Chana Dal is an easy healthy Indian lentil dish made with split chickpeas, onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, herbs, and spices. It is vegan gluten-free, and so easy to make. This delicious Chana dal recipe pairs perfectly with roti, naan, or rice and makes a nutritious, protein-packed, hearty, and comforting meal.
I am sharing how to make a Punjabi-style Chana Dal recipe using the Instant Pot, a pressure cooker, and a regular pot on the stovetop.
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As a working mom, I am always looking for healthy and easy recipes that the entire family can enjoy and Chana dal is one such dal recipe that is a staple on the menu.
My family loves dal rice so I make it at least once a week. I prefer making the chana daal recipe in the Instant Pot, with pot-in-pot rice. This way I have a complete meal in less than 45 mins.
It's a convenient, healthy, nutritious, and protein-packed comfort meal!
Here are some other recipes with split chickpeas that you will love - Maa chole ki dal, and Puran Poli.
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What is Chana Dal?
Chana Dal is the Hindi name for dried brown chickpeas that have been skinned and split. It is also known as split Bengal Gram, split chickpeas, or yellow gram in English.
Chana dal (Or Chane ki dal) is also the name of a North Indian curry dish made with split Bengal gram lentils in onion tomato gravy.
Like most lentils, chana dal is a highly nutritious and great source of proteins, iron, and fiber and is gluten-free with a low glycemic index. No wonder it's popular in India and a staple ingredient in most pantries.
Apart from curries, split chickpeas are also used to make Puran Poli, vadas, dhokla, halwa, chutneys and so much more.
Every family has its own recipe for dal, but today I am sharing my version of the Punjabi Chana Dal recipe with split chickpeas and how to make it using the traditional pressure cooker and also the one-pot Instant Pot method with pot-in-pot rice.
For those who don't own a pressure cooker, I have also shared how you can make it in a regular pot too.
Although this dal is simple and basic, the flavor and taste are exceptional. It's hearty, thick, creamy and so tasty!
To make it dhaba style, you can add a smoky flavor using the Dungar method and an additional garlic tadka.
This delicious dal inherits its nuttier texture from chickpeas giving the gravy a nice thick consistency making it perfect to pair with rice, paratha, and roti with and a side of achar, papad, and/or salad. Truly a comfort food.
Recipe Ingredients
Dal or lentils - For this recipe, use Chana dal also known as split chickpeas or split Bengal gram in English. Sometimes also referred to as yellow gram or yellow lentils. Along with split chickpeas, you can also make this dal with Toor dal or yellow moong dal.
Ghee/Oil - I highly recommend making this dal in ghee as it elevates the flavor and gives the dal an amazing taste. Use oil if you want to keep it vegan.
Whole spices - You will need cumin seeds, and black cardamom (which adds a nice flavor). You can skip black cardamom if you don't have it.
Ginger Garlic - Use freshly grated or minced ginger garlic for this recipe. Don't skip these as they add tons of flavor to the recipe
Veggies - onion and tomatoes are the main veggies used for making this Dal. You can also add other veggies like carrots, zucchini, bottle gourd, and spinach to increase the nutritional value.
Spice powders - you need just the basic spices used in Indian cooking like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder (or substitute with lemon juice), and garam masala.
Chilies - I have used three different types of chilies for this recipe. Dried red chili, red chili powder, and green chili. They provide slight heat and their own flavor to the recipe. You can adjust the quantity based on your spice preference.
Herbs - I've used two types of herbs for this recipe, dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi) often used in Punjabi recipes for their unique flavor and taste, and last but not least cilantro for garnish.
Please refer to the recipe card for exact measurements of ingredients.
How To Make Chana dal (Stepwise Photos)
Cook the Chana Dal (Lentils)
1 - Rinse chana dal 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Soak for 20-30 mins in hot water.
2 - Transfer the rinsed dal to an Instant Pot stainless steel insert, or stovetop pressure cooker with 3 cups of water, turmeric, black cardamom, and 1 teaspoon salt. Close the lid.
In Instant Pot, cook with vent sealing on manual (pressure cook) high for 15 mins followed by natural pressure release.
For the stovetop pressure cooker, cook on medium heat for 4-5 whistles. Let steam release naturally. Time can vary depending on the quality of the dal and the brand of the pressure cooker.
