Super simple and easy to make, and yet so full of flavor, this sweet and sour pineapple dal can be a great meal that you can put together in your kitchen when you want to try out a unique curry.
This dal has its roots in the west Bengal region of India, and is a delicious and comforting dal that you definitely need to try your hands at.
Ready to give this recipe a try? Here’s what you need to know about it before you do.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
To make the sweet and sour pineapple dal, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients.
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Green chilies (chopped): 1 tbsp
- Curry leaves: 8-10
- Onions (finely chopped): ¼ cup
- Pineapple (finely chopped): ½ cup
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Red chili powder: 2 tsp
- Salt: 2 teaspoon or as per taste
- Cumin powder: ½ tsp
- Garam masala: 1 tsp
- Red lentil or masoor dal (boiled): 1 cup
- Water: As required
How to Make the Sweet and Sour Pineapple Dal
Once you have the ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do to make the dal.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, green chilies, curry leaves, and onions. Saute and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the pineapple next and mix well. Saute and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Next, add the powdered spices and mix well. Saute.
Add in the cooked dal and mix well.
Add water and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. You can adjust the quantity of water as per the consistency you desire.
Serve hot with rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
The simplicity of this dal is what makes it a total winner. However, if you have some extra veggies that you want to add to the dal, you can totally add those too. Green peas, chopped green beans, carrots and cauliflower florets are excellent choices.
This dal calls for the use of fresh pineapple, simply because it has the original sweetness and tanginess you’re looking for. Canned pineapple, on the other hand, tends to be extremely sweet, which can be difficult to balance out in a savory dish like this, which is why it is not recommended for this recipe. 
Yes, you can! Red masoor dal is the simplest, most versatile lentil, which is why we’ve used it for this recipe. You can also choose to use yellow moong dal (split) or yellow split pigeon peas (toor dal) for this recipe.
If you have any leftover pineapple dal, you can allow it to cool down completely before transferring it into a clean container, ideally an airtight one. This dal can be refrigerated and stored for 2-3 days, and reheated with a little water to get it to the right consistency. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Sweet and Sour Pineapple Dal
Think you’re ready to try out the recipe? Here are some additional tips and tricks to make this dal more flavorful and tasty.
- We’ve used chopped pineapple for this recipe, but if you don’t want that chunkiness and texture to the dal, you can choose to puree the pineapple instead.
- If you can, soak the dal that you’re using for this recipe at least for a few hours before you begin to boil it. Doing this will help the dal cook faster, and will also cut down the levels of phytic acid in the lentils and will make it easier to digest.
- If your pineapple dal seems to be lacking that tanginess and sour flavor, you can add a little lemon juice into it.
- If you don’t have lemon juice, you can add some tamarind pulp into the mix.
- Based on your personal preference, you can adjust the consistency of the dal. If you enjoy thick, keep simmering it for a few extra minutes. If you want the dal to be more runny, you can add a bit of water to it to loosen it up.
- Don’t forget to top the dal with a generous sprinkle of chopped coriander leaves right before you serve.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Most Indian dals taste perfect when teamed up with some chapatis, parathas or steamed rice on the side, and this one is too. If you have a few extra minutes, you can also whip up a quick salad on the side to make it all a complete meal.
If you enjoyed trying out this dal, and are inspired and looking to try out some more flavorful dal recipes, here are a few good ones you might want to check out.
📖 Recipe
Sweet and Sour Pineapple Dal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Green Chilies , (chopped)
- 8-10 pcs Curry Leaves
- ¼ cup Onions , (finely chopped)
- ½ cup Pineapple , (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 cup Red Lentil or Masoor Dal, (boiled)
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, green chilies, curry leaves, and onions. Saute and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the pineapple next and mix well. Saute and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add the powdered spices and mix well. Saute.
- Add in the cooked dal and mix well.
- Add water and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. You can adjust the quantity of water as per the consistency you desire.
- Serve hot with rice.
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