Name: Urad Dal Recipe (Dhaba Style)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ½ cup Urad dal (split, skinless black gram); ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon Red chili powder; Salt to taste; 1 cup Water (For pressure cooking); 1 tablespoon Oil; ½ cup Red onion (finely chopped); 1 Green chili (chopped finely); 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed; 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated; ½ cup Tomato (finely chopped); 1 to 1 ½ cups Water (To get dal consistency); ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika; 1 tablespoon Butter; ½ teaspoon Garam masala; 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) (lightly crushed between your palms); 2 teaspoons Lemon juice; 1 tablespoon Cilantro or coriander leaves (chopped finely)

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

This dhaba style urad dal recipe is a rich, creamy and buttery dal that gets ready in just 30 minutes. This dhaba dal is made with split white urad dal and basic North Indian onion tomato masala.

Dhaba style urad dal served with jeera rice in the back.

Urad Dal Types

There are three kinds available in Indian grocery stores.

Split white urad dal (Skinless) – we are using this type in this dhaba dal recipe.
Split urad dal with skin – maa chole ki dal is made with this. Here chana dal is also mixed with this dal.
Whole urad dal (black lentils) – It is mostly used in dal makhani recipe. I also use this while making mix kathol.

❤️ About This Dhaba Style Urad Dal Recipe

Taste & Texture:

Medium spicy (spice level is adjustable)
Buttery, rich (just like most North Indian dishes)
Creamy (without adding any heavy cream because urad dal has a naturally creamy (slimy) texture once it is cooked)
Slightly smokey flavor (just like you get in dhaba style dal)

Make a comforting meal: Serve with plain rice or jeera rice with a side of Indian salad (kachumber), papad and pickle. Though it goes well with ajwain paratha or masala paratha.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

Split white urad dal (without skin): It becomes slightly slimy, and creamy after pressure cooking. To avoid this texture, you can dry roast the dal for a few minutes before cooking.
Butter: Traditionally in dhaba, they use white butter (makhan).
Typical North Indian Masala: It is made by sauteeing onion, tomato with ginger, garlic and green chili along with a few basic spice powders.
Smoked paprika: It is used to get a smokey flavor just like dhaba dal.
Kasoori methi: It adds a unique flavor to this dhaba dal recipe. Always crush the kasoori methi between your palm before adding to release its flavor.
Lemon juice or Lime juice: Always add at the end of the cooking meaning once the simmering dal step is done.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Urad Dal Recipe? (Stepwise)

1) Take lentils in a colander and rinse under running cold water until water runs clear. Or rinse them in a bowl 2-3 times until the water is not cloudy anymore. Take rinsed dal in a pressure cooker along with fresh water.

2) Add salt and turmeric powder, red chili powder and stir well.

3) Cover the cooker with a lid, and put the weight on. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 whistles or until dal is cooked to soft. Let the pressure go down by itself and open the lid.

Collage of 3 images showing urad dal in a pressure cooker, adding turmeric and chili powder, cooked dal.

4) White dal is pressure cooking, start cooking onion tomato masala on another stove. Heat the oil in a pan or kadai on medium heat. Once hot add chopped onion and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process.

5) Cook until onions are soft and translucent or light brown in color.

6) Add ginger, garlic and green chili.

7) Mix and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.

8) Add tomatoes.

9) Mix and cook until tomatoes are soft and almost mushy.

Collage of 6 images showing cooking onion, tomato with ginger, garlic and green chili.

10) Add cooked dal along with some more water. Add smoked paprika as well for a smokey flavor.

11) Mix and simmer on low for 7-8 minutes. Do stir in between to make sure that dal is not sticking to the pan.

12) Add butter and let it melt.

13) Add garam masala and kasoori methi. Mix well.

14) Lastly, squeeze the fresh lemon or lime juice and stir.

15) Finally, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

Collage of 6 steps showing simmering dal, adding butter and spices, lemon juice and cilantro.

💭 Expert Tips

Smokey flavor: We are taking a shortcut and adding smoked paprika. Alternately, you can use dhungar method (explained in detail in the dal tadka recipe).
Adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the green chili and red chili powder amount.
Scalable: You can double or triple the recipe as needed.
Storage: It stays good for 2-3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Keep in mind that it thickens after it cools down and even more after refrigerating.

🍽 How To Serve Urad Dal?

This dal goes well with plain rice, jeera rice or pulao like peas pulao or mushroom pulao.
It can be served as a side for tandoori roti or naan.
A side of kachumber salad, papad, pickle and a glass of salted lassi will make a complete meal.

Urad dal served in steel handi and garnished with cilantro.

Check Out Other Dal Recipes

Did you try this dhaba style urad dal recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.