You can also cook dal in a pot on the stovetop until the dal is soft and mushy just that it will take a longer time.
3 - When the pressure comes down (pin drops) open the lid. Check if the dal is cooked. It should be soft and mushy and you should be able to easily mash the dal with your spoon or between the thumb and index finger.
If it's undercooked, pressure cook again until the lentils are nicely cooked and soft.
4 - Using a whisk, lightly mash the dal (don't mash it completely. You should still see some whole dal).
While the dal is cooking you can make the Chana dal masala.
Make Chana Dal
5 - Heat oil/ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, asafoetida (hing), and dried red chili, and saute for a few seconds.
6 - Add ginger garlic and green chili. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw garlic smell goes away.
7 and 8 - Stir in the onions, and salt, and mix well. Cook till the onions are soft and golden brown in color.
9 - Add the spices - turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, dry mango (amchur) powder, and Punjabi garam masala, and saute for a few seconds.
10 - Add the chopped tomatoes, mix well, cover, and cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy (approximately 5 mins).
11 - Mix and mash tomatoes until oil oozes from the side of the masala.
12 - Stir in the cooked dal and mix until well combined.
13 - Adjust the dal consistency to your liking by adding ½ to 1 cup water.
14 - Bring the dal to a simmer. Crush Kasuri Methi between your palms and add it to the dal. Simmer for another 5-6 mins on low-medium heat.
15 - Finally add some chopped cilantro. Mix well. Turn off the heat.
16 - Chana Dal is ready to be served!!
Instant Pot Chana Dal
If you love one-pot cooking, then try making chana dal in the Instant pot along with pot-in-pot rice. You have a complete meal ready in under 30 mins.
I have shared the detailed instructions in the recipe card but here is a quick summary.
The recipe is the same but instead of cooking the lentils separately first, we will cook them along with the tempering (masala).
Start the Instant Pot on saute mode and make the tempering and onion tomato masala (steps 5-12 above). Then add the rinsed dal, 3 cups of water, and salt to the Instant Pot.
For pot-in-pot rice, place the trivet and the rice container on the trivet. Close the lid and cook on manual high for 15 minutes followed by natural release.
Once the pin drops, open the lid, remove the rice container and keep it aside.
Start Instant pot back on saute mode, and mash the dal to your liking. Add Kasuri methi, and cilantro and mix well. Instant Pot Chana dal is ready!
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Chana dal with roti, naan, or rice. Serve it hot and topped with ghee for even better flavor.
Personally, I love Bengal gram dal with rice along with a side of lemon pickle, papad, sirke wala pyaaz (pickled onions), kachumber(salad), or cucumber raita. Easy and so comforting!!
It is a full protein-packed meal on its own but you can also pair it with some sides (Sabzi) for a full feast.
Alternately add a crunchy crispy side dish like Crispy bhindi, potato stir fry, air fryer broccoli, or batata kaap (kachari).
Storage Instructions
Allow the leftover dal to cool completely then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to a month.
I find, the dal always tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop more. So it makes a great meal to make ahead.
Before serving, reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop until completely heated through. Adjust consistency with water as needed.
Recipe Tips
Dal quality - Use good quality, freshly stocked lentils since age-old lentils will take more time and water to cook.
Soaking dal - Split chickpeas take longer to cook compared to other lentils like Toor dal, moong dal, and masoor dal so to speed up the process, soak split chickpeas for 30mins before cooking. Soaking softens the dal and helps it cook faster.
Chana dal foams - After cooking the dal (especially on its own) you may notice foam on the surface. Simply remove it using a spoon or spatula.
Dal tastes best when cooked in ghee - but to keep it vegan replace ghee with the oil of your choice.
Add veggies - to make it even more nutritious add veggies like carrots, zucchini, bottle gourd, and green leafy vegetables like spinach or fenugreek leaves to this dal.
Adjust spices to your preference by adding more red chili powder or green chilies or reducing it to make it less spicy.
Dal consistency - this dal thickens over time so adjust the consistency with water and taste for seasoning.
Restaurant-style Chana Dal - For that restaurant-style taste, you can add a garlic ghee tadka (tempering) at the end and also smoke the dal using the dungar method. For day-to-day cooking, I skip these as prefer the dal as is.
