amritsari dal recipe or langarwali dal recipe with step by step photos – this dal is called as amritsari dal as its quite a popular dal made and served by a dhaba (roadside eatery) outside the golden temple in amritsar, punjab. for the first time i had made the dal amritsari with the recipe adapted from jigg’s kalra book – “prashad cooking with indian masters” .
i have stuck to this recipe for many years now. i have almost followed the recipe to the tee, apart from using a little bit of red chili powder and a little more oil.
the dal amritsari is made from two lentils – whole black gram (sabut urad dal) and spilt bengal gram (chana dal). there are no spice powders or spices added to the dal. a dal bursting with simple rustic flavors and subtle sweetness. the next day the dal tastes even more better like the way dal makhani tastes. this dal does have a faint resemblance to dal makhani though.
this amritsari dal is also called as langarwali dal. its a slow cooked delicacy. since i do not have the luxury of time to do slow cooking,  i use pressure cooker for cooking the lentils. however, traditionally the lentils are cooked and simmered in a pot. for best results, the lentils should be ideally cooked in a pot. so if you have the time and the patience to cook this slow cooked wonder in a pot, then please do so. another slow cooked dal which is quite popular is this dal bukhara recipe.
the amritsari dal is made with oil, but when traditionally served, a dollop of butter is added on top and garnished with mint leaves. you can have the dal with rotis, naan or rice.
few more tasty recipes for you!
dal amritsari
INGREDIENTS FOR dal amritsari
for cooking the lentils
- 1 cup whole black gram (sabut urad dal)
- ¼ cup spilt bengal gram (chana dal)
- 4 to 4.5 cups water for pressure cooking the dals
for tempering amritsari dal
- 5 green chilies or as required (reduce the number of chilies if you want)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped, approx 3 tablespoon chopped onions
- 1 small tomato, chopped, approx ¼ cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped ginger (adrak)
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (lahsun)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder) - optional
- 2.5 to 3 tablespoon butter or peanut oil or any vegetable oil
- 6 to 7 mint leaves, chopped or whole or chiffonade for garnishing
- salt as required
HOW TO MAKE dal amritsari
cooking dal
- rinse and soak the lentils in enough water overnight or for 4 to 5 hours.
- drain the soaked lentils. in a pressure cooker, add lentils, water and 1.5 tbsp each of chopped ginger and garlic.
- pressure cook till the lentils are cooked and soft.
- with a back of a wooden spoon, mash some of the lentils.
making amritsari dal
- heat oil or butter in a small pan. add the chopped onions. saute till light brown.
- then add the remaining ½ tablespoon of the chopped ginger and garlic, along with the chopped chilies. stir and mix well.
- saute till the onion becomes golden.
- add the tomatoes and saute till the oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
- pour this mixture along with the oil in a the cooked lentils.
- stir and add salt as required. simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or more till the amritsari dal thickens.
- while simmering if the dal amritsari looks more thick, then you can stir in some water and continue to simmer.
- once done, then garnished dal amritsari with 6 to 7 whole or chopped mint leaves.
- top the dal with some butter. serve dal amritsari garnished with mint leaves and topped with some butter.
how to make amritsari dal recipe
preparing the lentils:
1. rinse 1 cup of whole black gram (urad dal) couple of times in water.
2. soak them in enough water overnight or for 4 to 5 hours.
3. similarly rinse  bengal gram (chana dal) couple of times in water and soak them in enough water for 4 to 5 hours, you can soak both the lentils together or soak separately. i have soaked them separately to show each lentils texture in the photo.
4. drain the soaked lentils. in a pressure cooker add both the soaked dals.
5. next add 1.5 tablespoons of chopped ginger and 1.5 tablespoons of chopped garlic.
6. pour 4 to 4.5 cups of water or as required.
7. pressure cook till the lentils are cooked and soft.
8. then with a back of a wooden spoon, mash some of the lentils.
making tempering for amritsari dal
9. measure and keep all the ingredients ready for the tempering of amritsrai dal.
10. heat 2.5 to 3 tablespoon oil or butter in a small pan. i have used butter but you can use oil as well.
11. add 1 small sized finely chopped onion.
12. saute till it begins to light brown.
13. then add the remaining ¼ tablespoon of chopped ginger and ¼ tablespoon of chopped garlic.
