Dal Moradabadi is a popular, creamy, and mildly flavored street food from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. It is made with slow-cooked yellow moong dal and topped with spices, butter, ginger, and crispy papdi.
The dal is cooked using only salt (without turmeric) until it becomes completely soft and develops a smooth, paste-like texture. As soon as the dal is ready, I add desi ghee on top so that a dry layer (skin) doesn’t form on the surface.
It is served with roasted and ground cumin powder, dry-roasted yellow chili powder, lemon juice, green chutney, chopped green chilies, papdi, chopped onions (optional), and butter.
I also add my homemade special spice mix.
Nowadays, people also add tomatoes and sweet tamarind chutney on top. Some people even cook it with turmeric, which is actually not traditionally used.
History of Dal Moradabadi
The history of Dal Moradabadi is linked to Murad Bakhsh, the third son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who founded the city of Moradabad in 1625. Murad Bakhsh was fond of vegetarian food, and Dal Moradabadi was one of his favorite dishes, served to him in various styles. This dal is prepared by cooking moong lentils on a slow flame until they achieve a smooth and creamy texture.
One of the reasons for the popularity of Dal Moradabadi is its simplicity and taste, which makes it a favorite street food. It is served with various toppings such as ghee, chaat masala, green chutney, and lemon juice. It became so popular on the streets of Moradabad that it is now enjoyed in different parts of North India.
Another unique feature of Moradabadi Dal is that it is traditionally served in small portions, allowing people to enjoy it with tangy and flavorful toppings. This dal is not only a popular street food but also an important part of Moradabad’s culture and history.
My experience
Let me tell you—at our home, it’s a must to cook this dal at least two Sundays every month. We enjoy it with crispy bread and crunchy fried potatoes.
I also have two stories related to this dal. The first one is from when I got married and came to Moradabad. After a few days, my brother-in-law asked me to cook moong dal, and I made a regular dal. When he saw it, he laughed—I didn’t understand why, but my father-in-law did. He said, “How will she know about this dal unless you make her taste it?” Back then, there was no Google 🤩. Then Papaji brought the dal for me to taste, and after that I learned to make Dal Moradabadi. And now, people really relish it with great enthusiasm!
The second story is about my sister’s daughter. She was going to Delhi for a trip, so I made this dal for breakfast. When she saw the pot, she said, “Mausi, we won’t eat anything.” I told her, “I’ve made it for the journey—just have a little before you leave.” I served both of them a very small bowl of dal, and then… not one, not two—both of them ended up having three bowls each!
Preparation Time:- 1 hour (for soaking)
Cooking Time:- 25 to 30 minutes
Serves:- 4 person
Author:- Hem Lata Srivastava
Equipment:-
pateela or cooker
Laddle
Ingredients:-
- 3 cups moong dhuli dal (split yellow lentils)
- Salt, to taste
- For Serving
- Roasted cumin powder
- Lemon juice
- Finely chopped onion
- Butter
- Roasted Yellow chili powder
- Whole dry yellow chilies
- 2 tbsp desi ghee (clarified butter)
For Topping:-
- Chopped onion
- Chopped green chilli
- Chopped coriander
- Butter
- Papdi
Recipe Procedure:-
- Wash and soak the dal for 10 minutes.
- Boil the dal with 6 cups of water. Once it comes to a boil, remove the impurities (foam) from the top. Cook until it becomes thick and creamy (ghuti hui consistency).
- Heat ghee in a pan and fry the whole dry chilies. Set aside.
- Switch off the flame and transfer the dal to a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, chopped onion, and lemon juice on top. Add the fried red chilies.
- Add a dollop of butter and serve hot.
Notes:-
- Yellow chili has its own distinct taste and aroma.
- If you can’t find yellow chili, you can use dried red chilies instead.
- Traditionally, it used to be served with slightly sweet, biscuit-like bread, but nowadays it is served with papdi.
