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close-up of thecha dal in the skillet
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5 from 2 votes

Thecha Dal- Lentil Dal with Blistered Chilies and Garlic

Thecha dal, an Indian red lentil dal that you know and love with a spicy, nutty, umami-packed addition! Blistered chilies garlic are pounded with peanuts to make a chili chutney, and swirled to the lentil soup to make a flavorful dal!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: maharashtrian hirvi mirchi cha thecha, thecha recipe
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the dal:

  • 1 cup split red lentils washed and drained, or other lentils such as moong dal lentils, toor dal
  • 3 cups water or broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or paprika
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional dal additions:

  • 1 tomato chopped
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk

For the thecha:

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 6-7 Serrano chilies or Indian long chilies or other green chilies of choice
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons unroasted or roasted unsalted peanuts
  • generous pinch of salt

For garnish:

  • cilantro, lemon juice
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the dal.

  • Add the drained lentils and the rest of the dal ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Partially cover and cook until the lentils are cooked to your preference. 13-17 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor. Add 1/2 cup of water or coconut milk, if needed for preferred consistency, and mix in. You can also add the chopped tomato and cilantro at this point and mix them in.

Make the thecha while the dal cooks.

  • Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot increase the heat to medium-high and add the green chilies. Cook until the green chilies are slightly brown and blistered. Add the garlic and toss for a few seconds then add the cumin seeds, toss those for a few seconds and add the peanuts. Add a generous pinch of salt and mix really well and switch off the heat.
  • Keep stirring for the next few seconds to cook the garlic and peanuts in the remnant pan heat, until they get golden.
  • Once the mixture has slightly cooled down, transfer it to a mortar and pestle and then press and mix to break down all the peanuts until you achieve a coarse mixture.  You can also use a small food processor and process it until you achieve a coarse mixture.

Serve the thecha dal.

  • When the dal is ready, switch off the heat, then top the dal with spoonfuls of thecha and just swirl the thecha into the dal but do not mix in entirely. Garnish with some cilantro and lemon juice and serve with rice, flatbread, or roti.

Notes

Thecha dal is naturally soy-free and gluten-free.
For peanut-free, use cashews, For nut-free, use sunflower seeds instead of peanuts. 
Saucepan Cooking time for other lentils. Moong dal lentils will need 22-26 minutes. Toor dal, 30 minutes or longer. Brown lentils 40 minutes or longer. 
Instant pot cooking time: split red lentils, 3 mins , Moong dal lentils  6 minutes, toor dal, 10 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 mins then quick release 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 600mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 427IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 4mg