This Sultani Dal is toor dal dressed for a wedding! Blended until silky smooth, then finished with milk, yogurt, cream, saffron and a simple ghee tadka, it’s smooth, mellow, and gently aromatic. I especially like it alongside other celebration dishes, where its mellow creaminess brings everything together.
Sultani Dal is a creamy lentil dish that brings the elegance of Mughal kitchens to your table. Though often described as a Nawabi or Mughlai classic, this luxurious dal is more a modern interpretation you'd find in restaurants rather than the history books.
Therefore, the recipe is pretty open to interpretation, there's no one way to make it.
What makes my version different?
It's the balance between being rich and overly indulgent. Sultani Dal should taste luxurious, not heavy. Instead of relying solely on cream or butter, I use a delicate blend of yogurt, milk, cream and saffron to keep it light.
We love Gujarati toor dal day-to-day in our house but this is our go-to recipe for special occasions. We love eating it around festivities such as Diwali or celebratory dinner parties.
As it's delicate, it is easier to pair with rich curries like vegetable paneer makkhanwala.
If you are looking for something stronger and robust but with a royal touch, try my dal maharani or dal makhani. This dhaba style dal fry is also well spiced and super flavourful!
Ingredients notes
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Peas) - this creamy dal is the base. Once boiled it becomes soft and silky. Because we blend it afterwards, you don’t need the lentils to retain any texture. The softer they are, the easier it is to achieve that silky finish.
Ghee - a signature of royal kitchens. Ghee adds depth and aroma, especially when used in the final tempering. It carries the flavour of spices beautifully and makes the dal feel indulgent. I use homemade ghee made from unsalted butter.
Whole spices - green cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon bark which are boiled with the dal to infuse the flavour. I cook the dal in the instant pot with the whole spices and then remove before blending. I've accidently blended whole spices and it leaves little black specks in the dal - so take care to remove them or tie them in a little muslin cloth.
Cumin seeds - a key whole spice in the tempering. Cumin’s earthy warmth offsets the sweetness of the dairy and adds a welcome pop of aroma.
Spice powders - red chilli powder, turmeric powder and hing
Ginger garlic paste - I cook this directly with the dal rather than frying it in a tadka. That gives a softer, mellower flavour, which suits the creamy finished dish.
Green chillies - balances the richness with gentle heat. I use them sliced rather than chopped for a more elegant presentation.
Milk, yogurt & cream - This trio builds the sultani richness. I use whole milk to lighten and add smoothness. Full fat plain yogurt adds tang and fresh cream adds silkiness. Whisk them together while cold before adding them to the blended dal.
I recommend using plain yogurt that isn’t overly sour.
Saffron - the royal touch. Steeped in warm milk before being stirred in, saffron lends not just golden colour but subtle floral warmth that takes this dal from comforting to celebratory. You don't need to add too much of this.
And to serve with - fresh coriander leaves and lemon wedges.
How To Make Sultani Dal
- Prepare the dal: Wash the toor dal, then add to a pressure cooker with the whole spices, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and water.
- Cook until completely mushy and remove whole spices: Cook until soft, remove the whole spices and then blend until smooth.
- Add the dairy: Whisk the yogurt, whole milk and cream together in a bowl. Stir this into the blended dal. Return the whole spices to the pot if you like.
- Add the saffron: Stir in the saffron, either directly or after soaking briefly in warm milk.
- Cook until it has thickened: Cook gently, stirring, until the dairy has melded into the dal and it has a smooth, thick-but-pourable consistency similar to kadhi. Add a little water or milk if it becomes too thick.
- Finish with the tadka: Heat the ghee and add cumin seeds and hing. Once fragrant, add the kashmiri red chilli powder (optional) and the slit green chillies. Pour over the dal.
Serving Ideas
I particularly like this dal as part of a richer celebration meal.
Its mild flavour works beautifully with dishes that already have plenty going on, such as paneer tikka masala.
Serve it with jeera rice, mixed nuts shahi pulao, roti or naan or masala lachha paratha.
I love adding this festive Indian salad with beetroot, carrots and pomegranates which glitters with luxury!
Storage
Sultani Dal can be made ahead, but it thickens noticeably as it cools.
When reheating, add a splash of water or milk and warm gently, stirring until smooth and pourable again.
Keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container and reheat thoroughly before serving.
Sultani Dal FAQs
Why is your Sultani Dal smooth?
The cooked toor dal is blended completely before the dairy is added. This gives it the silky texture that distinguishes it from chunkier dals.
Can I skip the cream?
The cream is part of the richness of this version. Milk lightens the dal, yoghurt adds tang and cream gives the finished texture its silkiness.
What if my yogurt splits?
Blend the dal with a hand blender which should bring it straight back to a smooth texture.
Should Sultani Dal be spicy?
Not in my version. It has gentle warmth from chilli and whole spices, but the overall flavour is mild, creamy and aromatic.
Can I make it thinner?
Yes. It thickens as it sits, so add a little water or milk until it returns to a kadhi-like consistency.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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📖 Recipe
Sultani Dal
Ingredients
- 150 gram toor daal
- 1 teaspoon ginger and garlic puree
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- salt to taste
- 60 millilitres whole milk
- 60 millilitres single cream
- 3 tablespoon yogurt
- 10-12 strands saffron
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
- pinch asafoetida hing
- 2 green chillies slit
- 2 tablespoon coriander finely chopped
Instructions
- Wash 150 gram toor daal under running clean water.
- To your pressure cooker or instant pot, add the washed toor dal, 4 green cardamom pods, 3 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon ginger and garlic puree, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder. Add salt to taste.
- Add around 500 - 600 mls of water.
- Close the lid and HIGH pressure cook for 7 minutes or 3-4 whistles in a stove top pressure cooker. After 10 minutes NPR, release the pressure manually.
- Remove the whole spices and add more water if needed.
- Blend the dal with a hand blender until smooth.
- Whisk together 60 millilitres whole milk, 60 millilitres single cream and 3 tablespoon yogurt in a small bowl and add into the daal. Also tip back in the whole spices which were removed before.
- Add 10-12 strands saffron .
- Allow the daal to simmer for 5-10 minutes until it thickens to a kadhi consistency.
- Meanwhile, prepare a vaghar. In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoon ghee, add the ½ tablespoon cumin seeds and pinch asafoetida. Once the seeds splutter, add 2 green chillies.
- Pour the vaghar over the cooked dal.
- Garnish the dal with 2 tablespoon coriander.
Video
Notes
- In a saucepan, add the the toor dal along with 2 cups of clean water and cardamom, cloves, cinnamon/cassia bark, bay leaves, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and the ginger and garlic puree.
- Simmer the dal until soft and mushy (it will take between 35-40 minutes). Check the water level throughout and if needed add half a cup water while cooking.
- Continue with the recipe highlighted above.
- Cook the dal until very soft. It should blend easily without leaving obvious lentil pieces.
- Blend thoroughly. Sultani Dal should be silky and almost as smooth as kadhi.
- Dairy: Whisk the yogurt, milk and cream together cold before adding.
- If it splits: Blend briefly with a hand blender; this can bring the mixture back together.
- Yogurt: Use plain yogurt that isn’t excessively sour.
- Consistency: Stop at a thick but pourable kadhi-like consistency. The dal thickens further as it sits.
- Adjusting: Use water or a little extra milk to loosen it when needed.
- Saffron: Use enough for gentle fragrance, not an overpowering saffron taste.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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