Ingredients
For Cooking Lentils
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▢1 cup chana dal (bengal gram or split chickpeas) – 200 grams
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▢2.5 to 3 cups water for stovetop pressure cooking and 2 to 2.5 cups water for Instant Pot cooking
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▢¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Other Ingredients
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▢3 tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter)
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▢1 teaspoon cumin seeds
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▢2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic or 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic
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▢½ cup finely chopped onions
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▢1 cup finely chopped tomatoes or 2 medium-sized tomatoes
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▢½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger or 1 inch ginger
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▢½ teaspoon chopped green chilies or serrano pepper or 1 green chilli
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▢½ teaspoon red chili powder
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▢¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
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▢½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
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▢½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) or add as required * check point 4 in notes below
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▢1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
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▢1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
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▢1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) – crushed, optional
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▢salt as required
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▢1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
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Instructions Cooking Lentils
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Pick and rinse the chana dal well in running water.
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Soak the dal in enough water for an hour. Or soak in hot water (not boiling hot water) for 30 minutes.
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Drain the lentils and add them to a 3 litre pressure cooker along with turmeric powder. Add 2.5 to 3 cups water in the cooker and stir well. For Instant pot add 2 to 2.5 cups water.
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On a high heat pressure cook the lentils for 10 to 11 minutes or for 7 to 8 whistles or more, till the dal is softened and well cooked.
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In the instant pot, pressure cook on high mode for 10 to 12 minutes.
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Allow the cooker or Instant Pot to do a complete natural pressure release before unsealing the lid. That means to let the pressure falls on its own in the cooker or instant pot.
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Check the lentils. They should be very soft and easy to mush with the back of a spoon.
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Cover and set aside the cooked chana dal.
Making Chana Dal
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In another pan, heat oil or ghee.
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Add the cumin seeds first and fry for a few seconds till they splutter.
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Then add the garlic and fry till they become light brown.
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Now add the onions and fry till they get golden stirring often.
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Now add the chopped tomatoes, ginger and green chili.
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Stir and add all the dry spice powders – turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, asafoetida, dry mango powder and coriander powder.
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Sauté stirring often till the tomatoes soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
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Add the crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) and stir.
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Pour the cooked chana dal together with its stock to the sautéed masala mixture or vice versa. Season with salt according to taste.
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Stir and simmer the dal for 6 to 8 minutes or more till you get medium consistency of the dal. The consistency is neither thick nor thin.
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Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
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Serve the chana dal hot with some basmati rice or roti or bread.