Chana Dal, also known as Split Chickpeas Dal, is an easy, quick, comforting, and delicious lentil dish cooked with ginger, garlic, onion, and tomato, and flavored with cumin garlic tempering, which makes it into a smooth soup. Additionally, it is gluten-free and vegan.
You can make it in an Instant Pot, stovetop pressure cooker, or saucepan. Cook this healthy and satisfying chana dal for any weekday meal.
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Table of contents
Lentil and bean dishes have been a staple in every part of India for centuries. Dal is made in many different ways. All Dal Fry dishes are very popular for the following reasons:
Dals are generally light on the stomach and easy to digest. Additionally, creamy dal dishes taste great when combined with caramelized onions, tomatoes, ghee, and spices. The amalgamation of all these ingredients makes the dal dish so delectable and flavorful.
About Chana Dal
Chana Dal, or Chane ki Dal, is dried brown chickpeas that have been split and skinned. It is also called split chickpeas, garbanzo beans, or Bengal Gram. Brown chickpeas are called kala chana in Hindi. Since this split chickpea is made from dried brown chickpeas, it has the same nutty texture.
Benefits of Eating This Dal
This split chickpea is packed with many essential nutrients. This dal is an excellent source of vegetable protein and is rich in fiber. Additionally, it has a low glycemic index, making it diabetic-friendly as well.
What is Chana Dal Tadka
Chana Dal Tadka is a lentil-based spicy soup served as a side dish. In this dal tadka recipe, split chickpeas or Bengal gram lentils are cooked with onion-tomato masala and then tempered again with some garlic and chili powder.
How to Make Chana Dal in a Pressure Cooker
Rinse the chana dal and soak it for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cloves. Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and stir well.
Now add chopped green chilies, crushed ginger, and crushed garlic.
Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt. Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the rinsed lentils and 3 cups of water. Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 8-9 whistles.
Let the pressure release completely before opening the lid.
Once the pin drops, open the lid. Mash the dal lightly using the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Add garam masala powder and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add cilantro leaves and mix well.
How to Make Chana Dal Recipe Without a Pressure Cooker
This dal recipe can be cooked on the stovetop without a pressure cooker. However, it will take longer to cook, and you need to keep an eye on it while cooking.
I personally prefer using my Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker for any recipe that requires boiled lentils (dal).
How to Make This Dal in a Saucepan
Rinse the Bengal gram dal or split chickpeas well and soak them in 3-4 cups of water for about 1-2 hours. Longer soaking time is recommended when making dal on the stovetop, as it will speed up the cooking process.
Make onion-tomato masala, and add the soaked split chickpeas to it along with water. Cook the chana in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring it to a boil.
Once it boils, cover the pot and let it simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until done. Check it every 10 minutes and add more water if needed.
The cooked Bengal gram dal should be soft after cooking. To check, press the cooked dal between your finger and thumb. If it turns mushy easily, the dal is cooked properly and will be easy to digest.
How to Cook Chana Dal in an Instant Pot
Cooking dal in an Instant Pot is very simple and fast. To cook chana dal in an Instant Pot, start by setting the Instant Pot to sauté mode and heating oil in it. Add cumin seeds and cloves. Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and stir well.
Now add chopped green chilies, crushed ginger, and crushed garlic. Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt. Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add rinsed dal and 3 cups of water.
Close the lid and set the Instant Pot valve to sealing.
Change the Instant Pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 11 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid and give it a good stir. Press the cancel button, then press the sauté button. Mash the dal lightly using the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Add garam masala powder and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add cilantro leaves and mix well.
How to Make Tadka for Chana Dal
Heat ghee in a tadka pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add sliced garlic cloves and dried red chilies, and cook until the garlic turns light brown. Add red chili powder and stir. Fry for a few seconds and remove from heat.
Transfer the cooked dal to a serving bowl and drizzle with the prepared tadka. Garnish with coriander leaves and drizzle with some lemon juice. Serve chana dal hot with flavorful broccoli paratha and rice.
Other Lentil Variations
You can use any split lentils for this recipe, such as tuvar dal (split yellow pigeon pea), masoor dal (split red lentils), moong dal (split and skinned green gram), urad dal (split and skinned black gram), etc.
