Toor Dal (Indian Pigeon Peas)

If you’re South Asian, chances are you grew up with dal as a nourishing part of your diet. It’s the kind of meal that can soothe you after a long, exhausting journey or a stressful day at work. I find nothing more comforting than a bowl of steaming hot dal served with rice and a generous drizzle of ghee—it’s hearty and satisfying, with an earthy, garlicky flavor that reminds me of my mom’s cooking in Mumbai.

There are many kinds of dals; in Hindi, the word refers to dried beans, lentils, or peas, and it's also the name of the simple stew-like dish prepared with these pulses. Toor dal, also known as pigeon peas, is a perennial legume that’s been a staple in Indian households for centuries. It is a food that transcends economic and social boundaries, making it one of the most widely consumed dishes in India. Nutritious and rich in protein, toor dal is eaten twice daily in many homes throughout India, including my parent’s.

Dal is extraordinarily easy to make yet deeply satisfying. To make the stew, you simmer pulses with spices and aromatics, then top it with tadka (more on that below) and ghee for a dish that delivers complex layers of flavor in every bite. Dal is one of the most forgiving dishes to prepare: The ingredients required are inexpensive and easy to find, making it accessible to people from all walks of life. It’s a meal that can be as humble or as luxurious as you want, depending on the accompaniments or variations you choose to make. 

Every household has their own version: Some families may add tamarind or jaggery for a sweet and sour dal, others may bulk up the dish with vegetables like spinach and eggplant. My recipe below, which comes from my mother, keeps things simple with the addition of onion and tomato. Though it isn’t difficult to make, there are several key steps to making a truly superb pot of toor dal. Read on for my tips.

Wash Your Dal

It’s essential to wash the dal thoroughly under cold water before cooking, as it helps to get rid of any dirt, grit, or stones that may make their way into your bag of peas. If you plan ahead you can cut down on cooking time by about 20 to 25 minutes by soaking the dal in cool water for two to 12 hours ahead of cooking, but it's not absolutely necessary, and I don’t call for it here.

How to Prepare Toor Dal

Once the dal is clean I place the peas in a pot with water and salt and gently simmer them until they soften, a process that takes about 45 minutes if they haven't been previously soaked and 20 to 25 minutes if they have been. I then add aromatics, including onions, tomatoes, and turmeric, which impart a subtle earthiness to the dal and add body to the dish. Adding the onions and tomatoes once the dal is softened allows the vegetables to maintain some bite instead of fully disintegrating into the dal, and ensures that you get some sweetness from the onions and tanginess from the tomatoes in each spoonful. While the dal is delicious at this stage, the real magic happens when you make the tadka—or tempering of spices.

How to Make Tadka to Add Layers of Flavor to Your Dal

This technique is one of the hallmarks of Indian cooking and adds incredible depth of flavor to the dish; cooks use it to top khichadi (a rice and lentil dish), coconut chutney, and sambar (a lentil and vegetable stew), among many other foods. The tadka involves heating oil or ghee—whatever is readily available—in a pan, then adding dried spices like black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and sometimes a pinch of asafoetida, along with fresh aromatics like curry leaves and fresh garlic. As the spices sizzle, they release their fragrant aromas and infuse the hot oil with flavor.

Cooks then pour the flavored oil or ghee over the cooked dal—sometimes stirring it in—which transforms the dish from a simple stew into something far more dynamic, with the tadka bringing layers of nutty, earthy, and slightly smoky flavors. The tadka melts into the dal and you get a little bit of the soft, velvety peas, the crunch of the mustard seeds, the fragrance of the curry leaves, and the mild warmth from the garlic in every bite. It’s a dish that tastes greater than the sum of its parts, and one I suspect you—like me—will never tire of.