Dal Fry is a mixture of lentils cooked till soft. A tempering of onions, tomatoes, and spices is added to it before serving. It’s enjoyed with jeera rice, tandoori roti or naan.
I prepare the combination of chana dal (split chickpeas), arhar dal (split pigeon peas) and urad dal (split and dehusked black gram). The star of the show is a secret. Yeah, of course, I will be revealing shortly.
The tadka\ tempering!! Now if we talk about the tadka/tempering, its very flavor full. There is a lot of garlic and fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi). I had omitted the ginger. If you want, you can add that too. I have given 2 tempering because I love to see it floating on the dal when it is served. You can go ahead with a single tempering. Feel free to customize it.
The tadka\ tempering!! Now if we talk about the tadka/tempering, its very flavor full. There is a lot of garlic and fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi). I had omitted the ginger. If you want, you can add that too. I have given 2 tempering because I love to see it floating on the dal when it is served. You can go ahead with a single tempering. Feel free to customize it.
The timing of cooking the dal varies according to its quality. Check for its doneness after 12 minutes and cook further if required.
Also, this dal tends to thicken very fast. So add boiled water at the time of serving, if needed.
1. Take ½ cup chana dal (split chick peas), ¼ cup arhar dal (split pigeon peas) and ¼ cup urad dal (split and de husked black gram). Wash them thoroughly and soak them for an hour.
2. After an hour, drain the water in which the dals were soaked. Transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water, salt to taste, ½ tsp turmeric powder and 1” cinnamon stick.
3. Pressure cook it on low flame for 15 minutes or till it is soft.
4. While the dal cooks, prepare the tempering. For that first prepare a masala/spices mix. Take 1 tbsp kasuri methi, 1 tsp cumin powder/jeera powder, 1 tsp coriander powder/dhaniya powder and 1 tsp of garam masala powder. Mix them well and keep aside.
5. Now heat a kadhai/frying pan. Add 2 tbsp ghee.
6. Add ½ tsp asafoetida and ½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera. Keep the flame low. And let the cumin seeds/jeera splutter well.
7. Add ½ cup chopped onion. Cook till they are brown. This will take 5-7 minutes.
8. Add 1 tbsp crushed/minced garlic. Cook it till the raw smell goes. Here I am using crushed garlic instead of chopped one. This is because the chopped garlic remains very prominent and tends to surface on the dal. I personally don’t like that. You can also use garlic paste if you want. However, the crushed garlic will give more texture to the dish.
9. Add ½ cup grated tomatoes. Again, many recipes use chopped tomatoes. Chopped tomatoes get de skinned while cooking and then that skin, it takes longer to dissolve in the dal. Pureed tomatoes too can be used but for better texture grate them.
10. Cook the tomatoes till the oil oozes out. Cook on low flame. This will take 7-10 minutes.
11. Add ¼ cup water and cook for 3-4 minutes. This is important as it brings everything together.
12. Add the spice mix/masala mix prepared earlier and cook for a couple of minutes.
13. Add 1 tsp chopped green chilies.
14. Going back to the dals/lentils. Let the pressure from the cooker release on its. Check the cooked lentils. They should be soft.
15. Add the prepared tempering/tadka to the cooked dal.
16. Mix well and check for the consistency and seasoning.
17. To give the smoky effect; Place a bowl on the dal.
18. Heat a small piece of charcoal. Now charcoal takes some time to get hot. We need a red hot one. This will take 2-3 minutes.
19. Put the hot charcoal in the bowl.
20. Add ½ tsp ghee on the hot charcoal.
21. Cover the pan/cooker of dal. If the dal is still in a pressure cooker, close the lid after removing the whistle. If it has been transferred to a separate bowl or pan, place some weight on the lid so the smoke doesn’t release. You know what I mean. Leave the Dhaba Style Dal Fry Recipe it for 10 minutes. Transfer the dal in a serving dish and prepare the second tempering.
