Keri ni Dal (Gujarati Ambe Dal with Raw Mango)
Thin tangy-sweet Gujarati dal with grated raw green mango and soft tuvar dal, balanced with jaggery and a simple tadka. Pressure cooker or stovetop, naturally vegan with oil.
Ingredients
For the dal
- 1 cup tuvar dal split pigeon peas; picked over and rinsed
- 2½ to 3 cups water for pressure cooking
- ¾ to 1 cup tightly packed grated raw green mango about 1 medium kairi; peeled and pitted before grating
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 to 2 tbsp grated jaggery or 1 tsp sugar; to taste
- 2 to 2½ cups hot water after cooking for thinning
For the tempering
- 2 tbsp neutral oil or ghee
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida hing
- 6 to 8 fresh curry leaves
- 1 to 2 dry red chilies optional; broken
- 1 small green chili optional; slit
To finish
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked rice, jeera rice, or roti, for serving
Instructions
Pressure cook the dal
- Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker. Add mustard seeds. When they pop, add cumin, hing, curry leaves, dry red chili, and optional green chili. Cook until fragrant, a few seconds.
- Add rinsed tuvar dal and turmeric. Stir to coat in the oil for 30 seconds.
- Add pressure-cook water (start with 2½ cups) and salt. Pressure cook on medium until dal is very soft: about 3 whistles on a stovetop cooker, then natural release, or follow your cooker chart for tuvar. If unsure, err on a little extra water to avoid scorching.
- Open the cooker. Mash dal lightly with the back of a spoon, or pulse briefly with an immersion blender for extra silkiness if you like.
Simmer with mango
- Stir in grated raw mango and jaggery. Add hot water until the dal is thinner than you want to serve; it tightens as it cooks.
- Simmer uncovered on medium-low 12 to 18 minutes, stirring often, until mango no longer tastes harshly raw and sweet-sour tastes round. Taste often and adjust jaggery, salt, and water.
- Finish with cilantro. Serve hot with rice or roti.
Stovetop (no pressure cooker)
- Soak tuvar dal 1 hour, drain, then simmer covered with water until very soft, 45 to 60 minutes. Continue from the Simmer with mango step.
Notes
- Sour balance: if the dal is too sharp, add jaggery in small pinches and simmer 2 minutes between tastes. If too flat, add more grated mango in small amounts.
- Frozen grated raw mango: thaw and drain well; it can be more acidic, so add gradually.
- Vegan: use oil only in the tadka; skip ghee finishing.
- Leftovers: refrigerate up to 3 days in a shallow container; reheat with hot water to loosen. Flavour mellows overnight, so taste and adjust salt before serving.
- Instant Pot: pressure cook dal on High with natural release using your usual tuvar preset, then use Sauté on Low for the mango simmer so the bottom does not scorch.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!