Chana Dal Recipe
This recipe has added no onion, garlic, or tomato, prepared with a handful of spices, a simple recipe full of flavors.
The dish is also perfect for eating with roti, paratha, raita, salad, or a side dish with any vegetable. I usually serve this chana dal masala with Bhindi ki sabzi in my house, another good combination for lunch or dinner.
This chana dal is a delicious, healthy, and nutritious meal, prepared in just 10 minutes in the cooker with a handful of spices, an excellent option to enjoy this chana dal for breakfast or Sunday brunch.
Table of Contents
Recipe Video
Recipe Card
Chana Dal Recipe (Updated)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Chana Dal
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp 2 green chili, ½ inch ginger, fresh coriander paste
- 1 tbsp Tamarind
- ¼ tsp Asafoetida
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
- ¾ tbsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tbsp Red Chili Powder
- 1½ tbsp Gram Flour
- ¼ tsp Garam Masala
- Salt as taste
- 1½ cups Water
- Fresh Coriander
- 1 tbsp Ghee
Instructions
- Soak ¾ cup of chana dal for 30 minutes.
- Take two green chilies, ½ inch of ginger, and some fresh coriander and grind them into a paste.
- Add a little water to 1 tbsp of tamarind and soak for 5 minutes.
- Add 3 tbsp of oil, and heat the oil. Add ¼ tsp of asafoetida, prepared paste, and saute for a few seconds.
- Add ¾ tbsp of coriander powder, ½ tbsp of red chili powder, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, and 1½ tbsp of gram flour. Mix all the ingredients well.
- Add little water and mix it well. Cook for a few seconds.
- Once the oil is released, add the soaked dal, salt per taste, ¼ tsp of garam masala, and the soaked tamarind mixture. Mix all the ingredients well.
- Add 1½ cups of water.
- Mix well and cover with the lid. Cook till three whistles.
- Once the cooker releases pressure naturally, check if cooked well.
- Garnish with some fresh coriander.
- Add 1 tbsp of ghee, some fresh coriander, and a tomato ring(optional).
- Serve hot with roti or paratha, salad, raita, or along with any vegetable.
Notes
- Gram flour is added, depending on the quality. You may require extra water while sauteing gram flour and spices together.
- Ensure you soak the chana dal for at least 30 minutes. Soaked chana dal cooks fast and tastes good. Also, soft chana dal is easy to digest.
- This recipe is without onions and tomatoes; if you prefer, you can always while cooking or while garnishing.
- Instead of tamarind, you can use ¼ tsp of mango powder. Tamarind enhances the taste better than mango powder.
- In the recipe, I used kitchen king garam masala.
How to make Chana Dal Recipe Step by Step Instructions
- Soak ¾ cup of chana dal for 30 minutes.
- Take two green chilies, ½ inch of ginger, and some fresh coriander and grind them into a paste.
- Add a little water to 1 tbsp of tamarind and soak for 5 minutes.
- Add 3 tbsp of oil, and heat the oil. Add ¼ tsp of asafoetida, prepared paste, and saute for a few seconds.
- Add ¾ tbsp of coriander powder, ½ tbsp of red chili powder, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, and 1½ tbsp of gram flour. Mix all the ingredients well.
- Add a little water and mix it well. Cook for a few seconds.
- Once the oil is released, add the soaked dal, salt per taste, ¼ tsp of garam masala, and the soaked tamarind mixture. Mix all the ingredients well.
- Add 1½ cups of water.
- Mix well and cover with the lid. Cook till three whistles.
- Once the cooker releases pressure naturally, check if cooked well.
- Garnish with some fresh coriander.
- Add 1 tbsp of ghee, some fresh coriander, and a tomato ring(optional).
- Serve hot with roti or paratha, salad, raita, or a side dish along with any vegetable.
Notes
- Gram flour is added, depending on the quality. You may require extra water while sauteing gram flour and spices together.
- Ensure you soak the chana dal for at least 30 minutes. Soaked chana dal cooks fast and tastes good. Also, soft chana dal is easy to digest.
- This recipe is without onions and tomatoes; if you prefer, you can always while cooking or while garnishing.
- Instead of tamarind, you can use ¼ tsp of mango powder. Tamarind enhances the taste better than mango powder.
- In the recipe, I used kitchen king garam masala.
FAQS
How to make chana dal?
– Soak ¾ cup of chana dal for 30 minutes
– Take two green chilies, ½ inch of ginger, some fresh coriander and grind it to a paste
– Add a little water to 1 tbsp of tamarind and soak for few minutes
– Add 3 tbsp of oil, and heat the oil. Add ¼ tsp of asafoetida, prepared paste, and saute for a few seconds
– Add ¾ tbsp of coriander powder, ½ tbsp of red chili powder, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, and 1½ tbsp of gram flour. – Mix all the ingredients well. Add little water and mix it well. Cook for few seconds
– Once the oil is released, add the soaked dal, salt per taste, ¼ tsp of garam masala, and the soaked tamarind. Mix all the ingredients well. Add 1½ cups of water
– Mix well and cover with the lid. Cook till three whistle
– Add 1 tbsp of ghee, some fresh coriander, and one ring of tomato. Serve hot
How many whistles for chana dal?
Soak the chana dal for 30 minutes for the best results and good taste. Soaked chana dal is easy to cook; soft chana dal is easily digestible. Three whistles are good enough for the soaked chana dal.
What is chana dal?
Chana dal is the Hindi term for Bengal gram lentils or black chickpeas lentils
Conclusion
In this chana dal recipe, we have shared how to make simple and quick chana dal without onion and garlic, yet delicious and flavorful. The chana dal recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or as a side dish with any meal. Excellent to enjoy with Pakwan (made of wheat or fine flour), can top up with onions, green and sweet chutney as per preference. This chana dal is a recipe from Sindhi cuisine.
If you like this recipe, please comment and rank us for this recipe. Your suggestion and comments are always welcome and are like a treasure to improve every time.