Dhaba style dal fry
Dhaba style dal fry is a versatile Indian dish that can be had with all Indian breads and rice dishes.
Dal fry is usually made with toor dal, moong dal, mix of toor dal & moong dal, masoor dal, etc. But authentic dhaba style dal fry is always made using toor dal or pigeon pea lentils. Dal is cooked in a pressure cooker or a pot and tempered with Indian spices.
Other curry recipes with dal – Chow Chow kootu recipe / Chayote kootu recipe, Easy Sambar Recipe, Simple Dal Fry Recipe
Cooking instructions with step by step pictures
Wash and soak toor dal in water for at least 20 minutes.
In a pressure cooker, add soaked toor dal, garlic pods, turmeric powder and castor oil.
Add in roughly chopped tomatoes too.
Now add water and pressure cook the dal for 3 whistles and simmer for 5 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally and open the pressure cooker.
Mash the dal if needed.
Heat oil / ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once mustard seeds crackle add cumin seeds.
Now add chopped onions, green chillies, red chillies and curry leaves.
Add asafoetida and saute till the onions are slightly browned.
Add the salt required for this dish.
Once onions are cooked enough, add red chilli powder and garam masala powder. Saute the masala powders in oil till the raw smell of masala powders go off.
Add the cooked dal and mix well.
If needed add some water to adjust the consistency and bring it to a boil.
Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot !!
Recipe notes
- You can replace toor dal with moong dal, masoor dal or a mixture of Dal’s.
- This dal fry can be served with steamed rice, ghee rice, phulkas / rotis / chapatis.
- Top it with a gallop of ghee before serving to enhance the taste and smell.
- Dal slightly thickens on cooling so adjust the consistency accordingly.
- You can also make this as a no onion no garlic recipe by totally avoiding them.
- You can replace coriander leaves with kasuri methi for garnishing.
Other curry recipes with dal
Chow Chow kootu recipe / Chayote kootu recipe
Dhaba style dal fry
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Pan
Ingredients
To pressure cook
- ½ cup toor dal
- 1 ½ cups water
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- 2 to matoes roughly chopped
- 1 tsp castor oil
For tempering and dal fry
- 1 tbsp oil / ghee
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 green chili
- 2 dried red chillies
- A sprig of curry leaves
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Wash and soak toor dal in water for at least 20 minutes.
- In a pressure cooker, add soaked toor dal, garlic pods, turmeric powder and castor oil.
- Add in roughly chopped tomatoes too.
- Now add water and pressure cook the dal for 3 whistles and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally and open the pressure cooker.
- Mash the dal if needed.
- Heat oil / ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once mustard seeds crackle add cumin seeds.
- Now add chopped onions, green chillies, red chillies and curry leaves.
- Add asafoetida and saute till the onions are slightly browned.
- Add the salt required for this dish.
- Once onions are cooked enough, add red chilli powder and garam masala powder. Saute the masala powders in oil till the raw smell of masala powders go off.
- Add the cooked dal and mix well.
- If needed add some water to adjust the consistency and bring it to a boil.
- Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot !!
Notes
- You can replace toor dal with moong dal, masoor dal or a mixture of dals.
- This dal fry can be served with steamed rice, ghee rice, phulkas / rotis / chapathis.
- Top it with a gallop of ghee before serving to enhance the taste and smell.
- Dal slightly thickens on cooling so adjust the consistency accordingly.