cup toor dal / yellow pigeon peas
• Pinch of turmeric
• Salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup yogurt
• ½ cup cream

Tempering/Tadka

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds / jeera
• 2 dry red chilies
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• ½ inch sized ginger (minced)
• 2 green chilies (slit)
• 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
• Cilantro leaves (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Pressure cook dal along with water, milk, turmeric powder and salt, for 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool until all the pressure has been released.
2. Remove the lid from the cooker and turn on the heat to a medium flame.
3. Add yogurt and milk cream, mix well and allow it cook until it forms a thick dal consistency.
4. Prepare the tadka by heating ghee in another pan, add cumin seeds, dry red chilies and sauté for 1 min. Add ginger, garlic, green chilies, and sauté until the raw smell subsides. Add onion, sauté for 3 minutes until onions turn translucent.
5. Pour the prepared tadka over the dal, mix everything together and check for the seasoning.
6. Top with cilantro leaves and switch off the flame. Serve hot along with rice, paratha, naan or roti.