What is Maash Ki Dal (Split Urad Dal)?
Urad dal/daal is an ivory-white colored lentil. It comes from husked and split whole urad dal. It’s also called dhuli, or washed, urad dal, indicating it’s clean of the dark outer layer. Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week! It has taken me packets upon packets of urad dal (I’ve never seen it labeled ‘maash’, as we grew up calling it) to get the perfect al dente texture. If you’ve had this dal, you know it can’t escape you. You’ll see it staring at you in the obnoxiously versatile ‘dal section’ of the Indo-Pak grocery store, and you’ll want to relive a bite of it – enveloped in roti, chewy yet textured. I don’t mind any version of this tasty dal, but my mother-in-law makes the best I’ve had. Since she’s been visiting, I’ve tried to recreate it multiple times, asking her detailed, probably trivial questions along the way – “1 ¼ tsp coriander powder or 1 ½”? More Lentil and Legume Recipes: Rajma, Chana Masala, Easy Pakistani Haleem and Dahi Bhalla.
How to make Sookhi Urad Dal (dry)?
If you’ve tried making dal maash, you know getting the texture right is the biggest hurdle. Perfecting the soak time, cooking time, and the dal to water ratio is somewhat of an art. I’ve done my best to break it all down for you for both stovetop and Instant Pot. Note: This recipe is for split urad rather than whole urad. These two dals are not interchangeable and cannot be swapped due to water ratio and cooking time.
Tips for cooking perfect urad dal:
Fresh dal cooks faster than older dal. Dal is best used within a year of being picked and dried. If your dal has been in your pantry for longer than 9-10 months, you may need to increase the cooking time. Contrary to my cooking instinct, my mom-in-law doesn’t brown the onion first, but adds the garlic and tomato alongside the onion. I’ve chopped it all in food processor to save time, but you can manually do so if you prefer. I’ve also tried browning the onions first and adore it that way as well, though there isn’t too much of a difference to require first browning. The green chili peppers are added at the end, which means they must be comfortably hot. If your green chili peppers are too hot to bite into, remove the seeds, chop it into smaller pieces, and only use half. To double the recipe on the stovetop, use 3 1/3 cups water to cook the dal instead instead of 3 1/2 cups, which would be double the amount of water. Whenever you’re doubling a recipe, you want to minimize excess liquid.
Maash Ki Dal Serving Suggestions
Maash ki dal is typically served with roti or paratha. A side of Kachumber Salad or fresh, crunchy vegetables such as sliced onions, carrots, or cucumbers are ideal to add crunch and texture. I love it with some Achaar (mixed pickle).
Want more dal recipes?
Instant Pot Pakistani Chana Dal Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal My Go-To Masoor Dal Recipe (Red Lentil Curry)
For more ideas, check out my Instant Pot Pakistani Recipes Roundup!
