Chana Dal Recipe (Punjabi Style)

Name: Chana Dal Recipe (Punjabi Style)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
Ingredients: 1 cup or 200 grams chana dal ((bengal gram or split chickpeas)); 2.5 to 3 cups water (for stovetop pressure cooking and 2 to 2.5 cups water for Instant Pot cooking); ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder; 3 tablespoons oil (or ghee (clarified butter)); 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 2 teaspoons or 4 to 5 medium sized garlic (– finely chopped); ½ cup onions (– finely chopped ); 1 cup or 2 medium sized tomatoes (– finely chopped); ½ to 1 teaspoon or 1 inch ginger (– finely chopped); ½ teaspoon or 1 green chilli (– chopped, can use serrano pepper instead); ½ teaspoon red chili powder; ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric)); ½ teaspoon garam masala; ½ teaspoon dry mango powder ((amchur powder) or add as required * check point 4 in notes below); 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing), optional); 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander)); 1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves ((kasuri methi), crushed, optional); salt (– chopped, as required); 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves ( (cilantro))

Instructions

Prep:10minCook:20min

This Chana Dal is a Punjabi-style recipe made with Bengal gram lentils (hulled and split black chickpeas) cooked with onions, tomatoes, herbs, spices, and seasonings. It is best served with Indian flatbreads like roti, phulka, or paratha. This dal curry also pairs well with steamed rice.

Updated at: Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:03:52 GMT