Chana Dal (Instant Pot)

Punjabi chana dal recipe, just like my mom made growing up! This hearty, protein-packed, comforting dal is made with split Bengal gram, onion, tomato, and a few Indian spices. It’s easy to make and perfect for a healthy dinner when served with rice.

❤️ You’ll Love This Chana Dal Recipe

Healthy & comforting meal: This makes a cozy homestyle meal when served with piping hot instant pot basmati rice or pulao with a side of papad, kachumber salad, or mango pickle. 

Leftover dal makes a great lunch box. Pack some rice and salad in a separate container and reheat in the microwave right before having lunch. 

Freezer friendly: make a big batch of this instant pot chana dal recipe and freeze it in individual portions for later.

Simple to make: The method of making chana dal recipe is super simple, make typical Punjabi onion tomato masala, add dal, water, and pressure cook. Once done, make tempering and mix in garam masala and lime juice. Super simple, even beginners can make it easily.

This can be made on a stovetop pressure cooker as well. See the details in the recipe card below.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

Here is a pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make a delicious chana dal recipe. All of them are easy to find in Indian kitchens.

• Chana dal: This lentil is also known as split Bengal gram or split chickpeas. This takes a little longer to cook compared to other lentils like toor dal or moong dal. So it is recommended to soak the dal before cooking.
• Oil: To make this recipe vegan, I have used oil. But you can use ghee to add more flavor. 
• Onion: For Indian cooking, I prefer red onion. But if you have yellow or white onion on hand then you can use that as well.
• Ginger, Garlic: Here I have freshly grated the ginger and garlic separately. Instead, you can crush them together in a small grinder or using a mortar and pestle. Or simply use ready ginger garlic paste.
• Green chili: If crushing ginger, and garlic then crush green chilies along with them. Or use finely chopped green chilies.
• Tomatoes: For Indian cooking, I prefer to use Roma or Plum tomatoes. 
• Spice powders: Red chili powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder are used. Garam masala is also used but that is added after pressure cooking to retain flavor and aroma.
• Lime juice: A couple of teaspoons of lime juice perks up the flavor so well. So please do not skip it.
• Tempering: It is made using mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried chilies, hing, and curry leaves. The tadka or tempering adds a nice flavor and aroma to the chana dal recipe.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Instant Pot Chana Dal? (Stepwise) 

Prep:

1) Wash or rinse chana dal using regular tap water until the water is clear or not cloudy anymore.

2) Optional step: Soak in enough water for around 20-30 minutes. More soaking time will not hurt. Discard the soaking water once done.

Making Chana Dal In Instant Pot:

1) Turn on the instant pot with saute mode on. Add oil to the liner. Once it is hot add onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Sprinkle a little salt to speed up the onion cooking process.

2) Cook until the onion turns translucent and starts to soften.

3) Add tomatoes and mix.

4) Cook until tomatoes start to soften.

5, 6) Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Mix and cook for a minute.

7, 8)Add drained, soaked lentils with fresh water and remaining salt. Stir everything well.

9) Cover the instant pot with a lid and keep the valve in a sealing position. Pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes. (15 minutes for no soak chana dal).

10) Let the pressure release naturally. Once the pin drops, open the lid and stir the dal and check the consistency. If it’s too thick then you can add some hot water to adjust the consistency. 

11) To make the tempering, heat the oil in a small tadka pan. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter.

12) Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.

13) Add hing, dried chilies, and curry leaves.

14) Immediately add this tempering to the dal.

15) Add garam masala.

16) Squeeze the lime juice.

17) Mix everything well. Garnish with fresh cilantro and it is ready to serve. 

💭Expert Tips For Chana Dal Recipe

• Soaking chana dal is not required. But it is recommended.
• I prefer the soft dal that holds its shape. If you prefer the mushy version then you can cook it a few minutes more to make it mushy.
• The water amount may vary depending on the dal consistency you prefer. The above measurements give medium-thick consistency. If you like it thin then add more water.
• You see, everything is customizable. Adjust as per your and your family’s liking (soft or mushy, spicy or less spicy, thin or thick dal).

🥣 Storage Instructions

• Chana dal stays good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 
• You can freeze for up to 3 months. I would freeze in individual servings (or family-size servings) and defrost as needed. 
• To thaw, keep the container in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours.
• Reheat on the stovetop until hot. You may need to add a splash of water to adjust the consistency. 

🍽 How To Serve Chana Dal?

• Serve chana dal with rice or jeera rice.
• It can be served with roti or paratha.
• To make a complete meal, have one or multiple sides like kachumber salad or carrot sambharo, roasted papad, and pickle.

Did you try this instant pot chana dal recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.