Thecha dal, an Indian red lentil dal you know and love with a spicy, nutty, umami-rich addition! Garlic from boiled chillies is pounded with peanuts to create a chilli chutney and swirled into lentil soup to create a flavourful dal!
Summary
Thecha is a green chili condiment often served alongside many Indian dishes. This green chilli chutney from the Indian state of Maharashtra is a favorite side dish with flatbreads such as Bhakri (flatbread with millet or sorghum). It’s a spicy, nutty mix of green chilies, garlic and peanuts, lightly blistered and then ground with a mortar and pestle into a coarse mixture.
We make Thecha chutney from scratch. It’s a delicious spicy garlic and chilli chutney! You can also serve it as a side dish, like a chutney, or add it to sandwiches or your Indian spread.
In this lentil dal, Thecha, roasted green chilli, garlic and peanut seasoning are swirled into this dal for a complex flavor and comforting meal!
Use your favorite lentils and make double the Thecha protein to use later in sandwiches or on garlic bread!
Because you will love Thecha Dal
- cozy Indian dal with tasty garlic, chilli and peanut seasoning
- easy 30 minute meal
- naturally soy and gluten free
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Thecha Dal- Lentils Dal with boiled chillies and garlic
Thecha dal, an Indian red lentil dal you know and love with a spicy, nutty, umami-rich addition! Garlic from boiled chillies is pounded with peanuts to create a chilli chutney and swirled into lentil soup to create a flavourful dal!
Portions: 4
Calories: 248kcal
ingredients
For the dal:
- 1 cup (180 G) split red lentils washed and drained, or other lentils such as moong dal, toor dal lentils
- 3 cups (709.76 ml) waterfall or broth
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika
- ½ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional additions:
- 1 tomato chopped
- 2 to 3 spoons chopped coriander
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) coconut milk
For the thecha:
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 6-7 Serrano chili peppers or long Indian chillies or other green chillies of your choice
- 6 Cloves of garlic
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 spoons unroasted or unsalted roasted peanuts
- a generous pinch of salt
Instructions
Prepare the dal.
-
Add the drained lentils and the rest of the dal ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Partially cover and cook until the lentils are cooked to your preference. 13-17 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and flavour. Add ½ cup water or coconut milk, if needed to achieve your preferred consistency, and mix. At this point you can also add the chopped tomato and coriander and mix.
Prepare the thecha while the dal cooks.
-
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, raise the heat to medium-high and add the green chilies. Cook until the green chilies are lightly brown and bubbly. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds, then add the cumin seeds, sauté for a few seconds and add the peanuts. Add a generous pinch of salt, mix very well and turn off the heat.
-
Continue stirring for a few seconds to cook the garlic and peanuts in the heat of the remaining pan, until golden brown.
-
Once the mixture has cooled slightly, transfer it to a mortar and pestle and then press and stir to break down all the peanuts until you obtain a coarse mixture. You can also use a small food processor and process it until it becomes coarse.
Serve thecha dal.
-
When the dal is ready, turn off the heat, then add spoonfuls of thecha and simply add the thecha into the dal, but do not mix it completely. Garnish with some coriander and lemon juice and serve with rice, flatbread or roti.
Notes
For peanut-free ones, use cashews, while for nut-free ones, use sunflower seeds instead of peanuts.
Pot Cooking time for the other lentils. Moong from lentils will take 22-26 minutes. Toor dal, 30 minutes or more. Brown lentils 40 minutes or more.
Instant Pot Cooking Time: split red lentils, 3 minutes, Moong dal lentils 6 minutes, toor dal, 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release quickly
Nutrition
Nutritional values
Thecha Dal- Lentils Dal with boiled chillies and garlic
Quantity per serving
Calories 248
Calories from fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7 g11%
Saturated fat 2g13%
Sodium 327 mg14%
Potassium 600 mg17%
Carbohydrates 33 g11%
Fiber 15g63%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 14 g28%
Vitamin A 427 IU9%
C vitamin 11 mg13%
Soccer 47 mg5%
Iron 4 mg22%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients and substitutions
- red lentils – The base for this simple dal.
- water – To cook the lentils. You can use broth to add even more flavor.
- ground spices – Turmeric, cayenne pepper or paprika, garam masala and salt season the dal.
- optional additions: If you like, you can add a chopped tomato, a little cilantro, and a little coconut milk.
- thecha – Bubbled green chillies and roasted garlic, cumin and peanuts with a little salt make the seasoning for the dal. You can use Serrano or Indian green chilies or other green chilies of your choice.
- garnishes – Coriander and lemon juice complete the dish.
Suggestions
- When making thecha, make sure to cook the chilies properly. The skin should start to turn brown and blister before adding the garlic and other thecha ingredients.
- You can use a mortar and pestle or food processor to break down thecha into a coarse mixture, not a paste.
- Do not mix the thecha with the dal completely. Part of the joy of this dish is the texture and contrast of flavors.
How to prepare Thecha Dal
First, prepare the dal.
Add the drained lentils and the rest of the dal ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Partially cover and cook until the lentils are cooked to your preference. 13-17 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and flavour.
Add ½ cup water, if necessary, and stir. At this point you can also add the chopped tomato and coriander and mix.
Prepare the thecha while the dal cooks.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, raise the heat to medium-high and add the green chilies.
Cook until the green chilies are lightly brown and bubbly.
Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds, then add the cumin seeds, sauté for a few seconds and add the peanuts. Add a generous pinch of salt, mix very well and turn off the heat.
Continue stirring for a few seconds to cook the garlic and peanuts until golden brown.
Once the mixture has cooled slightly, transfer it to a mortar and pestle and then press and stir to break down all the peanuts until you obtain a coarse mixture. You can also use a small food processor and process it until it becomes coarse.
When the dal is ready, turn off the heat, then add spoonfuls of thecha and simply add the thecha into the dal, but do not mix it completely.
Garnish with some coriander and lemon juice and serve with rice, flatbread or roti.
Frequent questions
Thecha is an Indian condiment made from green chili pepper. It’s a spicy, nutty mix of blistered green chilies, roasted garlic, and roasted peanuts ground with a mortar and pestle into a coarse blend.
Thecha dal is naturally soy and gluten free. Contains nuts. To make it without peanuts, use sunflower seeds instead