22. For the second tempering, in a tadka pan/frying pan heat 1 tbsp ghee.
23. Add 1 tbsp butter. Add butter after ghee otherwise it might burn.
24. Add 2 whole red chilies. Let them cook i.e. fluff up. Don’t burn them. Keep the flame low.
25. Put off the flame and add 1 tsp red chili powder.
26. Pour it over the served dal. Finish off with some lemon juice and finely chopped coriander.
PREP TIME 1 hour + 15 minutes
COOK TIME 1 hour
TOTAL TIME 2 hours + 15 minutes
For the dal:
For 1st tempering:
For 2nd tempering:
For smoky flavour:
For garnishing:
1. Take ½ cup chana dal (split chick peas), ¼ cup arhar dal (split pigeon peas) and ¼ cup urad dal (split and de husked black gram). Wash them thoroughly and soak for an hour.
2. After an hour, drain the water in which the dals were soaked. Transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water, salt to taste, ½ tsp turmeric powder and 1” cinnamon stick.
3. Pressure cook it on low flame for 15 minutes or till it is soft.
4. While the dal cooks, prepare the tempering. For that first prepare a masala/spices mix.
Take 1 tbsp kasuri methi, 1 tsp cumin powder/jeera powder, 1 tsp coriander powder/dhaniya powder and 1 tsp of garam masala powder. Mix them well and keep aside.
5. Now heat a kadhai/frying pan. Add 2 tbsp ghee.
6. Add ½ tsp asafoetida and ½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera. Keep the flame low. And let the cumin seeds/jeera splutter well.
7. Add ½ cup chopped onion. Cook till they are brown. This will take 5-7 minutes.
8. Add 1 tbsp crushed/minced garlic. Cook it till the raw smell goes. Here I am using crushed garlic instead of chopped one. This is because the chopped garlic remains very prominent and tends to surface on the dal. I personally don’t like that. You can also use garlic paste if you want. However the crushed garlic will give more texture to the dish.
9. Add ½ cup grated tomatoes. Again, many recipes use chopped tomatoes. Chopped tomatoes get de skinned while cooking and then that skin, it takes longer to dissolve in the dal. Pureed tomatoes too can be used but for better texture grate them.
10. Cook the tomatoes till the oil oozes out. Cook on low flame. This will take 7-10 minutes.
11. Add ¼ cup water and cook for 3-4 minutes. This is important as it brings everything together.
12. Add the spice mix/masala mix prepared earlier and cook for couple of minutes.
13. Add 1 tsp chopped green chillies.
14. Going back to the dals/lentils. Let the pressure from the cooker release on its. Check the cooked lentils. They should be soft.
15. Add the prepared tempering/tadka to the cooked dal. It is best to add the tempering before serving the dal.
16. Mix well and check for the consistency and seasoning.
17. To give the smoky effect; Place a bowl on the dal.
18. Heat a small piece of charcoal. Now charcoal takes some time to get hot. We need a red hot one. This will take 2-3 minutes.
19. Put the hot charcoal in the bowl.
20. Add ½ tsp ghee on the hot charcoal.
21. Cover the pan/cooker of dal. If the dal is still in pressure cooker, close the lid after removing the whistle. If it has been transferred to a separate bowl or pan, place some wait on the lid so the smoke doesn’t release and your neighbours don’t call the fire brigade. You know what I mean. Leave it for 10 minutes. Transfer the dal in a serving dish and prepare the second tempering.
22. For the second tempering, in a tadka pan/frying pan heat 1 tbsp ghee.
23. Add 1 tbsp butter. Add butter after ghee otherwise it might burn.
24. Add 2 whole red chillies. Let them cook i.e. fluff up. Don’t burn them. Keep the flame low.
25. Put off the flame and add 1 tsp red chilli powder.
26. Pour it over the served dal. Finish off with some lemon juice and finely chopped coriander.
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