Daalithoi – Konkani Daal

Every cuisine has a signature dish and with Konkanis, it is Daalithoi.  As you might have guessed, it is a variety of daal.  This quintessential Konkani dish is made with yellow split peas and seasoning but don’t let its simplicity fool you.  It is the perfect complement to the myriad side dishes such as upkaris, sukkes, sagles (all varieties of vegetable dishes), bajjes (vegetable fritters) etc.   Rajesh’s dream meal is rice, daalithoi and fried fish!  There’s a saying where we come from that a person is a true Konkani or GSB only if he or she loves Daalithoi.  No wonder it is referred to  as the “Kuldev” or family deity!

Note:-

• I know people who soak daal for some time before they pressure cook.
• My mother-in-law adds turmeric powder for added color.
• Traditionally Daalithoi is served plain but I add some finely chopped cilantro for garnish just to add a little bit of color and taste.
• You can go lighter or heavier on the hing, its totally upto your preference.  I tend to  put in a bit more because I love the smell of hing in my Daalithoi.
• If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can microwave the daal, please note that it takes a fair bit of time to cook and you may have to experiment with the time depending on your microwave.  Be sure to add enough water when you microwave the daal, soaking helps speed up the process.