Punjabi Chana dal Recipe

Chana dal recipe – healthy, delicious and everyday dal recipe made with bengal gram. It is sauteed with onion-tomato and tempered with Indian spices.

Chana dal fry is one of the recipes that I make often on an everyday basis. This is North Indian style chana dal masala. Typical Punjabi onion-tomato masala is the base of this dal. The addition of tadka or tempering on top gives nice aroma and flavor to the dish.

Chana dal is known as Bengal gram in English.

Do I need to soak chana dal before cooking?

Soaking chana dal is recommended but not required. It is a kind of lentil which needs more cooking time compared to other lentils. So it is a good idea to soak in water for at least 30 minutes. So it gets cooked faster.

If you are in rush then skip the soaking step and cook for some more minutes. And you are good to go.

Check out other Dal recipes
Moong dal  //  Arhar dal  //  Urad dal  //  Chilkewali moong dal

How to make chana dal recipe (Step by Step Photos):

1) Take dal in a colander. wash it under running cold water till water runs clear.

2) Soak in enough water for at least 30 minutes. More soaking time will not hurt.

3) Now discard the cooking water. take dal in a pressure cooker along with fresh 1 ½ cups of water. Add turmeric powder and salt.

4) Cover the pressure cooker and put the weight on. Turn the heat on medium. Let it cook for 6-7 whistles. Let the pressure go down by itself. Then open the lid. Dal should be soft. Keep it aside.

In below picture clockwise – chana dal, soaked chana dal, in the cooker with salt & turmeric, boiled dal.

5) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add ginger paste, garlic paste, and green chilies. Cook for a minute.

6) Then add chopped onions. Cook till they become translucent.

7) Mix in chopped tomatoes and cook till they get soft.

8) Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.

9) Mix well. Saute for a minute.

10) Add cooked dal with its water. If needed add extra water and make runny consistency. Let it come to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

11) Meanwhile, prepare the tadka. Heat the oil in a small pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds. Let them pop. Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.

12) Add curry leaves and dried red chili.

13) Add tempering to the dal.

14) Mix well and dal is ready to serve.

For a change, try adding some lemon juice at the end. I have tried it and I liked it this way too.

You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry as this recipe requires very basic ingredients. So what are you waiting for? Get in your kitchen and make delicious chana dal recipe today.

Serving suggestion: Serve it with plain basmati rice or jeera rice. You can serve with any Indian flat bread like paratha, naan, roti.

How to make chana dal in Instant pot?

Method 1: Cook only chana dal in instant pot. Then sauté and tempering steps have done on stove top.

• This can be done in the inner liner itself or PIP method.
• Take soaked chana dal with 1 ¼ cups of water, salt, and turmeric powder.
• Cook on manual (high pressure) for 12 minutes. Let it NPR.
• If skippi the soaking step, then cook for 15 minutes.
• Rest of the steps are done on stove top.

Method 2: Cook chana dal with onion, tomato, and spices together in instant pot. Then just make tadka (tempering) on the stove.

• This must be done in inner liner pot only.
• Turn the Instant pot on sauté mode. Heat the oil and cook ginger, garlic, green chilies, and onions till onions become translucent and soft.
• Add tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
• Add spices, salt, ½ cup chana dal, 1 ¼ cups water and mix.
• Cancel sauté mode, cook on manual (high pressure) for 12 minutes. If skipping the soaking step, then cook for 15 minutes. Let it NPR
• Make tempering aka tadka on the stove and add to dal.

How to cook chana dal in a pan if do not have preesure cooker?

• Soak the chana dal for 30 minutes to 1 hour. More soaking time results in less cooking time on the stove.
• Take ½ cup dal and 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
• Then cover partially and let it simmer on low-medium till dal gets soft.
• While cooking you may need to add more water as the water dries up. Do stir and check in between the water amount.

Print Pin

4.67 from 6 votes

Chana dal Recipe (Punjabi chana dal masala) chana dal fry

Chana dal recipe – healthy, delicious and everyday dal recipe made with bengal gram. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 2 Servings

Calories 131kcal

Author Kanan

Ingredients

For pressure cooking dal-

• ½ cup Chana dal (Split bengal gram)
• 1 ½ cups Water
• ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

For chana dal recipe-

• 2 teaspoons Oil
• ½ teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
• ½ teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
• 2 Green chilies chopped finely
• ½ cup Onion chopped
• 1 cup Tomato chopped
• 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• a pinch Turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon Garam masala

For tadka (tempering) –

• 2 teaspoons Oil
• ½ teaspoons Mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 5-6 Curry leaves
• 1 Dried red chilies broken into two pieces

Instructions

Making chana dal recipe:

• Wash and soak the dal for at least 30 minutes or more. Then discard the soaking water.
• Take soaked dal, water, salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker.
• Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and put the weight on. Let it cook for 6-7 whistles on medium heat.
• Let the pressure go down by itself. Then open the lid. Dal should be soft.
• Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add ginger paste, garlic paste, and green chilies and ook for a minute.
• Then add chopped onions. and cook till they become translucent.
• Mix in chopped tomatoes and cook till they get soft.
• Mix in Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt. Saute for a minute.
• Add cooked dal with its water. If needed add extra water and make runny consistency.
• Let it come to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Make tadka:

• on another stove heat the oil in a small pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds. Let them pop.
• Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
• Add curry leaves and dried red chili. Add tempering to the dal.
• Mix well and turn off the stove.

Nutrition

Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5.3g | Fat: 5.9g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 6.2g | Sugar: 4.4g | Calcium: 3% | Iron: 9%

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving

Tried this recipe?Please comment below and give ★ ratings