The dal must be split, so don’t use whole beans, as you want a creamy final texture.
Consistency of This Dal
There is no perfect consistency for a dal recipe. Since dal is cooked in every part of India, the recipes, taste, and texture vary from one region to another. Every household prefers to eat dals at their preferred consistency.
In some regions of India, dal is cooked very thin (watery) like soup, while in other regions, dals have a semi-thick consistency.
I always like my dal on the thicker side, so I add only 3 cups of water to 1 cup of dal.
Various Types of Tadka (Tempering) Used in Dal Recipes
Like dal recipes, tadka is also made in many different ways. Some popular tadkas that people like to add to their dals are:
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Hing jeere ka tadka (asafoetida and cumin seeds tempering)
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Rai ka tadka (mustard seeds tempering)
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Jeera meetha neem tadka (mustard seeds and curry leaves tempering)
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Lehsun ka tadka (garlic tempering)
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Mirchi ka tadka (dried chilies and mustard seeds tempering)
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Pyaaz tamatar ka tadka (onion tomato tempering)
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Panch-phoran tadka: (5 spice mix mustard oil tadka with fennel, carom seeds, fenugreek, onion seeds, and mustard seeds)
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Plus many more …
Difference Between Chana Dal Fry and Chana Dal Tadka
Chana Dal Fry: In the Chana Dal Fry recipe, either you boil dal and add tomato onion masala to the boiled dal, or boil dal with tomato onion masala. There is no second tadka in Chana Dal Fry.
Chana Dal Tadka: Second tadka is a must for Tadka Dal. With this Chana Dal Tadka recipe, you boil chana dal first with onion tomato masala and then make tadka and add it on top.
The second tadka, which you add at the end, draws out the strong flavors of garlic and adds a delicious aroma to chana dal. The second tadka is a must for Tadka Dal.
How to Make Chana Dal Fry
If you want to make Chana Dal Fry, then simply omit the second (tadka) tempering. The rest of the recipe is the same for Chana Dal Fry.
Chana Dal Variations
1. Chana Dal Lauki: Add sliced bottle gourd to the chana dal while boiling.
2. Chana Dal Patta Gobi: Add chopped cabbage to the chana dal while boiling.
3. Chana Dal Palak: Add chopped spinach to the chana dal while boiling.
Serving Suggestions
This chana dal goes perfectly with steamed rice, roti, or any of your favorite flatbread on the side. To make it an elaborate Indian meal, you can also pair it with some vegetarian curries such as: Aloo Gobi, Aloo Matar, or Palak Paneer.
Anu’s Tips & Tricks to Make the Best Chana Dal:
1. Mashing th dal: This recipe for Chana Dal Tadka or Spiced Split Chickpea calls for a little mashing. Traditionally, a mathani (traditional Indian wooden/metal hand blender/churner) is used for blending dals. However, you can also mash it with a potato masher or with the back of a spoon, as I did.
2. Tempering: If you don’t have a tadka pan or want to make this dal entirely in the Instant Pot, make the tadka (tempering) first and then simply follow the recipe.
3. Soaking Dal: I soaked the dal for 30 minutes. If you plan to soak it longer, make sure to reduce the cooking time accordingly.
4. Ghee: I used ghee for my tadka. If you want to make it vegan, replace the ghee with the same amount of oil.
Chana Dal (Step-by-step photo instructions)
How to make Instant Pot Chana Dal
- Rinse chana dal and soak for 30 minutes. Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat oil in it.
- Add cumin seeds and cloves to it.
- Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and stir well.
- Now add chopped green chilies, crushed ginger, and crushed garlic to it.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add rinsed chana dal and 3 cups water to it.
- Close the lid, and set the valve to sealing.
- Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for for 11 mins.
- NPR (Natural pressure release). Once pin drops, open the lid. Press the cancel button and then press the saute button.
- Mash dal lightly using with the back of spoon or a potato masher.
- Add garam masala powder.
- Mix well again. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add cilantro leaves and mix well.
- Instant pot chana dal is ready. Serve with some rice.
How to make Chana Dal in Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Rinse chana dal and soak for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat.
- Add cumin seeds and cloves to it.
- Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and stir well. Now add chopped green chilies, crushed ginger, and crushed garlic to it.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add rinsed chana dal and 3 cups water to it.
