Vatli Dal is a protein-rich and tasty vegan snack made in Maharashtra made for Padwa or the Hindu New Year.
Watli dal or Watali Dal this simple and delicious vegan dish, a bit on the dry side but when served with Aam Panhe it is a combo you will love. Hello, and welcome to The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen, Reinventing the Foodie in you! Looking for delicious and easy dishes to serve as a snack? Come with me for today I have twisted a traditional recipe to suit our needs. I urge you to subscribe to our newsletter so that you get all our posts. We will not spam you, promise and the subscribe link is below or on the sidebar too!
Contents:
- What is Watli Dal?
- How is Ambe Dal and Watli Dal different?
- So what is different in today's Vatli dal?
- Ingredients for Watli Dal
- Some other traditional recipes
- Recipe Card
- Pin for later
What is Watli Dal?
Watli dal is a Maharashtrian snack made by grinding soaked Bengal Gram lentil with some basic spices and then frying/ roasting it till it is quite dry. This yummy dal though I found a bit dry I loved it when my Mother-in-law made it. It had a different taste I will never be able to duplicate.
This dal is served warm for Haldi Kumkum with Aam Panhe. Haldi Kumkum is a ceremony where married ladies are greeted with haldi and vermilion, offered all the auspicious symbols of a married woman.
How is Ambe Dal and Watli Dal different?
As different as chalk and cheese will be my first thought.
- While Ambe dal the addition of green unripe mango, that makes it tangy and moist Ambe dal is never fried or roasted.
- Watali Dal there is no mango, the soaked dal is stir-fried till it becomes quite dry.
So what is different in today's Vatli dal?
Though I have used the word Chana dal or Bengal Gram Dal through out the recipe today I have used moong dal or Split Yellow Lentil. The rest of the procedure is the same. This recipe I had posted on 5th of Oct, 2017 today I am updating it with new pictures and making it with moong dal.
Ingredients for Watli Dal:
These are the ingredients you will need the measures I have detailed in the recipe card. These are the traditional ingredients.
- Bengal Gram lentil
- Green chilli
- Ginger
- Oil
- Mustard seeds
- Turmeric
- Asafoetida
- Salt
- Fresh Coconut
- Coriander leaves
Substitutes and alternatives:
- Bengal gram lentil: can be replaced with green gram lentils or moong dal. These are lighter for digestion and healthy too. Plus Bengal gram causes gas and bloating you can avoid both these issues. Plus the soaking time is shorter too.
- Ginger: You can avoid ginger if you wish.
How to make Vatli Dal:
Today I have used moong dal or split yellow lentil for making my Watli dal. The method of making the recipe is the same. So shall we jump into steps of the recipe?
- Rinse the dal in running water and soak the dal. For Split Bengal dal you will need about 5 hours. For The Yellow Lentil, about 1 hour is more than enough.
- At then of the soaking time drain the water and grind the dal with ginger and chillies, turmeric to a fine paste.
- Make a tempering and stir fry the mixture till almost dry.
- Add the coconut and stir fry till it resembles coarse sand.
- Serve warm garnished with coriander and lemon along with panhe.
Pro-tips and storage:
- My friend Varada grinds her dal with milk. That sounds like a great way to get a smooth paste.
- Keep the flame medium-low and stir frequently. We do not need the dal sticking at the bottom of the pan. Avoid the temptation of raising the heat all throughout the process of cooking.
- Psst, the stuck dal tastes the best!
- Now, if you are unable to finish the full dal store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Lasts for 2-3 days.
- Now you can scale up or down the ingredients given.
Some other traditional recipes:
Recipe Card:
Watli Dal Recipe
Equipment
- chutney jar of mixer/blender
- Kadhai/wok
- Spoons and Ladles
Ingredients
- ½ cup bengal gram lentil
- 1 green chilli
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- salt to Taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoon fresh coconut I did not use
- coriander Leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Wash and soak for 5 hours the bengal gram dal in water.
- Discard the water and grind to a fine paste the chana dal with green chilli.
- Heat oil in a thick wok and add the mustard seeds once they splutter add turmeric, asafoetida and the dal mixture and stir it well
- Sauté the mixture stirring it at frequent intervals. Take care the mixture should not stick to the bottom.
- As the dal starts drying out add the salt and the coconut, if using, and sauté on medium heat.
- Your watli dal is done when the mixture dries out and each grain is separate.
- Serve garnished with coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut. I like some lime with mine.
Notes
- My friend Varada grinds her dal with milk. That sounds like a great way to get a smooth paste.
- Keep the flame medium-low and stir frequently. We do not need the dal sticking at the bottom of the pan. Avoid the temptation of raising the heat all throughout the process of cooking.
- Psst, the stuck dal tastes the best!
- Now, if you are unable to finish the full dal store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Lasts for 2-3 days.
- Now you can scale up or down the ingredients given.
Pin for later:
Vaishali says
Ah ! Very interesting ! I make something similar but with cucumbers , will give this a try .
Srivalli Jetti says
Very interesting version Arch, we make this differently..so interesting to read about different ways to make using chana dal..
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says
A very interesting recipe... I feel it's good as an after workout protein snack... I love chana dal after all!
Ritu Tangri says
I didn't know this version of chana dal. Look interesting and tempting.
Priya Suresh says
Wish i get that plate rite now, feel like having this extremely delicious watli dal.
Varada says
I love Watli dal. It is so flavorful! Nice recipe!
Mayuri Patel says
An interesting way to prepare chana dal. I'd love to have it with kadhi and rice.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
That is a great recipe for snacking. Love the protein burst in the recipe. Lovely recipe.
sushma says
Ohh very nice dish, we make this recipe too. Only thing is we dont mash the dal after cooking. Looks amazing.
Chef Mireille says
looks delicious - would love to try it
Kalyani says
sounds delicious ! almost like paruppu us
Kalyani says
sounds delicious ! almost like paruppu usli !
Mayuri Patel says
Watli dal what an amazing name for a dish.. but yes it translates as ground dal. Interesting snack option and healthy too. With coconut added to it, am sure it tastes delicious. I'm going to try this recipe out for my evening snack.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Mayuri Vatli dal is ground dal do try and I am sure you will enjoy it.
Kalyani says
Very similar to Paruppu Usli, yet deliciously different. I like that ginger hit and coconut here and that it is made with Moong dal... yum...
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
Chef Mireille says
What a unique and interesting snack. I can't wait to try it.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thank you.
Preethi Prasad says
Vatli dal is so flavourful and nutritious snack . I would love to try your version soon. I am sure my family will love it .
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Preethi.