For gluten-free dal, skip hing (asafoetida).
Frequently Asked Questions
Those new to this dal may get confused between Toor dal and Chana dal. They both look very much similar but a closer look will show the difference. Toor dal (split pigeon peas) is smaller, slightly flatter, and cooks faster than the thicker and bigger-looking chana dal (split chickpeas). Most times, they can be used interchangeably just cooking times vary.
You can cook the split chickpeas in a thick bottom pot on the stovetop, just that it will take longer to cook compared to the pressure cooker. You may want to soak the dal for 60 mins to help it cook faster. The recipe remains the same, so instead of cooking daal in a pressure cooker, cook it in a pot until soft and mushy. If required add more hot water. Skim off any froth that is formed. Once the dal is cooked and soft add to the onion tomato masala.
Yes, if you forgot to soak split chickpeas, you can still make it. Just add a few extra minutes to your cooking. In the Instant pot, if you skipped soaking, cook chana dal for 20 mins.
More Easy Dal (Lentil) Recipes
Hope you enjoy this Chana Dal Recipe !! If you try this recipe, please rate it by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what's cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
Chana Dal
Equipment
- Instant Pot or
Ingredients
For Chana Dal Tempering
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida hing
- 2 dry red chilli broken
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced, 1 inch ginger piece
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced, 4-5 garlic pods
- 1-2 green chili finely chopped
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 2 medium roma tomatoes finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ -1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder or adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder amchur Or lemon juice to taste
- ½ teaspoon Punjabi garam masala
- 1 tablespoon dry fenugreek leaves kasuri methi
- 1-2 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste to taste
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Instructions
Prep Work
- Rinse split chickpeas 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Soak for 30 mins in hot water.
- Transfer the rinsed and soaked dal to an Instant Pot stainless steel insert, or stovetop pressure cooker with 3 cups of water, turmeric, black cardamom, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix and close the lid.
- In Instant Pot, cook with vent sealing on manual (pressure cook) high for 15 mins followed by natural pressure release.For the stovetop pressure cooker, cook on medium heat for 4-5 whistles. Let steam release naturally. This can vary depending on the quality of the dal and the brand of the pressure cooker.
- When the pressure comes down (pin drops) open the lid. Check if the dal is cooked. It should be soft and mushy and you should be able to easily mash the dal with your spoon or between the thumb and finger.If it's undercooked, pressure cook again until the lentils are nicely cooked and soft.
- Using a whisk, lightly mash the dal (don't mash it completely. You should still see some whole dal).
To Make Chana Dal
- Heat oil/ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, asafoetida (hing), and dried red chili, and saute for a few seconds.
- Add ginger garlic and green chili. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw garlic smell goes away.
- Stir in the onions, and salt, and mix well. Cook till the onions are soft and golden brown in color.
- Next add the spices - turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, dry mango (amchur) powder, and Punjabi garam masala, and saute for a few seconds.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, mix well, cover, and cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy (approximately 5 mins).Mix and mash tomatoes until oil oozes from the side of the masala.
- Stir in the cooked dal and mix until well combined and bring it to a simmer Adjust the dal consistency to your liking by adding ½ cup water (or more).
- Crush Kasuri Methi between your palms and add it to the dal.
- Simmer for another 5-6 mins on low-medium heat.
- Finally add some chopped cilantro. Mix well. Turn off the heat. Delicious chana dal is ready!
- Serve Chana Dal hot topped with some ghee with some rice, roti, or naan.
Instant Pot Chana Dal
- Press the saute button on instant pot and heat ghee and oil it in.
- Once hot, add the cumin seeds, black cardamom, asafoetida (hing), and dried red chili, and saute for a few seconds.
- Add ginger garlic and green chili. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw garlic smell goes away.
- Stir in the onions, and salt, and mix well. Cook till the onions are soft and golden brown in color.
- Next add the spices - turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, dry mango (amchur) powder, and Punjabi garam masala, and saute for a few seconds. If needed deglaze the pan with 1-2 tablespoons water to prevent the masala from burning.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, mix well, and cook until the tomatoes are soft.
- Stir in the rinsed and soaked dal, 3 cups of water, and salt in the Instant Pot. Mix well and deglaze.
