Raw mangoes along with simple spices make this Mango dal recipe the simplest and most delicious dal ever. Serve the mango toor dal with some poori and rice to make it a meal.
This recipe for raw mango dal is made with tuvar dal / toor dal which is the one frequently used in South Indian cuisine for making sambar and rasam. The seasonings are very simple and add a lot of flavor to the dal.
I first made this recipe when I cooked one of my first thali posts. I had cooked a simple Uttar Pradesh Thali and the highlight of this whole platter is that it is entirely made without onion or garlic.
There are many occasions and festival days when we cook meals without using onions and garlic. This thali is just perfect for those days.
Writing all these recipes as a part of my Uttar Pradesh Thaali is bringing so many memories of the years, we lived in Kanpur and Lucknow. The richness of the food and warmth in the people was more than enough to make anyone happy.
We had the privilege to make some very good friends during our stay there and also learned a lot about cultural similarities and differences.
Today I made it again after I got my hands on some fresh raw mangoes. The list of recipes to make with raw mango is becoming bigger and bigger. The first recipe I immediately make after getting raw mango is the Mango pachadi. My boys love the sweet pachadi made with raw mangoes and jaggery.
The next recipe is the cut mango pickle also known as menthiya mangai urugai. I got a few raw mangoes this week and I was able to save one to make this Mango Dal recipe. I served it with poori, jeera rice, and mixed vegetable curry for lunch.
This simple dal is seasoned in ghee. If making it vegan, use coconut oil instead of ghee. I also cook the dal in an Instant Pot. You could use a pressure cooker to cook the dal as well.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes.
Lentil / dal - I make this mango dal using toor dal / split pigeon peas also known as tuvaram paruppu in Tamil. We can make the same with moong dal or masoor dal and also with a combination of lentils.
Raw Mango - Use green raw mangoes that are peeled and chopped for the recipe.
Vegetables - I used a couple of tomatoes, green chilies, and ginger in my dal.
Spices - I used turmeric powder and salt when cooking the lentils. I also use a little sugar to balance the sour flavor.
Seasoning ingredients - We need oil or ghee to season the dal. If Vegan, skip the ghee and use oil. Coconut oil is a good choice in that case. We season with mustard seeds, fennel seeds (saunf), Fenugreek seeds (methi dana), Asafetida, dry red chilies, red chili powder, and curry leaves
Step-by-step process
- Wash the dal well and soak it in water for about 15-20 minutes. This helps to soften the dal a bit and allows it to cook faster. This step is optional and if in a hurry, you could skip it.
- I cook the dal in Instant Pot using the pot-in-pot technique. We could cook it directly inside the inner pot of the Instant Pot as well. Place the lentils, chopped mango pieces, ginger, green chilies, and turmeric in a bowl. Add about 3 cups of water as well.
- I cooked it under high pressure for 15 minutes. We could cook it in a pressure cooker as well for 4 to 5 whistles.
- Once the instant pot is done cooking and the pressure releases naturally, mash the dal to the required consistency. I like to leave little chunks of mango pieces, but if preferred, you could mash it completely.
- In the meantime, heat ghee or oil in a small pan and add all the seasoning ingredients.
- Let it fry well and then add it to the simmering dal. Garnish with cilantro.
- Serve hot with rice and ghee!
Expert Tips
- Soak the dal for a few minutes to cook it soft.
- Use firm raw mango for the maximum flavor. A slightly ripe mango might render a little sweetness to the dal.
- This recipe is made with toor dal but works well with moong dal and masoor dal as well. I also make it sometimes with a mixture of lentils.
- If the mango is not sour enough, squeeze a little lemon juice, in the end, to make it tangy.
Frequently asked questions
I have made the recipe using toor dal/pigeon peas. We can use moong dal, masoor dal, or a combination of all three lentils as well.
I have used ghee for seasoning the mango dal. If making it vegan, season the dal using coconut oil instead of ghee.
Mango dal tastes delicious with rice. I served it with Jeera rice and mixed vegetable curry. It is also a great side with poori.
More Mango Based Recipes
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Recipe
Mango Tuvar Dal | Raw Mangoes and lentils
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup Tuvar dal /Thuvaram paruppu
- 1 cup Raw mango Peeled and chopped
- 2 large Tomato chopped
- 3 Green chilies Chopped
- 1 tbsp. Ginger Grated
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- to taste Salt
TO SEASON –
- 2 tbsp. Ghee /oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon Fennel seeds/saunf
- ½ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Asafetida
- few Curry leaves
- 4 Red chilies
Instructions
- Wash the dal well and soak in water for about 15-20 minutes. This helps to soften the dal a bit and allows it to cook faster. This step is optional and if in a hurry, you could skip.
- I cook the dal in Instant pot using the pot in pot technique. We could cook it directly inside the inner pot of the Instant pot as well. Place the lentils, chopped mango pieces, ginger, green chilies and turmeric in a bowl. Add about 3 cups of water as well.
- I cooked it in high pressure for 15 minutes. We could cook it in pressure cooker as well for 4 to 5 whistles.
- Once the instant pot is done cooking and the pressure releases naturally, mash the dal to the required consistency. I like to leave little chunks of mango pieces, but if preferred, you could mash it completely.
- In the meantime, heat ghe or oil in a small pan and add all the seasonings ingredients.
- Let it fry well and then add it to the simmering dal. Garnish with cilantro.
- Serve hot with rice and ghee!
Suma Gandlur says
The entire meal looks very inviting and mango dal in any form is welcome in my home. This version sounds flavorful and delicious.
Srivalli Jetti says
OH my the entire thali looks so fantastic Sandhya...how I wish I had this to enjoy now...:)..we make mango dal and it is mostly served with rice..never tried it with poori or roti..your plate is making me want to make it soon..
NARMADHA says
The entire thali looks so inviting. Mango dal is so flavorful and makes me mouthwatering. Tomo I am making this for sure.
Vaishali says
The complete meal looks super delicious, I love the mirch ke tipore , and the dal...wow.. it is something I am drooling over. The raw mango gives a unique flavour to it, absolutely amazing.
Priya Srinivasan says
Mango dal looks delish sandhya! Love how simple it is to make, i m biased towards the dump and cook dishes, such a breeze! Jeera rice and mango dal sounds like a bliss combination!
Harini Rupanagudi says
I was not aware of mango dal from UP. I make it in the typical Andhra style. Adding tomato, ginger and fennel seeds is totally new to me. Shall try this version for sure.
Rajani says
I am bookmarking this to try sandhya!
Abhijit Chakravarty says
The Bengali version of your recipe is Toker Dal which is cooked with Arhar or Matar dal in Mustard oil with just minimum spices .It is simply heavenly in peak summer months. It goes very well with steamed rice and Aloo fitters .
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Mustard oil has its own amazing flavor. I will definitely make it soon with mustard oil 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
Radha says
This is a flavor rich dal. For me, dal with rice or roti is the best comforting meal. This dal perfectly fits and the addition of mango makes it even more tastier.