Mokali Dal

Mokali dal is a traditional Maharashtrian recipe. It is very commonly distributed as ‘prasad’ on the day of Ganapati Visarjan, Anant Chaturdashi.

The word Mokali (Marathi word) means separated. In this recipe, soaked chana dal (split chickpeas) is grounded with green chillies, and later sauteed with tadka (tempering) and garnished. It is sauteed until all the grains are separated like a crumble. This gives it the name – Mokali Dal. This dal crumble makes a great evening time snack too. It is a protein packed dish and very filling.

My Mom- in -Law makes a slightly different version of Mokali dal. It is prepared during Chaitra month (the first month in the Marathi calendar) to welcome the spring. That one is uncooked and uses green mango for the tang. And is usually accompanied with her special aam paana.

Don’t forget to check out the Photos of our Ganpati celebration (2020) on our Instagram account in the highlights.

Mokali Dal

Recipe by Samrudhi MaheshCourse: Snacks, sidesCuisine: MaharashtrianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Soaking time

4

minutes

Total time

34

minutes

A traditional Maharashtrian savory prasad which is offered on Ganpati visarjan or Anant Chaturdashi.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Chana dal (split chickpeas)

• 3-4 Chopped green chillies

• 1 teaspoon Oil

• 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds

• A pinch of Hing (asafoetida)

• 10~12 Curry leaves

• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder

• 1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder

• Salt to taste

• Lemon juice or lemon wedges

• Finely chopped Coriander leaves

• Shredded coconut for garnish
  

Directions

• Wash the chana dal 2-3 times with water & soak it for at least 4 hours.
• Drain the water and transfer the soaked dal along with green chillies into a blender jar. Grind it into a coarse paste.Use very little water (only if you have too) to grind it into a coarse mixture.
• Heat up oil in pan (check notes). Add mustard seeds and let them pop up.
• Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add hing, curry leaves, turmeric powder, red chili powder and mix well.
• Add blended dal and mix well.
• Cover and cook on low to medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the lid and mix the dal again.
• Again, cover and cook for about next 2-3 minutes.
• Repeat this process for about 8-10 minutes until dal is nicely cooked. Now begin sauteing it, and breaking up all the bigger lumps. Keep on stir frying the mixture until you see the dal grains separate and there are no big chunks left.
• Add salt to taste and mix well.
• Add lemon juice and mix well.
• Add coriander leaves and mix well.
• Cover and cook on medium heat for just another 2 minutes.
• Turn off the gas and your Mokali dal is ready.
• Garnish with fresh shredded coconut and coriander leaves while serving.

Notes

• I have used a non stick pan/ kadhai to make this recipe. I have tried making it in a stainless steel pan, but the mixture sticks to the bottom and got burnt and I had to throw away a major chunk of the dal so I strongly suggest, using a non stick pan/wok .
• If you find very large lumps, you can using a potato masher to break them.
• If you think your dal is very dry you can sprinkle a little water so that the dal is cooked.

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