Panchmel Dal Recipe – This is Rajasthani dal recipe which is also known as Panchratna dal. If you literally translate the dish name, panch meaning five and mel meaning mix. So this dal is made with mixture of five different dal vertities.
Rajasthani food is my favorite since childhood, though I have not shared any recipes on the blog. In the area where I grew up, we have many marwari families in our neighbourhood. My mom and I have learned many dishes from her marwari friends. So you will see some recipes from Rajasthani cuisine here in near future.
Usually they use generous amount of ghee in their food. It gives nice flavor as well as richness. Let me tell you, I have been to many marwari weddings, I can just taste every dishes. I would never able to finish the single serving. Yes, it is that heavy. This panchmel dal is made with ghee aka clarified butter. But I have used very less amount compared to what they would use. If you want you can use the oil instead.
As you know that panchratna dal is made from five varieties of dal which are urad dal, chana dal, moong dal, toor dal and moth dal. Since I do not use moth dal regularly in my kitchen, so I do not want to buy it just to make this panchmel dal. Instead masoor dal is used here.
Traditionally this panchmel dal is served with bati which I will be sharing next.
Check out other dal recipes
Dal fry // Dhaba style urad dal // Punjabi arhar dal // Moong dal fry // Chana dal
How to make Panchmel Dal Recipe (Step by Step Photos):
1) Measure and take all five dals in a bowl.
2) Wash them under running cold water till water runs clear. If you have time, then soak them for 15-20 minutes. If you are in rush then skip to next step.
3) Take washed dal into pressure cooker. Add salt and turmeric powder.
4) Add water and stir.
5) Cover it with the lid, put the weight on and turn the heat on medium. Let it pressure cook for 4-5 whistles and then turn off the stove.
6) Let the pressure go down by itself then open the lid. The dal should be mushy and soft.
7) Heat the ghee in a pan on medium heat.
8) Once melted and hot, add cumin seeds and let the sizzle. Now add cloves and saute for few seconds. Then add hing.
9) Immediately add chopped onions and mix.
10) Cook till they get translucent or light pink in color.
11) Then add ginger paste and garlic paste.
12) Mix and saute for a minute or till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
13) Now add red chili powder and coriander powder along with salt. Be careful with salt, we have already added while cooking dal.
14) Mix and saute for 30-40 seconds.
15) Now add tomatoes, ginger julienned and slit green chilies.
16) Mix and let them cook.
17) Cook till tomatoes become soft and almost mushy.
18) Now add boiled dal and mix.
19) Also mix in the water to make dal consistency.
20) Let it simmer for medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes then turn off the stove.
Remove the dal to a serving bowl. Garnish with more ginger juliennes, that is optional though.
Serving suggestion: this panchmel dal or panchratna dal is served with bati (the combination is served as dal bati and churma). This dal can be served with plain rice or roti.
Panchmel Dal Recipe (Rajasthani Panchratna Dal Recipe)
Ingredients
For pressure cooking:
- 2 tablespoons Urad dal (split, skinless black gram)
- 2 tablespoons Chana dal (Split bengal gram)
- 3 tablespoons Yellow moong dal (split and skinless)
- 2 tablespoons Arhar dal (toor dal or split pigeon peas)
- 1 tablespoons Masoor dal
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 ½ cups Water
For Rajasthani Panchmel Dal Recipe:
- 1 ½ tablespoons Ghee (Clarified butter)
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2-3 Cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
- ½ cup Onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 1 ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- ¾ cup Tomato chopped
- ¼ inch Ginger julienned
- 2 Green chilies slit
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup Water or as needed
Instructions
Pressure cooking the dal:
- Wash all five dals together under running cold water till water runs clear.
- If you have time then soak them in water for 15-20 minutes, or skip this step.
- Take washed dal into pressure cooker along with salt, turmeric powder and water.
- Cover and cook for 4-5 whistles on medium heat, then turn off the stove and let the pressure go down by itself.
- Then open the lid, dal should be soft and mushy.
Making panchmel dal or panchratna dal recipe:
- Heat the ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds, once they sizzle add cloves and hing. Saute for few seconds.
- Immediately add onions and cook till they are soft and translucent.
- Now mix in ginger paste and garlic paste, cook for a minute.
- Now add remaining salt, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix and cook for few seconds.
- Mix in tomatoes, ginger and green chilies. Cook till tomatoes are soft.
- Now mix in boiled dal along with some water to get right dal consistency.
- Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes and then turn off the stove.
Ramesh
How would you cook the daals using INSTANT POT?
Can you have the recipe modified for using instant pot? Pressure Cooker is not always fun to use.
Kanan
Sure, I will try to update my recipes for instant pot
But for this recipe, 5 mins on manual.
BaatiBaker
Excellent recipe – very flavorful and easy to follow/make recipe. We made this along with the baati recipe and would definitely make this again, with or without the baati.
Kanan
glad to know that dal came out good and you enjoyed