Surja ki Dal | Jwalapur Street Food is a delicious protein-rich breakfast sold on the streets of Jwalapur, near the holy city of Haridwar.

Jwalapur is a small town in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand. The town is small, but it is worth a visit for its delicious food. Among the numerous lip-smacking street foods Surja ki Dal is one of the most popular.
Surja is the name of the vendor who sells this dal. I visited this town recently and had the pleasure of enjoying the dal. Surja’s stall is very popular and he sells the yellow moong dal. He has a big brass pot and serves two types of moong dal. One is creamy and thick, the other is called Khili hui Dal, where each grain is separate. Both are boiled Dals. He peps them up with spices and tamarind pulp. Can you believe street food can be as simple as this, and yet so popular? Surja has been selling this dal for the last 40 years!

Ingredients required to make Surja ki Dal | Jwalapur Street Food

Moong Dal: Use a good quality, preferably organic moong dal. Don’t forget to soak the dal, as it will fluff up and cook easily, making it soft.
Salt: The dal is boiled with salt, keep the salt low as the chaat masala also has some salt.
Seasoning: Red chilly powder and chaat masala are the only spices that will pep up this dal. Squeeze in lemon juice and some tamarind pulp.

How to make Surja ki Dal

This is one of the most simple dals one can ever make, yet, to cook it perfectly, is what gives it the taste.
Firstly, wash and soak the dal for 2 hours. This will help the dal to cook well and quickly.

After 2 hours, wash again and place the dal in a pan. Add salt and water. Let the dal boil for a few minutes, you will observe a froth over it, remove all the froth. Simmer the flame and cook covered till absolutely soft.

Now start churning with a wooden hand blender, keep churning till the dal is very creamy and thick.

Now transfer to a serving bowl and add red chilly powder and chaat masala. Also, crush a fried red chilly and sprinkle on top. Squeeze some lemon juice, top with tamarind pulp and finally mix it all and enjoy Surja ki Dal. Adjust the spices as per your taste.

What makes Surja ki Dal so popular?

Surja ki Dal is very popular in Jwalapur. It is a simple, yet delicious breakfast that can be enjoyed at home too.

It requires just one main ingredient, moong dal.
This is a zero oil dish.
The Dal is protein-packed.
Nutrients in dal are rich and healthy.
Moong dal is rich in fibre and low in fat.
Very simple to cook, without any fuss.
It is easy to digest and is low in calories.
The Dal is perfect to be enjoyed by all, as you can adjust the toppings.
Lastly, the creamy dal is super flavorful.

Storage Suggestions

This dal is best enjoyed immediately after cooking, but if you want to store it, then refrigerate it for a day or two.
After storing the dal tends to become thick and appears, like a lump. Heat on a slow flame and add very little water to get the right consistency.

I do not freeze it as it loses its texture.

Other Street Foods of Jwalapur

Chole Kulche
Aloo Chat
Rabri
Golgappe

Surja ki Dal is my Day 1 post under the theme One Ingredient Three Dishes. I have chosen Moong Dal as the star ingredient.

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