- Close the lid, and pressure cook on high for 8-9 whistles.
- Let the pressure go down completely before opening the lid.
- Once the pin drops, open the lid.
- Mash dal lightly using with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.
- Add garam masala powder and mix well again.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
How to make Chana Dal in a Saucepan
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add cumin seeds and cloves to it.
- Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and stir well. Now add chopped green chilies, crushed ginger, and crushed garlic to it.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add rinsed chana dal and 3-4 cups water to it.
- Let it come to a boil.
- Once boiled, close the lid, and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until soft. (Keep checking it every 10 minutes, and add more water if required. )
- Mash dal lightly using with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.
- Add garam masala powder and mix well again.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add cilantro leaves and mix well.
How To Make Tadka (Tempering) For Chana Dal
- Heat ghee in a tadka pan over medium heat.
- Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
- Add sliced garlic cloves, dried red chilies and cook till garlic turns light brown.
- Add red chili powder and stir it. Fry for few seconds and remove from heat.
How To Serve Chana Dal
Recipe Card
Chana Dal [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 36 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 35 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Sides | Indian | 5 |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 280 calories | 1 |
INGREDIENTS
For Chana Dal Fry
- 1 cup chana dal (split garbanzo beans/bengal gram/split chickpeas)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves (laung)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup tomato, chopped
- green chilies, chopped - 2
- 2 teaspoons crushed ginger (adrak)
- 2 teaspoons crushed garlic (adrak)
- 3 cups water, or more if needed
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi powder)
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder), or as per taste
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
- 3/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander, for garnish
Tempering (Tadka)
- 2 tablespoons ghee (you can use oil to make it vegan)
- 2 tabelespoons garlic sliced
- 2-3 small dried red chilies
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
Serving
- Lemon juice
- Chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves
INSTRUCTIONS:
How to make Instant Pot Chana Dal
- Rinse chana dal and soak for 30 minutes. Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat oil in it.
- Add cumin seeds and cloves to it.
- Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and stir well.
- Now add chopped green chilies, crushed ginger, and crushed garlic to it.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add rinsed chana dal and 3 cups water to it.
- Close the lid, and set the valve to sealing.
- Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for for 11 mins.
- NPR (Natural pressure release). Once pin drops, open the lid. Press the cancel button and then press the saute button.
- Mash dal lightly using with the back of spoon or a potato masher.
- Add garam masala powder.
- Mix well again. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add cilantro leaves and mix well.
- Instant pot chana dal is ready. Serve with some rice.
How to make Chana Dal in Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Rinse chana dal and soak for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat.
- Add cumin seeds and cloves to it.
- Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and stir well. Now add chopped green chilies, crushed ginger, and crushed garlic to it.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add rinsed chana dal and 3 cups water to it.
- Close the lid, and pressure cook on high for 8-9 whistles.
- Let the pressure go down completely before opening the lid.
- Once the pin drops, open the lid.
- Mash dal lightly using with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.
- Add garam masala powder and mix well again.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
How to make Chana Dal in a Saucepan
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add cumin seeds and cloves to it.
- Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and stir well. Now add chopped green chilies, crushed ginger, and crushed garlic to it.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add rinsed chana dal and 3-4 cups water to it.
- Let it come to a boil.
- Once boiled, close the lid, and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until soft. (Keep checking it every 10 minutes, and add more water if required. )
- Mash dal lightly using with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.
- Add garam masala powder and mix well again.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add cilantro leaves and mix well.
How To Make Tadka (Tempering) For Chana Dal
- Heat ghee in a tadka pan over medium heat.
- Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
- Add sliced garlic cloves, dried red chilies and cook till garlic turns light brown.
- Add red chili powder and stir it. Fry for few seconds and remove from heat.
How To Serve Chana Dal
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NOTES:
- If you don’t have a tadka pan, or want to make this chana dal entirely in the Instant Pot, then make the tadka (tempering) first and then simply follow the recipe.
- I have soaked chana dal for 30 minutes. If you are planning to soak it longer, then make sure you also reduce the cooking time.
- I have used ghee for my tadka. But if you want to make it vegan, then replace ghee with the same amount of oil.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/chana-dal-recipe/
