Amritsari Sookhi Dal (No Onion No Garlic)

Amritsari Sookhi Dal is a famous North Indian recipe that is wholesome, nutritious, healthy, and satisfying! This Sookhi Dal is made without onion and garlic, but it is flavorful and delicious with the nutty taste of Urad Dal.

Amritsari Sookhi Dal is easy to make and makes a comforting meal served with Roti, Bhakari, or as a side dish.

Jump to:

• About Urad Dal (Split Black Gram)
• Why Is It Known As Sookhi Dal?
• What To Love About Amritsari Sookhi Dal
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How To Make Amritsari Sookhi Dal Step-by-Step
• Serving Suggestions
• Helpful Tips
• More Indian Dal Recipes
• Recipe Card

About Urad Dal (Split Black Gram)

Urad Dal is one of the famous lentils used in India. It is rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fat and is a great source of iron, folic acid, and calcium. This Lentil has a prominent nutty flavor.

We need to soak Urad Dal for at least an hour. In this recipe, I used split and skinned black gram (Dhuli Urad Dal). This lentil dish is made without any sauce or gravy. For that reason, we need to boil the dal first, and then we will use the boiled and drained dal to make Amritsari Sookhi Dal.

Why Is It Known As Sookhi Dal?

In India, we mostly make two types of curry or Sabji, one with gravy and the other without gravy. Some are also semi-liquid or semi-dry. So, to make this Dal, we don’t need any gravy or sauce. Each lentil will stay separate, and we don’t add any water to the tomato mixture. Hence, it is called Dry Urad Dal. But dry Sabji doesn’t mean that it will taste dry and unpleasant. In fact, Amritsari Sookhi Dal is soft, creamy, and flavorful and has enough moisture from the tomatoes.

Ingredients and Substitutions

For Cooking Dal

1. Urad Dal: Use Dhuli urad dal (split and skinned black gram) for this dal recipe. Wash the dal a few times or until the water runs clear. Soak the dal for at least one hour to 4 hours. When you cook the dal, you may see the scum or frothing on the top of the dal. Remove it using a spoon and discard. This scum may ruin the taste of the dal, so it is essential to remove the frothing.
2. Water: For Amritsari Sookhi Dal, it is essential to cook the dal thoroughly, but each grain should stay intact. So, do not use a lot of water to cook the dal. Add only as much as mentioned in the recipe, and add more water later only if necessary.
3. Ginger: Urad dal has a prominent nutty taste. I like to use lots of ginger for Amritsari Sookhi Dal to balance the nutty taste and make it pleasant. So, I used the ginger twice: once while cooking the dal and again when I made Sookhi Dal. However, you can skip adding the ginger while cooking the dal if you want. If you follow a strict Jain diet and do not consume fresh ginger, skip it.
4. Salt: Add salt to your taste, and after making the Amritsari Sookhi Dal, taste and add more salt if necessary.
5. Turmeric Powder: I like to add it while boiling the dal. It provides a lovely hue to the lentils.

For Amritsari Sookhi Dal

1. Oil: I used oil for this recipe, but if you prefer ghee for the dal preparations, add ghee. Or, use half oil and half ghee.
2. Cumin Seeds: I found cumin seeds taste best with this dry urad dal, but you can add mustard seeds if you like.
3. Whole Dry Red Chilis: You can add any whole dry red chilis to this recipe. You can also skip them or add slitted green chilis instead. If you use green chilis, reduce the amount of red chili powder or skip it.
4. Ginger: As I mentioned above, I added ginger twice. You can add it to your taste and if you follow a strict Jain diet, use ¼ teaspoon of dry ginger powder.
5. Asafoetida: For me, Hing is a must for dal preparations. But if you do not consume it, skip it.
6. Tomatoes: I added one cup of finely chopped tomatoes. You can add less if you want, but I suggest not skipping adding the tomatoes.
7. Ground Spices: I added red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala. If you have roasted cumin powder, I suggest adding it. Add garam masala and red chili powder to your taste.
8. Amchur Powder: Dried mango powder adds tanginess and enhances the other flavors. But you can use lemon juice instead of amchur powder.
9. Coriander Leaves: Add fresh and finely chopped coriander leaves for more flavor.
10. Salt: We add salt while cooking the dal, so at the end, taste the dal and add salt as required.

How To Make Amritsari Sookhi Dal Step-by-Step

• Wash Urad dal for a few times or until water runs clear.   
• Soak washed Urad dal into 2 cups of water for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

• Drain the dal in a colander and set aside.

• Add the drained dal, 2 cups of water, salt, turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon grated ginger or ginger paste in a medium-size saucepan or Kadai.

• Mix and bring this mixture to the boil on high heat.

• Remove the scum, if any, from the top of the dal.
• Then, turn the heat on low and cover the pan with a lid.

• Cook the dal until it is thoroughly cooked, but the grains are separate.
• Dal should be entirely cooked but not mushy. It will take about 12-15 minutes.
• Drain the dal into a fine sieve and set aside.

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add cumin seeds and dry red chili.

• When cumin seeds start sizzling, add ginger and asafoetida powder.
• Stir well and saute for a few seconds.

• Add chopped tomatoes, mix well, and cook for 2 minutes.

• Add cumin powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and Garam masala powder. 

• Mix well and continue cooking until the tomatoes are soft and the oil separates from the mixture.

• Add drained cooked dal and mix well. Mix it gently so that the grains stay intact.
• Cook for 2 minutes.

• Add Amchur powder and chopped coriander leaves.
• You can also use lime juice instead of Amchur powder.
• Mix well and turn off the heat.

• Transfer Amritsari Sookhi Dal into a serving bowl and serve hot. 

Serving Suggestions

• Serve the Amritsari Sookhi Dal as a side dish with Roti and vegetable curry.
• This Sookhi Dal Amritsari can also be served with Roti or Paratha.
• We love to have this dal with Gujarati-style Bhakri and Rotla.
• For a simple and filling dinner, serve this dal with sorghum Roti (Jowar Roti) or Bhakri.

More Indian Dal Recipes

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