14. also add 5 chopped green chilies (hari mirch) or add as required.
15. stir and mix well.
16. saute till the onion becomes golden.
17. add 1 small sized chopped tomato.
18. mix well.
19. add ¼ teaspoon red chili powder now if using. addition of red chili powder is optional.
20. stir well and saute till the tomatoes softens and oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
21. pour this tempering mixture along with the oil in the cooked lentils.
22. stir well.
23. add salt as required and mix well.
24. simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or more till the amritsari dal thickens.
25. while simmering if the dal looks more thick, then you can add some water.
26. continue to simmer. the amritsari dal will thicken more once it cools down.
27. garnished amritsari dal with 6 to 7 whole or chopped mint leaves.
28. top the dal with some butter.
29. serve dal amritsari warm with rotis, naan or tandoori roti or plain paratha or butter naan or steamed rice or jeera rice.
Hey! I wanted to ask something if I don’t have much time to soak the lentils or just have 1/2hr so will that still b okay to cook?
soak in hot water for at least 1 to 2 hours.
Wow! Langar wali Dal! I agree with Your point that the Dals are such a staple in the North Indian cuisine. And surprisingly, every day the husbands need a new variety in the Dals too. And here I am with this recipe in my hands. I’m definitely going to try this. Hope it turns out to be as good as the ones served in Langar. Will cook while playing shabad in the background. ?
thanks garima. good idea.
Can this dal be prepared with white Tur dal also?
janani, i don’t think so.
hi dassana
isn’t langar food made without garlic and onions?
in langars they don’t add, but when making at home you can add.
Hi Dassana, this dish is simple yet tasty but i wanted to know “what is chiffonade called in Hindi and Telugu??”.
thanks siris. chiffonade is a way the green leafy vegetables or herbs are chopped.
Hey Dassana
First I love ur name and u have an awesome website. I have cooked so many items from here now i dont know on which one to leave a comment!
Thank u so much for making cooking so easy!
PS: i am a girl with a boy’s name 😛
welcome satya. thanks for your sweet and positive feedback. you have a beautiful name with a deep meaning.
Is it okay to use split black urad dal?
sandhya, the taste and texture both will change.
Helo dassana .u said .when i boil only dal.that time we use ginger garlic .how
when you add dal to the cooker. that time also add the ginger-garlic. just add half or three fourth from the 2 tbsp of each mentioned. then add remaining when sauteing.
Are the mesurements for ginger and garlic supposed to be in teaspoons (tsp) or tablespoons (tbsp). I think you might have it incorrect for the amritsari dal recipe. nice website…
the measurements are correct. its 2 tbsp each of ginger & garlic.
Thanks for your webite made cooking really easy
welcome mani
Can this be made in a crockpot? If yes, should I still soak the dal overnight or can I let it cook for 4-5 hours in the crockpot itself?
better to soak the lentils. they will cook faster. you can make in the crockpot.
Hey dasanna i have become a regular at vegrecipesofindia and this one recipe is my all time favourite, sp. when the cook is on leave.
YES 5 chillies is mandatory;)
thanks kanika. keep visiting.
What would be the method if one wanted to slow cook? Great website btw!
cook the soaked lentils in a deep pot or handi with about 8 to 9 cups of water. first bring to a boil and then simmer on a low flame. while simmering add some of the ginger and garlic and cover and cook the lentils.
I liked this recipe and also often make this dal with my years old family recipe but I have to admit that nothing tastes like the one you get in langaars in gurudwaaras. Same goes for the kadah prasad in gurudwaras. Have tried to replicate the recipe at home many times but cant get even close to it.. Guess it’s the prayers that make the food taste so yummy!
i agree. dal and kadah served in gurudwaras taste awesome. may be because they cook it with lot of devotion and love.
Love all kinds of punjabi dishes and this one is one of my favorites. 5 green chili, wow I think so I ll start with 1 😉 thanks for sharing Dassana.
the 5 green chilis when i read the recipe, were even too much for me. but when i made with less number of chilis, the flavors did not come through. so i now i have stuck to adding 5 chilies every time i make this dal. it does taste too bland if one or two chilies are added. at least does not go well with the indian taste buds 🙂
The dal is looking incredibly good. .
thanks suhani