Pineapple toor dal kesari

Dal Chawal: 85 Vegetarian Indian Recipes Combining the Power of Dal and Rice by Sapna Punjabi 2025

Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe with us Kat, Anne

½ cup toor dal (yellow split peas); 3 cups water; 1/4 tsp fine sea salt; ¼ ground turmeric; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup water; 6-8 saffron strands; ½ tsp ground cardamon; 1 cup almond flour; 1 tblsp ghee or unsalted butter, melted; 1//4 cup crushed pineapple, fresh or canned; Garnish – 2 tblsp coconut flakes, sweetened or unsweetened; 2 tblsp slivered almonds

Rinse the toor dal in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear, about a minute. Transfer to a medium bowl, add water to cover by 5 cm and soak for 30-60 minutes. Drain.

In a 3 litre heavy bottomed pot, combine the dal, water, salt and turmeric. Partially cover and cook over medium heat, skimming any foam, until dal is soft and mushy, about 40 minutes. Drain in a fine mesh sieve and set aside.

In the same pot, combine the sugar, water, saffron strands and cardamon. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until syrup reaches the thread stage, about 5 minutes. To test press a drop of syrup between the backs of 2 metal spoons and pull them apart; if the syrup is ready a thin thread will form. Exercise caution in this step as the syrup is hot.

Add the cooked dal, almond flour and ghee to the syrup and stir constantly for 5 minutes over medium-low heat until all the liquid is cooked off. Add the pineapple and mix well for an additional minute or so.  

Serve warm and garnish with coconut flakes and slivered almonds.