Dhaba style Urad dal recipe

Dhaba dal recipe – creamy, buttery urad dal recipe made dhaba style. Goes perfect with plain rice or jeera rice or mild pulao.

For making this dhabey ki dal, here I have used split skinless urad dal. Cooked urad dal is itself creamy. So without adding any additional cream, it is so creamy.

The dollop of butter is added at the end. Almost all the Punjabi (North Indian) dishes are rich and this is one of them. Addition of butter bring out the flavors of the dal. And butter makes it more flavorful and buttery.

For those who are not familiar with the word ‘Dhaba’. Dhaba is roadside food stall or restaurant. It is usually located at the highways next to gas stations (petrol pumps). so the truck drivers can have their meals there.

I have adapted the recipe from 1000 Great Indian Recipes cookbook.

Check out other dal recipes
Dal makhani  //  Punjabi arhar dal  //  Chana dal fry  //  Dal tadka

How to make Dhaba dal (Step by Step Recipe with Photos):

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1) Wash the urad dal under running cold water till water runs clear. Take washed dal in the pressure cooker. Add ½ cup of water.

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

3) Stir with spoon.

4) Cover the pressure cooker, put the weight on. Turn the heat on medium. Cook for 3-4 whistles or till the urad dal is cooked. Let the pressure go down by itself, then open the lid.

5) Now heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add chopped onions. Sprinkle some salt. Be careful while adding salt, because we already added salt while pressure cooking the dal.

6) Cook till onions are soft and translucent.

7) Add ginger paste, garlic paste and green chilies.

8) Stir and saute for a minute. Or till the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.

9) Add chopped tomatoes.

10) Mix well and cook.

11) Cook till tomatoes are soft and slightly mushy.

12) Add cooked dal and extra 1 ½ cups of water. Adjust the water quantity as per your liking dal consistency.

13) Mix well and let it come to a simmer.

14) Simmer the dal on medium-low heat for good 5-7 minutes. Do stir in between and make sure that dal is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.

15) Then add butter.

16) Let the butter melt. Stir well.

17) Add garam masala

18) and kasoori methi. Crush the kasoori methi lightly between your palms and then add. So it releases its flavors at max.

19) Mix well.

20) Add lemon juice. Turn off the stove.

21) Lastly add chopped cilantro.

22) Mix well.

Dhaba style urad dal is ready to serve. If not serving right away then keep it covered. So it stays warm for some time.

Serving suggestion: Serve this urad dal with plain rice or jeera rice. Or you can serve with mild pulao like veg pulao, peas pulao, paneer pulao or mushroom pulao.

5 from 2 votes

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Dhaba dal recipe (Dhaba style Urad dal recipe)

US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)

Course Main Course

Cuisine North Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Yield 2 servings

Author Kanan

Ingredients (1 cup = 240 ml)

For pressure cooking dal:

• ½ cup Urad dal (split, skinless black gram) split and skinless
• ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup Water

For dhaba dal recipe:

• 1 tablespoon Oil
• ½ cup 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 ½ cups Water
• 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

Instructions

Pressure cooking the dal:

1. Wash the urad dal under running cold water till water runs clear.
2. Take washed dal in the pressure cooker. Add ½ cup of water.
3. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Stir with spoon.
4. Cover the pressure cooker, put the weight on. Turn the heat on medium.
5. Cook for 3-4 whistles or till the urad dal is cooked.
6. Let the pressure go down by itself, then open the lid.

Making dhaba style urad dal recipe:

1. Now heat the oil in a pan on medium heat.
2. Once hot add chopped onions. Sprinkle some salt. Cook till onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and green chilies. Stir and saute for a minute.
4. Add chopped tomatoes. Mix well and cook. Cook till tomatoes are soft and slightly mushy.
5. Add cooked dal and extra 1 ½ cups of water. Adjust the water quantity as per your liking dal consistency.
6. Mix well and let it come to a simmer.
7. Simmer the dal on medium-low heat for good 5-7 minutes. Do stir in between
8. Then add butter. Let the butter melt. Stir well.
9. Add garam masala and kasoori methi. Mix well.
10. Add lemon juice.
11. Turn off the stove.
12. Lastly add chopped cilantro. Mix well.