Chana Dal (Authentic North Indian Recipe)
This Punjabi-inspired chana dal fry presents a recipe featuring bengal gram lentils or peeled and split black chickpeas, seasoned and enriched with a medley of onions, tomatoes, herbs, and spices.
Ingredients
For Cooking Lentils
- 1 cup chana dal (bengal gram or split chickpeas) – 200 grams
- 2.5 to 3 cups water for stovetop pressure cooking and 2 to 2.5 cups water for Instant Pot cooking
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic or 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes or 2 medium-sized tomatoes
- ½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger or 1 inch ginger
- ½ teaspoon chopped green chilies or serrano pepper or 1 green chilli
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) or add as required
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- 1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) – crushed, optional
- salt as required
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
Instructions
Cooking Lentils
- Pick and rinse the chana dal well in running water.
- Soak the dal in enough water for an hour. Or soak in hot water (not boiling hot water) for 30 minutes.
- Drain the lentils and add them to a 3 litre pressure cooker along with turmeric powder. Add 2.5 to 3 cups water in the cooker and stir well. For Instant pot add 2 to 2.5 cups water.
- On a high heat pressure cook the lentils for 10 to 11 minutes or for 7 to 8 whistles or more, till the dal is softened and well cooked.
- In the instant pot, pressure cook on high mode for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Allow the cooker or Instant Pot to do a complete natural pressure release before unsealing the lid. That means to let the pressure falls on its own in the cooker or instant pot.
- Cover and set aside the cooked chana dal.
Making Chana Dal
- In another pan, heat oil or ghee.
- Add the cumin seeds first and fry for a few seconds till they splutter.
- Then add the garlic and fry till they become light brown.
- Now add the onions and fry till they get golden stirring often.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes, ginger and green chili.
- Stir and add all the dry spice powders – turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, asafoetida, dry mango powder and coriander powder.
- Sauté stirring often till the tomatoes soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
- Add the crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) and stir.
- Pour the cooked chana dal together with its stock to the sautéed masala mixture or vice versa. Season with salt according to taste.
- Stir and simmer the dal for 6 to 8 minutes or more till you get medium consistency of the dal. The consistency is neither thick nor thin.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve the chana dal hot with some basmati rice or roti or bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 8gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 312mgPotassium: 178mgFiber: 12gSugar: 4gCalcium: 102mgIron: 2mg
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