Amritsari Dal My Food Story

on Jul 07, 2023, Updated Jul 17, 2023 Normally, I’d start this post off by telling you all about how I came to love this recipe, how it’s best enjoyed, how it comes together, etc. – all to give you a case for why you should make it. But this time, all I’m going to do is tell you what goes into it, and that’s case enough. Urad sabut dal, aromatics – ginger, garlic, onions, green chillies, tomatoes, heaps of Indian spices – amchur, garam masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin seed, and generous amounts of fresh cream, ghee, and butter. Are you convinced? This dal has got the most amazing dhaba style flavour and the most amazing creaminess. The little touch of butter as a finisher makes it super glossy and rich, and the texture is THICK – perfect for some garlic naan dipping action!

How to make the Amritsari Dal

Clean, wash, and soak whole urad dal in water overnight. Drain the water. In a pressure cooker, add the soaked dal, 1 cup of onions, chopped ginger, salt, and 2 1/2 cups of water.
Pressure cook the dal mixture over medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes until the urad dal is cooked. Allow the pressure to release naturally before opening the lid.
Mash the cooked dal and add fresh cream.
Cook the dal on low flame for 10 minutes to thicken it. Set aside.
For tempering, heat oil and ghee in a small pan. Add the remaining onions, ginger-garlic paste, and green chillies. Sauté until the onions turn translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the mixture starts releasing oil. Stir in the chilli powder, turmeric powder, amchur, coriander powder, cumin seed powder, garam masala, and salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the tempering mixture to the dal and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust the consistency by adding ¼ to ½ cup of water as needed. Serve the dal garnished with fresh cream. If you’re hosting friends soon or looking to impress your family with a lip smacking meal – this creamy Amritsari Dal has got to be on your radar to make next! I love doing a whole spread of this dal, tandoori chicken, basmati rice, garlic naan, lachha paratha with some pickled pink onions, green chillies and green chutney on the side. I’ll be posting a lot of dal recipes so be sure to check them out. Our humble lentils can really be so impressive. As always, if you make this be sure to tag me in your recreations on my Instagram 🙂

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Ingredients You’ll Need to make Amritsari Dal

Dal – This recipe calls for Sabut Urad dal (whole split black gram).

Onions – We use a full cup here for both the pressure cooking and tempering steps. Don’t skimp on this – it will add to the overall texture and flavour of the dal.

Ginger – Finely chopped, for both pressure cooking and tempering.

Garlic – Finely chopped, for the temper.

Green Chillies – Finely chopped, for a little kick.

Tomatoes – Finely chopped.

Fresh Cream – I use Amul, and this is for both the dal and the garnish.

Spices – amchur (dry mango) powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, and cumin seed powder, and salt to taste. Fat – Ghee, Oil, Butter! I use all 3 in this recipe and you can taste the layers of richness that it adds. Feel free to adjust this to your liking but I’d highly recommend using ghee for cooking and a little knob of butter when garnishing.