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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
7 min
10/02/2026
The well-known Surja Ki Dal from the Jwalapur area of the sacred city of Haridwar is not just a filling street snack but also an example of sustainable cuisine. Served in traditional leaf bowls and prepared using time-honoured methods, this modest meal is both simple and delicious. On World Pulses Day 2026, it stands as an example of street food that is healthy, eco-friendly, and deeply grounded in authentic cooking methods.
What is it about a bowl of dal that brings thousands of people to the streets of Haridwar? Where tradition and environmental concern meet is where we may find the solution. Surja Ki Dal is an excellent example of how lentils contribute to sustainable food systems, which is the focus of World Pulses Day 2026. This dal uses high-quality pulses that fix nitrogen in the soil and is served in biodegradable leaf wrappings, in contrast to modern fast food that depends on processed oils and plastic. It is a high-protein, readily digested meal that produces little waste and tastes great.
Just in time for World Pulses Day 2026, find out how a simple bowl of dal is preserving culinary traditions on India’s holiest ghats while also establishing a new eco-standard.
A conscience-driven street food made with pulses, Surja Ki Dal hails from Haridwar, one of the sacred places in India. In traditional preparation, large brass pots are used to stew a combination of spices with split yellow moong or chana dal, resulting in a thick and substantial dal that is most often eaten hot. Its nutritious, protein-packed deliciousness isn’t what makes it unique.
Golden moong dal is the hero ingredient of Surja Ki Dal. To ensure even cooking, Haridwar vendors simmer the dal slowly in large brass pots rather than boiling it rapidly. Without the use of heavy cream or excess butter, the starch naturally gelatinises over the long cooking process, giving the dish its characteristic creamy mouthfeel. As World Pulses Day reminds us, pulses are a valuable source of protein, “clean” ingredients that, when slow-cooked, retain both nutrients and excellent texture.
Cooking the dal over wood or cow dung fires further reduces reliance on modern fuels. Preparing the snack in bulk helps lower calories per serving, while using seasonal, locally sourced pulses and spices minimises its environmental impact. With just lentils, water, simple spices, and the magic of low simmering, this dish consistently delivers.
The dona is the one thing that makes Surja Ki Dal truly eco-friendly. These bowls are meticulously handmade using small bamboo sticks to sew dried sal or palash leaves together. These leaf bowls are completely biodegradable, unlike paper cups that are coated with plastic or Styrofoam. Instead of ending up in a landfill, the “packaging” from your spicy, sour dal will be back in the earth in a matter of weeks, enriching the soil while you savour it beside the Ganges.
The importance of pulses in long-term food security is recognised on World Pulses Day. In addition to being nutrient-dense, beans, chickpeas, and lentils are environmentally beneficial crops that increase soil fertility. This principle is shown by Surja Ki Dal: it is made with pulses, cooked using few resources, and served in bowls that can be biodegraded.
Surja Ki Dal subtly takes the stage among other delicious Indian street foods such as samosas, chaat, and jalebis, exemplifying eco-consciousness and making it perfect to learn about on World Pulses Day 2026, especially if you’re ever near the Ganga, where choosing a leaf bowl over plastic offers a true flavour of sustainability.
