Dalithoy

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Dalithoy is a lentil curry which is a staple of every Konkani home. It's usually served with rice and upkari (sautéed vegetables).  Everyone's dailthoy is different and their preferences are different. Some people like it really thick, some like it watery and some like it in between the two. Thick Dalithoy is often referred to as DDT or Dhat Dali Thoy among Konkanis and watery Dalithoy is referred to as Pathala Dali Thoy.


Glossary

Dhat = Thick

Pathala = Thin

Upkari = Sautéed Vegetables, also called Palya in Kannada and Sabzi in Hindi

Panna = Tadka


Ingredients

Base

  • Oil - 1 tsp
  • Toor dal (split pigeon pea) - 1 cup
  • Green chilli peppers - 3 
  • Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
  • Water - 1 cup for the toor dal, 1 cup for the pressure cooker/instant pot

Tadka

  • Oil or Ghee - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
  • Hing (asafoetida) - 2 tsp
  • Urad dal (split dehusked black gram lentils) - 1 tsp
  • Byadagi chilli peppers - 2 
  • Curry leaves - 1 to 2 sprigs

Garnish

  • Cilantro/coriander Leaves (chopped) - 1 to 2 sprigs

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker or Instant Pot 
  • Tadka 


Directions

  1. Rinse your toor dal a couple of times in the pressure cooker/instant pot pan to remove any stones or impurities. 
  2. Pour the cup of water into the pan
  3. Place the pan in the pressure cooker or instant pot, pour some water in the cooker/pot outside of the pan so there's enough water for the dal to cook
  4. Cut the green chilli peppers longitudinally and add them to the pan
  5. Add 1 tsp of turmeric
  6. Pro-tip: Add a few drops of oil so that the dal does not become frothy
  7. Close and turn on the cooker/pot for 12 minutes in pressure cook mode
  8. Once the dal is cooked, open the pan, mash the dal with the water for a better consistency. You can add more water if you like. 
  9. Turn the heat on or the saute mode. 
  10. While the dal is getting to a boiling point, add 1 to 2 tbsp of the oil or ghee to the tadka and heat it on the stove
  11. Toss the mustard, hing powder, urad dal, byadagi chilli peppers, and curry leaves and use a long spoon to stir
  12. When the mustard starts popping, your tadka/panna is ready
  13. Turn off the heat on your pressure cooker/instant pot and add the tadka to it
  14. Pro-tip: Take a spoon of dal and add it to the tadka. Add the sizzling dal back into the pot. This ensures you get all the flavor from the tadka into your dal
  15. Mix everything with a ladle
  16. Add the chopped cilantro leaves to the dal. Dal is ready!

Note: you can also use a regular soup pot but it will take at least 30 minutes for the toor dal to cook. The pressure cooker is an integral part of Indian cooking so invest in that or an Instant Pot to save yourselves some time.