Chana Dal Recipe is a restaurant-style protein-rich flavorful recipe. This recipe is so flavorful and what makes it more delicious is the use of fresh ingredients which are very easily available in Indian Kitchen. This is a north Indian style Chana Dal recipe.
In this recipe, Chana dal is first soaked for 1-2 hours then boiled with turmeric powder and salt. Boiled Chana dal is then cooked with onion, tomatoes, later it is tempered with a bunch of spices to make it super flavorful. This double-tempered Chana dal recipe is best served with roti or rice.
Chana Dal is one of my favorite dals to enjoy with rice. Made with fresh ingredients and a handful of spices, this dal is packed with flavors! My mom is a big fan of dal, so she used to make dal 5 times a week along with seasonal dry veg. Mostly toor/arhar dal, moong, and masoor dal were made at my home. This Chana dal was not made frequently maybe because it takes more time to digest and is heavy on the stomach.
So whenever we are bored of eating dal or our fridge is out of veggies then my mom used to make and serve this recipe with steamed rice topped with some extra ghee. (Yeah Indian Mom always wishes to add ghee in almost all the recipes, and its never enough for them. (I know….I know ..It’s the same with me, In my son’s plate, I use to pour ghee in dal, apply it on chapati then add some more on steamed rice.:))
I still remember when we used to go to our hometown for the wedding in our family, we reach around 3-4 days in advance so that we can spend more time with relatives, cousins and help the family in shopping and other stuff. So a day or two days before the marriage when we all family members sit together for lunch this Chana dal recipe was the stable which was served on leaf pattal/plate along with other delicious recipes.
This easy Chana dal recipe is a surprisingly healthy option to include in our meal. This dish is a fantastic source of protein, fat and is a great filling yet low calorie. It can be made gluten-free if you just replace ghee with oil and skip adding asafoetida in the tadka.
With this step by step photos and detailed instructions, making this restaurant-style Chana dal recipe at home is so quick and easy and you can easily impress your loved ones.
Do try other Dal recipes :
- Punjabi Moth Dal
- Dal Makhni
- Mixed Tadka Dal
- Palak Dal
- Lauki Chana Dal
- Moong Dal Dry Veg
- Chana Dal Paratha
- Chawal Ke Fare
Preparation Time: 10min(+Soaking Time) ∏ Cooking Time: 35min ∏ Servings: 3-4 persons
Level: Intermediate(Medium) ∏ Measurement: 1 Cup ≡ 250 ml ≡ 250gm
Ingredients Checklist:
Main Ingredients
For Second Tadka
How to make Chana Dal Recipe:
Make Chana Dal
Step1: Soak Chana dal in water for 2 hours. If you are in hurry then soak it in warm water for 45 minutes. Wash it and transfer it to a pressure cooker. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1/2 tablespoon of salt along with 2.5 cups of water. Heat pressure cooker on medium flame and after one whistle, lower the flame and cook for 3-4 minutes. Switch off the burner and let it cool down for some time.










Make Tadka



Tips:
- Soak Chana dal for at least 1-2 hours. if you are in hurry then soak it in warm water.
- Adjust the amount of chilly as per your taste.
- Ghee is the key ingredient that brings amazing flavor.
- If you do not have a pressure cooker at home, you can cook the dal on the stovetop for 1.5 hrs and add more water.
- Serve it hot with steamed rice.