Dill leaves dal, also called sabsige soppu tove, is a healthy North Karnataka-style lentil gravy with a fresh herbal aroma. Cooked with toor dal, mild spices, and a simple ghee tempering, it pairs deliciously with hot rice, ghee, or soft chapathis.
Dill leaves dal is an easy, highly nutritious everyday dish known as sabsige soppu in Kannada, dill leaves in English, shepu or suva bhaji in Hindi, and sathakuppai in Tamil. Sabsige soppu was entirely new to me until I moved to Bangalore. My friends and neighbors here use these aromatic greens regularly, adding them alongside coriander leaves in dishes like instant idli, paddu, akki roti, and dosas.
I first tasted dill leaves in an Iyengar bakery masala bun and fell in love with their unique aroma. While an earlier dry poriyal didn’t win over my family, this North Karnataka / Uttara Karnataka style sabsige soppu tove prepared with toor dal was an instant hit. The rich lentils balance the punchy herbal flavor of the greens perfectly, making everyone ask for a second serving.
Health Benefits of Dill Leaves (Sabsige Soppu)
Dill leaves are naturally rich in antioxidants and provide an excellent plant-based source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, and magnesium. Traditionally valued in South Indian households for promoting healthy digestion and soothing the stomach, they make a wholesome addition to everyday family meals.
Quick Notes for US & Abroad Kitchens
- Dill leaves: Fresh dill weed is readily available in mainstream US supermarkets (produce section) as well as Indian groceries (sold under shepu, suva, or dill). Wash thoroughly and use only the tender fronds and thin stems.
- Dal choice: Toor dal (split pigeon peas) yields the traditional earthy Karnataka tove flavor, while yellow moong dal cooks faster and provides a milder, lighter gravy.
- Aroma control: If fresh dill weed tastes overly pungent, finely chop it and sauté it briefly in ghee before adding cooked dal, or balance the gravy with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a pinch of jaggery.
- Storage: Store cooled dal in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water and finish with a fresh ghee-mustard tempering if desired.
Dill leaves dal / Sabsige soppu dal recipe
Ingredients
1 cup = 250ml
- ½ cup Toor dal or moong dal
- ½ cup Dill leaves /Sabsige soppu
- 2 tbsp Cooking oil
- 1 tsp Crushed Pepper + Cumin seeds (pepper 1/2 tsp, cumin seeds 1 tsp)
- 1 Big onion
- 10 Crushed garlic
- Curry leaves few
- 1 Tomato
- 2 Green chilli
- Tamarind small berry size
- ½ tsp Dhania powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Sugar or jaggery
Instructions
- Wash and chop dill leaves, onion, tomato, green chilli and set aside. Wash and pressure cook toor dal adding required water, turmeric powder and few drops of oil.
- Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mash well and set aside.
- Now heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, crushed pepper + cumin seeds. Saute onion, curry leaves, crushed garlic cloves, green chilli and dill leaves. Saute for 5 minutes. The more you saute, the more flavor it lends. Saute in medium flame.
- Add cooked dal, tamarind extract, dhania powder, sugar or jaggery and salt. Mix well and add required water. Boil for few minutes till nice aroma emits out.
- Switch off the flame. Serve hot with plain rice adding few drops of ghee. If you make it thick, you can serve with roti as well. Enjoy !
Notes
- Add more green chillies based on your taste.
- You can use moong dal instead of toor dal.
- You can use red chilli powder instead of green chilli.
- Tempering is optional. You can temper mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli and cumin seeds in 1 tsp of ghee and add to dal on top at the end.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Yellow moong dal makes a lighter, quicker-cooking alternative to toor dal. Pressure cook moong dal until soft and combine it with the sautéed dill leaves and tempering.
Use only the tender leafy fronds, discarding thick woody stems. Sautéing the leaves in ghee with garlic and balancing the gravy with ripe tomatoes or a dash of lemon juice mellows the sharp herbal flavor.
Serve this dal warm over hot steamed rice with a teaspoon of melted ghee, papad, and a dry vegetable stir fry like potato roast or raw banana fry. It also pairs well with phulkas or chapathi.
Try this comforting Karnataka-style dill leaves dal for lunch, and enjoy it steaming hot with ponni rice, a spoon of pure ghee, and crispy papad!
