Ingredients

• 1 cup - toor dal
• 1 tbsp - mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp - coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 1 stalk - curry leaves
• 1 tbsp - broken jaggery
• 3 tbsp - tamarind water
• 3 green chillies
• 1 piece ginger
• 2 cloves - garlic
• 1 tsp - red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp - turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp - dhania (coriander seed) powder
• 1/4 tsp - garam masala
• 2 pinches - asafoetida
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp - each cumin & mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp - ghee
• 5 cups - rice starch water or water

How to Make Sweet Sour Dal

• Wash and pressure cook dal in two cups water.
• Cool, remove, drain and keep aside the top water of dal.
• Remove two tbsp thick dal and keep aside.
• Beat the remaining dal with a hand whipper, adding the water that was kept aside.
• Crush the green chilli and ginger together.
• Make a paste of all the dry powders in 1/4 cup water. Keep aside.
• Heat ghee in a saucepan and add the seeds. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir.
• Add asafoetida, mint, masala paste and stir for a minute.
• Add jaggery, tamarind water and stir.
• Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add beaten dal.
• Boil for 6-7 minutes.
• Check taste for salt and spice.
• Garnish with chopped coriander.
• To be served with hot steamed rice.
• To serve, place one serving of rice on a plate.
• Top with one tsp of thick dal kept aside.
• Lace with 1/2 tsp desi ghee.
• Serve along with a serving of the dal.