Chana Dal (Easy, Restaurant-Style)

Chana Dal in a bowl garnished with sliced vegetables, sliced green chili, julienned ginger and cilantro with naan on the side.

Chana Dal (Easy, Restaurant-Style)

This Chana Dal recipe is simple, yet incredibly flavorful. Inspired by restaurants, it features layers of flavor, a scrumptious texture, and a signature tarka that takes it over the top. Tested to perfection!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Pakistani

Diet Halal, Vegetarian

Keyword chana dal, chana dal fry, chana dal tarka

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

For Boiling Dal 35

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 412

Author Izzah Cheema

Ingredients

To Boil Chana Dal:

1 cup Chana Dal (Split Desi Chickpeas) washed and rinsed several times, then soaked for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours - Note 1
1 tbsp kosher salt

For the Masala:

2-3 tbsp neutral oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 small yellow onion finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped or crushed
3/4 inch piece ginger finely chopped or crushed
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder or cayenne sub Kashmiri chili powder for low heat
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 ripe vine or Roma tomato puréed in a food processor
1 cup water

For the Tarka:

4 tbsp neutral oil
2 tbsp salted butter or ghee or a blend of both
2 small Serrano green chili peppers thinly sliced diagonally
5 whole dried red chili peppers such as button chili peppers (dundicut)
2 tbsp julienned ginger
1/4 cup cilantro leaves and thin stems, finely chopped
1-2 tsp lemon juice plus more to taste
1/4 tsp garam masala

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Boil Chana Dal:

Fill a medium pot halfway with water (~8-9 cups) and cover to bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, drain the chana dal and add to the boiling water along with the salt. Allow to come to a boil again, using a slotted spoon to remove any scum that rises to the surface. Cover with the lid ajar to prevent it from overflowing. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 35 minutes, or until the dal is cooked fully but holds shape (it should break easily, without resistance, when pressed between your fingers). Drain and set aside.

Prepare Masala:

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds (they’ll immediately start to sizzle) and onions. Sauté, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with 2 tbsp of water.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes, until aromatic. The onions will have deepened in color. Deglaze again if it starts to stick to the pan.
Reduce the heat to low, add the ground spice powders (coriander, red chili, turmeric, cumin), and salt. Stir for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
Add the puréed tomato and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 3 minutes, until the tomatoes have reduced and the oil starts to release. Add the drained chana dal and stir-fry it with the masala for a minute. Pour in the measured water and bring the dal to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium. Allow the dal to simmer, covered with the lid ajar, for 8-10 minutes to develop flavor. For a creamier texture, use a wooden spoon to mash the dal along the edges. Reduce the heat to low so that it gently simmers while you prepare the Tarka.

Prepare Tarka:

Heat oil and butter/ghee in a small frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the green chili peppers and dried chili peppers and sizzle for 15 seconds. Do not allow them to darken. Sprinkle in the ginger and cilantro and allow the leaves to wilt slightly. Pour this tarka all over the simmering dal. Continue to simmer on low heat for 2 minutes, until no longer watery but still moist. The oil rise to the surface.
Turn off the heat and sprinkle in lemon juice and garam masala. Serve hot with roti, naan, paratha, or rice.

Video

Notes

Note 1: May Substitute with Yellow Split Peas commonly found in general grocery stores. Yellow Split Peas taste and look similar, though slightly smaller, but they come from peas, not chickpeas. They're also not as tough, so you'll need to shorten boil time. If overcooked, yellow split peas tend to disintegrate while Chana Dal retains its shape.

Note 2: To make this dal soupier (more homestyle), add an extra 1/2-1 cup of water in Step 4 of Preparing the Masala. Also mash it down more with a wooden spoon to make it creamier.

Note for Instant Pot: See post for how to boil the Chana Dal in the Instant Pot.

Nutrition