dhaba dal

by Dassana Amit | 57 Comments
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dhaba style dal fry with step by step photos – we love the dal they serve at dhabas. dhabas are hotels or restaurants alongside roads and highways.

this recipe of dal is inspired from the dals served at punjabi dhabas. but i have made the dal more healthy by using 5 different dals or lentils. in the dhaba, they use chana dal, arhar dal and urad dal. i have also added moong dal and masoor dal. this dhaba dal also uses less oil as compared to the dhaba ones.

dhaba style dal fry recipe

at times, i also give dhungar to this dal. if you want to give dhungar to this dhaba dal then you can check the method in this restaurant-style dal tadka.

its best to serve this dhaba dal with tandoori rotis. though even with plain steamed rice, jeera rice, peas pulao it goes well. you can also serve it with naan, parathas or phulkas.

how to make dhaba style dal

a) cooking lentils

1. pick and rinse the lentils a couple of times. if you want you can also soak the lentils in water for an hour.

dals for dhaba style dal fry recipe

2. add the lentils in a pressure cooker along with a pinch of turmeric powder.

dals for dhaba style dal fry recipe

3. also add 2 cups water.

water for dhaba style dal fry recipe

4. 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. depending on the quality of lentils, they may take less or more time to cook. lightly mash the dal and keep aside. if you soak the lentils, then it will take less time to pressure cook. the lentils can also be cooked in a pot. just add 2 to 2.5 cups water and cook them covered in a deep and thick bottomed pot or pan. though cooking in a pot and pan will take more time.

making dhaba style dal fry recipe

making dhaba dal

1. in a kadai or thick bottomed pan, heat 1.5 tablespoon oil or ghee. add all the whole spices and saute them till they crackle and become fragrant.

spices for dhaba style dal

2. then add the chopped onions.

onions for dhaba dal

3. on a low to medium flame, stir often and saute till the onions turn light golden.

onions for dhaba style dal

4. then add 1 teaspoon crushed ginger, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 2 to 3 slit green chilies & 2 to 3 dry red chilies.

preparing dhaba style dal

5. mix well and saute till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.

preparing dhaba dal

6. add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and stir.

kasuri methi for dhaba dal

7. now add the chopped tomatoes.

tomatoes for dhaba style dal

8. mix well and begin to saute the tomatoes on a low to medium flame.

tomatoes for dhaba style dal

9. stir and saute till the tomatoes soften.

tomatoes for dhaba style dal fry recipe

10. then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder and a pinch of asafoetida.

spices for dhaba style dal

11. mix the spice powders with the rest of the onion-tomato masala.

tomatoes for dhaba style dal

12. add the cooked dal.

added cooked dal

13. mix well.

mixing dhaba dal mixture

14. add ½ to ⅔ cup water or as required. for a thicker consistency add less water.

water for dhaba dal

15. stir and mix very well.

making dhaba dal

15. season with salt and mix again.

salt for dhaba dal

16. simmer the dal on a low flame for about 6 to 7 minutes or till the dal thickens a bit. keep on stirring the dal at intervals so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

simmer the dhaba dal

17. when the dhaba style dal is done, switch off the flame. add about 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. reserve the remaining 1 tablespoon coriander leaves for garnish.

making dal dhaba style

18. garnish with some coriander leaves and serve the dhaba dal hot with rotis or parathas. you can also do the dhungar method if you want and then serve the dal.

dhaba dal recipe
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dhaba dal

4.53 from 17 votes
punjabi dhaba style dal made with 5 lentils.
dal fry dhaba style recipe, dhaba dal recipe
Author:Dassana Amit
Prep Time:25 mins
Cook Time:20 mins
Total Time:45 mins
Course:main course
Cuisine:north indian,punjabi
Servings (change the number to scale):3 to 4
(1 CUP = 250 ML)

INGREDIENTS

for cooking dal (lentils)

  • 2 tablespoons chana dal husked & split bengal gram
  • 2 tablespoons tuvar 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
  • 2 cups water for pressure cooking

other ingredients for dhaba dal

  • 1.5 tablespoons ghee or 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 dry red chilies
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi, crushed
  • 115 grams tomatoes or 1 large tomato, chopped or ½ cup chopped tomatoes
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1 pinch asafoetida
  • ½ to ⅔ cup water or add as required
  • salt as required
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

whole spices for dhaba dal

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ inch cinnamon
  • 2 to 3 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 tej patta or indian bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

cooking dal (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 style 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 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp 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 hot with rotis or parathas. you can also do the dhungar method if you want and then serve the dal.