- If you are doing pot in pot rice, add a trivet inside the instant pot and place the rice bowl on the trivet. Cover the bowl (optional).
- Close the lid, move vent to sealing position and press manual (pressure cook) high for 15 mins followed by natural release.
- Once the pin drops, open the lid, remove the rice container and keep it aside.
- Start Instant pot back on saute mode, mash the chana dal to your liking. Add water (if required) to adjust the consistency.
- Bring dal to a simmer and add kasuri methi, and cilantro and mix well. Instant Pot Chana dal is ready!
- Serve Chana Dal hot topped with some ghee with some rice, roti, or naan.
Video
Notes
- Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Stir in chopped garlic (2 cloves) and saute until garlic for a minute or so. Turn off the heat, and add ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or adjust to taste). Give it a quick mix. Pour this tempering over the served dal.
- Using tongs place a small piece of charcoal on the flame until it is red hot, turning occasionally so all sides are evenly hot. Place the hot coal piece into a small stainless steel bowl (that would fit inside the pot) and place the bowl on a trivet inside the pot.
- Add ½ teaspoon of oil/ghee over the charcoal. You will see it immediately starts to smoke. Cover and keep it closed for 1-2 minutes to infuse the smoky flavor to the dal. Keeping it for too long may lead to excessive smoky flavor so make sure not to exceed more than a min or two.
- Remove the bowl and mix. Smoky restaurant-style chana dal is ready to be served
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Jun 18, 2014, but was republished with, step-by-step instructions, new photos, tips, and a video in Jan of 2023.
Jessalyn Epstein says
Delicious! My family loved this recipe. I will make it again. Really clear easy to follow directions. Thank you very much for sharing it.
Shweta Arora says
Thank you so much! Glad your family loved the recipe!!
Diane M. says
I have made the instapot version of this recipe (with a few tweaks) twice now and it does not disappoint. I love how easy it is and how you can customize the spices and ingredients used to your personal preference. I will definitely be serving this for the holidays as I think it makes the perfect dish for colder weather. Not to mention it is VERY budget friendly which is a huge plus. Can't wait to try some of your other recipes.
Shweta Arora says
Hi Diane, Thank you for the lovely feedback! I’m thrilled the Instant Pot Chana Dal is already your go‑to, and I love that you’ve put your own spin on the spices.Cozy, holiday‑ready, and budget‑friendly is a winning trio for sure. Can’t wait to hear which recipe you try next. Happy cooking!!
Vijayalakshmi Bansal says
Very delicious chanadal recipe. I never liked to have chana dal but this recipe changed my perspective and now with this recipe I love chana dal .
Shweta Arora says
Thanks! Happy to know you loved the dal recipe!
forestine says
How long do you cook the chana dal if you don't have a pressure cooker of any kind, like on the stove?
Shweta Arora says
Hi, Thanks for checking! The time can vary depending on many factors like the age of dal, the vessel used, heat intensity etc so I suggest you cook till its soft (approximately 40-60 mins). Keep checking after 30 mins mark. Here is how to cook on stove top - Rinse and soak the dal for 30-60 mins in hot water. This will help the lentils cook faster. Bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil and then add the dal to it and cook until soft and mushy. If required add more hot water. Skim off any froth that is formed. Hope this helps!
Hattie says
I made an error and only soaked a half cup of chana, so when it was done cooking mashed it and then added a can of cooked chickpeas. We had it with okra on the side and it was perfect. All of your recipes have been a great success every time!!
Shweta Arora says
Thank you so much! Truly appreciate the feedback! And okra with dal is a great combo, glad you like it!
Shweta Arora says
Thanks for trying, glad you liked it 🙂
C.M. says
Just made this dish. Wow! Your directions were very clear and the result is yummy. I will be making this again and again. The one omission was the fenugreek as I didn't have any. No matter, still YUMMY!
Priya Suresh says
Such a comforting food, can survive many days with it.
Preetha Soumyan says
I totally loved the way you have presented and flavored the dish..I have searched for this kind of curry mug in lots of places, couldn't find one.. lovely...Would love to hear from you in my blog...
kimek smak-indii.pl says
Looks like a perfect dal 🙂 I'm big fan of Indian tastes, although not native Indian man.
Sony P says
How beautiful clicks Shweta....... Chana dal looks yummy!!