Dhaba Dal
User Reviews
4.7
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Prep Time
25 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
3
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Calories
240 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Dhaba Dal
Description
Dhaba Dal combines five varieties of lentils — chana, toor, urad, moong, and masoor — which are rinsed and optionally soaked before being pressure cooked with turmeric powder and water until very soft. This creates a balanced lentil base with varying textures and flavors. The cooked lentils are then slightly mashed and set aside.
The tempering involves heating oil or ghee in a pan and frying whole spices like cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, and a bay leaf until fragrant. Chopped onions are sautéed to a light golden color, followed by crushed ginger, garlic, slit green chilies, and dry red chilies. Kasuri methi is added for aroma, then chopped tomatoes are cooked until they soften, forming a spiced gravy that melds with the lentils.
Ground spices such as turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and asafoetida are incorporated for depth of flavor. Water is added as needed for consistency, and salt adjusts seasoning. The dal is garnished with fresh coriander leaves before serving. This preparation yields a comforting, richly textured lentil dish with a complex spice profile characteristic of dhaba-style cooking.
Ingredients
For cooking dal (lentils)
- 2 tablespoons chana dal husked & split bengal gram
- 2 tablespoons toor dal husked & split pigeon pea lentils
- 2 tablespoons urad dal split urad dal with their husks (chilkewali urad dal)
- 2 tablespoons moong dal split mung lentils with husks (chilkewali moong dal)
- 2 tablespoons masoor dal (pink lentils)
- 1 pinch turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 2 cups water for pressure cooking
Other ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons neutral cooking oil can use ghee or butter, generic cooking oil
- 55 grams onion or 1 medium onion or ⅓ cup chopped onion
- 4 grams ginger or ½ inch ginger or 1 teaspoon crushed ginger
- 4 grams garlic or 6 to 7 small garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 2 to 3 green chilies slit
- 2 to 3 red chili dry
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 115 grams tomato or 1 large tomato, chopped or ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper or paprika
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ½ to ⅔ cup water or add as required
- salt as required
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Coriander leaves chopped
Whole spices
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 2 green cardamom
- 1 tej patta or indian bay leaf
Instructions
Cooking lentils
- Pick and rinse the lentils a couple of times. If you want you can also soak the lentils in water for an hour.
- Add the lentils in a pressure cooker along with a pinch of turmeric powder. Also add 2 cups water.
- Pressure cook for 18 to 20 minutes on a low to medium flame.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid and check the dals.
- The lentils should be cooked very well and softened.
- Lightly mash and keep aside.
Making dhaba dal
- In a kadai or pan, heat 1.5 tablespoon oil or ghee.
- Add all the whole spices and saute them till they crackle and become fragrant.
- Then add the chopped onions.
- Stir often and saute till the onions turn light golden.
- Then add 1 tsp crushed ginger, 1 tsp crushed garlic, 2 to 3 slit green chilies and 2 to 3 dry red chilies. Mix well and saute till the raw aroma of ginger & garlic goes away.
- Add crushed kasuri methi and stir.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften.
- Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and a pinch of asafoetida.
- Mix the spice powders with the rest of the onion-tomato masala.
- Add the cooked dal and mix well.
- Add water and stir very well.
- Season with salt and mix again.
- Simmer the dhaba dal on a low flame till the dal thickens a bit.
- Keep on stirring at intervals so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- When the dal is done, switch off the flame. Add chopped coriander leaves. Reserve some coriander leaves for garnishing.
- Garnish with some coriander leaves and serve the dhaba style dal fry hot with rotis or parathas or steamed rice or cumin rice or ghee rice. You can also do the dhungar method if you want and then serve the dal.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 240 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 240kcal | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 33g | 11% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 513mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 294mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 11g | 44% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 561IU | 11% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 1mg | |
| Vitamin C | 12mg | 13% |
| Vitamin E | 3mg | |
| Vitamin K | 6µg | |
| Calcium | 72mg | 7% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 59µg | |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
| Magnesium | 31mg | 8% |
| Phosphorus | 74mg | |
| Zinc | 1mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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