Dalithoy is a quick and simple, yet flavorful Konkani style dal that is a staple in Konkani GSB households like ours. It requires only a handful of ingredients, and gets ready in minutes, which makes it the perfect dal recipe for busy weeknights. Pair it with rice, papad, and maybe a pickle on the side, and enjoy!
Do you have a dish or a recipe that is super simple and basic, but is still iconic and particularly special to you and the community you come from because it is more than just a dish, it also is a representative of your unique culinary heritage? That is what Dalithoy is. To most of the Konkani GSB community.
And of-course there are many other dishes that also are unique (and equally special) to Konkani GSB cuisine like the upkaris, ghashis and ambats. But for me it all begins with dalitoy and sheet (rice in konkani). And so that’s what I am sharing today.
The humble, yet iconic, Dalithoy, that is so well loved.
If you are new to this dish, just try it once. I assure you, you too will fall in love with this quick and easy, yet delicious version of dal.
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What is Dalithoy?
Dalithoy is a quick and simple, yet flavorful Konkani style dal that is a staple in Konkani GSB households. It is traditionally made using toor dal, and tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida powder.
Ingredients You Need
Ingredient notes
Kind of dal – I always use toor dal to make dalithoy, because that’s what my mom always used. You can use moong dal or even masoor dal if you wish.
Ghee vs coconut oil – As you can see above, I have used ghee for tempering / tadka, you can also use coconut oil, or your preferred oil. But I recommend preferably going with either ghee or coconut oil.
How to Make Dalithoy
- For making dalithoy, start with pressure cooking the dal, till you get smooth, chunk free dal.
- In a pot, add the boiled dal, salt, green chillies (slit in the centre), and a little water to thin out the dal, and mix well.
- Heat up the dal on medium heat till a proper boil.
- As the dal is heating up, place a tadka pan on the stove to get the tadka / tempering ready.
- For making tadka, heat up a little ghee (or oil), and add in the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start crackling, add in the curry leaves, and then the hing.
- Once everything is lightly roasted, turn off the flame, and add the tempering in the dal, which should have come to a boil now.
- Dalitoy is ready to be served.
Note
I prefer a dal consistency that is not too thick but not watery either, so I have tailored the quantity of water in the dal based on my preference. Feel free to adjust the quantity of water based on your preferences. Just also remember to adjust the salt accordingly.
Variation
- You can use roasted dry red chillies instead of green chillies if that’s what you prefer. You can also use red chillies in addition to green chillies, by adding red chillies in the tadka.
- You can also add a spoon of urad dal in the tadka, right at the beginning, before adding the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and hing.
- A few versions of daalitoy also use adrak/ginger, that you can chop finely and add in dal or tadka.
Serving Suggestion
Dalithoy is best served with rice, papad & pickle. It’s the ultimate comforting combination. Even better if paired with potato/batate upkari (recipe coming soon).
Find More Konkani Recipes
⭐Rulaav ( Konkani Style Upma)
⭐️Batata Upkari (Potato Stir Fry)
⭐️Chana Ghashi (Black Chickpea Curry)
⭐Prawns Phanna Upkari (Shrimp Curry)
⭐Churmundo (Wheat Flour Ladoo)
As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️
📖 RECIPE
Dalithoy Recipe
Ingredients
For pressure cooking dal
- 1 cup toor dal / yellow split pigeon peas
- 2½ cup water to pressure cook the dal
For making curry
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 2 green chillies slit
- 1 cup water to thin out the curry
For tadka / tempering
- 2 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (rai)
- 15 curry leaves (cadipatta)
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida powder (hing)
Instructions
Pressure Cook Dal
- Wash & rinse out the dal, and pressure cook it with fresh water, till you get smooth chunk free boiled dal. This requires 3-4 whistles in my pressure cooker.
Make Dalitoy
- In a pot, add the boiled dal, salt, slit green chillies, and water to thin out the dal. Mix well.
- Heat the dal on medium flame, till it comes to a boil.
Tadka / Tempering
- In a tadka pan, heat up a little ghee / oil, and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start crackling, add in the curry leaves, and hing powder, and roast for 30 seconds or so. Ensure to not over-roast and burn the tempering.
- When done, add tadka to the dal, once the dal has come to a boil. Mix everything once.
- Dalitoy is ready to be served.
Notes
- I have used toor dal here, but you can use moong dal or masoor dal as well.
- You can use any kind of oil for tempering, but it’s best to use ghee or coconut oil.
- I prefer a dal consistency that is not too thick but not watery either, so I have tailored the quantity of water in the dal based on my preference. Feel free to adjust the quantity of water based on your preferences. Just also remember to adjust the salt accordingly.
- You can use roasted dry red chillies instead of green chillies if that’s what you prefer. You can also use red chillies in addition to green chillies, by adding red chillies in the tadka.
- You can also add a spoon of urad dal in the tadka, right at the beginning, before adding the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and hing.
- A few versions of daalitoy also use adrak/ginger, that you can chop finely and add in dal or tadka.
Nutrition
Video Recipe
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