Tidali means three, and Tidali Dal is the everyday three-lentil preparation of Sindhi households — moong, masoor and chana dal cooked together until they lose their individual edges and become one thick, deeply savoured pot. The tempering is what makes it Sindhi rather than generically South Asian: a fierce bloom of asafoetida in hot ghee before anything else, the hing hitting the oil first and overwhelming everything that comes after it in the best possible way. It is the flavour of Sindhi kitchens everywhere — Karachi, Leicester, Houston — recognisable at twenty paces, irreplaceable on a cold evening with fresh roti.
Zone: Indus Plains
SOURCE: Urdu recipe, Pakistani Kitchen Instagram community, 2021, translated from Urdu
LOCAL NAME: تیدالی دال
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup moong dal (split mung beans, husked)
- ½ cup masoor dal (red lentils)
- ¼ cup chana dal (split chickpeas, soaked 30 minutes)
- 900 ml water
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
- 2 green chillies (slit)
- For the tarka: 2 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dried red chillies
- 4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- chopped coriander to finish
METHOD
- Rinse all three dals until the water runs clear. Combine in a pot with the water, turmeric and tomatoes.
- Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then simmer over medium-low heat for 25–30 minutes until all three dals are completely soft and the mixture is thick and unified.
- Add the salt and slit green chillies. Adjust water if too thick — the dal should be pourable but not watery.
- For the tarka: heat the ghee in a small pan until it shimmers. Add the asafoetida and let it sizzle hard for 15 seconds. Add the cumin seeds and dried red chillies and let them pop, 30 seconds. Add the garlic and fry until pale gold, 1 minute. Take off the heat and add the Kashmiri chilli.
- Pour the entire tarka — hot ghee and all — over the dal. Stir once and serve immediately, scattered with fresh coriander, with roti or chapati.
NOTES
UK adaptation: All three lentils from any South Asian grocer or the world-food aisle of most supermarkets. Asafoetida from any South Asian grocer. Everything else widely available.
US adaptation: Moong dal, masoor dal and chana dal from Patel Brothers or H-Mart. Asafoetida from Indian grocery stores. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: The asafoetida in the tarka should sizzle hard for a full 15 seconds — it needs that heat to lose its raw edge and develop the aromatic bloom that defines this dal.
Cook this differently? Share your family’s version — or tell us what we’re missing.
Contribute