Amba dal is a Maharashtrian no-cook dish of soaked chana dal, grated raw mango and fresh coconut, finished with a mustard tadka. Soak the dal for two to three hours, mix everything, add the tadka and serve within two to three hours.
What is amba dal
Amba dal is a Maharashtrian preparation that sits somewhere between a salad and a side dish. "Amba" is the Marathi word for mango, and the dish is also known as kairichi dal, after kairi, the raw green mango. You soak chana dal, combine it with grated raw mango, fresh coconut and green chillies, and pour a mustard-seed tadka over the top. Nothing is boiled. Nothing is blended unless you want a chutney.
Chana dal brings a mild nuttiness and some bite. Raw mango brings acidity. Coconut rounds the two together and softens the sharpness. The tadka, mustard seeds crackling in hot oil, is the only heat the dish gets, and the contrast of cold dal with hot tempering is what makes it work. In many Maharashtrian homes the dish appears in the raw-mango months of spring, and it is often served with aam panha around Chaitra Gauri.
Amba dal recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup chana dal (split Bengal gram), soaked 2 to 3 hours and drained
- 1 medium raw green mango (about 150 to 180 g), peeled and grated
- 3 tablespoons fresh grated coconut
- 1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 dried red chilli, optional
- A few curry leaves
- Fresh coriander to garnish
Method
- Drain the soaked chana dal completely and pat it dry briefly with a clean cloth. Surface moisture makes the finished dish watery.
- Mix the grated raw mango, coconut and chopped green chillies into the dal. Add the cumin seeds and salt, and toss well.
- Heat the oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the dried red chilli and curry leaves.
- Pour this tadka over the dal mixture straight away and toss once more.
- Garnish with coriander and serve at once. The dish does not hold well beyond 2 to 3 hours, because the mango acid keeps working on the dal and softens it.
This quantity serves a small family as a side dish. Multiply the ingredients if you are serving a gathering, but make the dish in batches if you can, because it is at its best soon after mixing.
Salad version
The salad version keeps its texture. The dal grains stay whole, the mango shreds stay visible, and the point is the interplay between the firm-but-yielding dal and the sharp mango. Neither should turn mushy. Serve it cold or at room temperature, as a side with a meal or as a snack on a hot afternoon.
The soaking time decides everything. Two hours gives dal grains that are slightly crunchy at the centre. Three hours gives a softer bite. If you soak much beyond that, the dal starts to lose structure and the dish turns flat. Grated coconut is not optional in the traditional preparation. It adds fat that coats the grains and moderates the mango acid. Without it, the same quantity of mango reads sharp and thin.
Chutney version
The chutney version uses the same base, with the mixture ground coarsely instead of tossed. The result is thicker, wetter and tangier, closer to a green chutney in consistency. Use a little more green chilli if you want heat to balance the extra acid. If your raw mango is very sharp, a small spoon of jaggery cuts the sourness without masking it.
- Spread it on bhakri or roti.
- Serve it as a dip with papad.
- Eat it alongside plain dal and rice.
Make the chutney close to serving time. It is best the day it is made, and if you make it the night before, keep it in the fridge.
Choosing the raw mango
For amba dal you want a firm, green, sour mango with no soft spots. Cut it open before you buy a large quantity if the seller allows it. The flesh should be pale and crisp and the stone should still be soft. Taste a sliver. If it makes your mouth pucker, it is right for this dish.
Our store lists ripe Alphonso, not raw mango, so we do not sell the green fruit for this dish. You can use any firm, tart raw mango from your market. Raw mango is a source of vitamin C, and 100 g of raw mango provides about 36 mg, roughly 40% of the Daily Value. If you have diabetes or another condition, ask your doctor or dietitian how much of any dish suits you.
Tips that matter
- Grate, do not chop. Grated raw mango blends into the dal and flavours every spoon.
- Dry the dal. Surface water makes the dish watery.
- Add the tadka last. Hot oil poured on at the end keeps the dal crunchy.
- Season at the end. Salt draws water out of the mango and the dal, so add it just before you serve.
- Serve soon. The acid keeps working on the dal, and after two to three hours it turns soft.
If you like the sweet-sour contrast, serve amba dal next to a small bowl of aamras once ripe mangoes arrive. Our aamras recipe gives measured quantities. You can also try mango chunda for a sweet-tangy pickle, or mango salsa if you want something fresh and spicy.
When the fruit ripens
The raw-mango window is short. Once the fruit ripens, the same tree gives sweet mangoes for eating, aamras and desserts. Our ripe Alphonso comes from the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt, sourced across 48 villages. Fresh Alphonso is harvested about February to June, with the best supply from March to May. Our 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027, and the fresh mango listings show as unavailable until then.
We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally on hay beds. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139) for Alphonso. See Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango and Devgad Alphonso Mango for sizes and prices, which start from Rs 1,849 per dozen. Outside the season, the Alphonso Mango Pulp Tin is available all year, in 850 g and 3.1 kg tins, from Rs 590.
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People also ask
What is amba dal?
Amba dal is a Maharashtrian no-cook dish made from soaked chana dal, grated raw mango, fresh coconut and green chillies, finished with a mustard-seed tadka. It sits between a salad and a side dish. The word amba means mango in Marathi, and the dish is also called kairichi dal.
How long should I soak chana dal for amba dal?
Soak chana dal for two to three hours. Two hours leaves the grains slightly crunchy at the centre, and three hours gives a softer bite. If you soak it much longer, the dal loses structure and the finished dish turns flat. Drain it fully and pat it dry before mixing.
How long does amba dal keep?
Amba dal does not keep well. Serve it within two to three hours of making it, because the mango acid keeps working on the dal and softens it. The chutney version is best on the day it is made, and if you prepare it ahead, keep it in the fridge.
Can I use any raw mango for amba dal?
Yes. Choose a firm, green, sour mango with no soft spots, and grate it. Any tart raw mango works, whichever variety is sold near you. We list ripe Alphonso rather than raw mango, so buy the green fruit for this dish from your market.
Related searches
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- Alphonso Mango Pulp Tin
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia, Mango, accessed October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango, accessed October 2026.
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.