NOTES

overall you can also add ½ cup mixed lentils or 180 grams mixed lentils. 
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Dassana Amit

Dassana Amitnamaste and welcome to vegrecipesofindia.com which i started in feb 2009 and is a pure vegetarian blog. i have been passionate about cooking from childhood and began to cook from the age of 10. later having enrolled in a home science degree greatly enhanced my cooking & baking skills and took it to a different level which i now share as foolproof recipes. i was formally trained both in mainstream indian as well as international cuisines.

About Dassana Amit

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57 comments/reviews

  1. I was never a fan of dals but now I have started liking them after following your dal recipes…Tried masoor dal,chana dal,dal tadka…All of them were too good.
    Today I tried this version and it was simply awesome.4 stars

  2. Hi Dassana! one of my favourite dal from your collection of dal recipes.and dhungar enhances it’s taste.
    thank u once again5 stars

  4. Hello, I would like to make this recipe tomorrow but don’t have time to go out to the Indian grocery before then. I have all the dals except the split Mung dal. I have whole Mung dal and split Mung dal without the skins. Will either of those work instead?

      • Hi!!
        Can you please tell me which moong daal are we talking about ??
        Yellow moong or green moong??
        Thanks????????5 stars

        • it is chilkewali mung dal, where the mung beans are split but have their husks (green cover) on them. you can use yellow moong dal also. i have already mentioned in the ingredients section about the type of moong dal that has to be used. welcome.

  6. I cant thank you enough for this wonderful receipe. I went to store and bought Mixed lentils just for this receipe and followed your receipt exactly on dot including measurement and it turned out a super hit dish with my husband. kids are too young to appreciate spicy dishes 🙂 i made it thinking it will be enough for dinner and next day lunch box but it got completed by dinner itself and little to pack for lunch box and I am not complaining though !! my husband wants me to make it again twice in a week !!! Amazing job of maintaining this wonderful receipe..keep up the great work !!5 stars

  7. Yummy yummy dal recipe. My kids won’t like dal but after tasting this, they both gave me a hug. Thanks a lot

  8. Hi Dassana
    I made this dhaba dal on Saturday evening and it was amazing.
    As a little girl growing up in Birmingham (UK) I had an Indian friend, whose mum would mind me after school, when my mum went out to work. I can still remember sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of dal and a chapatti and being really happy; there’s something about dal that is very comforting.
    Thank you so much for the recipe, and compliments on an amazing website.

    Regards

    Tamsin4 stars

  10. Hey Dassana,
    I’m a regular follower of your recipes. Your Methi malai paneer is my husband’s( a vegetarian) all time favorite!! Though I’m not a big fan of dal, I decided to give this recipe a try.It turned out delicious!! My husband loved it.. 🙂4 stars

  11. I tried the recipe and it turned too damn tasty! Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes.4 stars

  14. Hey dasanna , I made this recipe couple nights ago . It came out awesome . Kids loved it and me too ?!

  15. thx for this recipe…i also never knew that the mix dals we get in small packets in the malls can be used for dal fry.5 stars

  16. I have made this many times now and even recommended it to friends. A very tasty dal, thank you dassana : )

  17. I did two additions, one was dalchini and second was badi elaichi. It made daal very flavourful. Thanks again for sharing this great recipe. Also, I would like to congratulate you on you app. Finally you are here! I was eagerly waiting for your app to launch. Cheers, Happy Cooking!!!

  18. hi Dassana, I tried this recipe and it was super yummy. I wanted to make daal with a different taste and this recipe rocked. I am a huge fan of your recipes, because of the ease and simplicity with which u showcase even the toughest preparations.

  19. The recipes on this site are very easy n … I feel to cook n eat that dish soon after reading the recipe from this site. ???

  20. all your dishes are simple to cook Nd turn out to be delicious. I can’t wait for the next receipe..

  23. Hi Dasanna
    I made this dal for lunch today! It was so delicious and every one loved it! Thanks a ton! You rock!

  25. Hi Dassana,

    Thanks for the recipe of Dhaba Dal.
    I have seen it on your site with Raajma included. You also had notes on how to take shortcut if raajma had not been soaked by using the microwave, before cooking all the dals together.
    Could you kindly forward me that recipe.

    Thanking you in advance,
    Neena

    • hi neena. i don’t have such a recipe of rajma cooked with dals or any note on using the microwave for rajma. in fact there was one in drafts, but due to the not so good pics, i have not posted the recipe.

  27. Hello Dassana! I cooked this daal for lunch and dinner and it finished before dinner. It turned out that good! thank you:) You rock gurl!