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chana dal topped with julienned ginger, and cilantro served on a plate
5 from 3 votes

Pakistani Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas)

Blog: cookingwithnelo.com

Author: Nelo Samad
Servings: 4 generous servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups (300 g) chana dal - aka split chickpeas or bengal gram. Uncooked, rinsed well, then drained
  • 1 teaspoon salt - divided
  • 1 chicken cube - aka chicken bouillon cube
  • 6 tablespoons cooking oil - any neutral oil
  • 1 large (150 g) onion - finely sliced
  • 2 teaspoons ginger paste
  • 2 teaspoons garlic paste
  • 2 small green chilies - finely chopped
  • 2 medium (200 g) tomatoes - finely chopped, I use roma tomatoes

Spices

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds - aka safaid zeera
  • ½ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder - adjust quantity to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder - aka haldi powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1 teaspoon tikka masala - any brand you prefer (Note A)

To Finish

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves - aka pudina
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro - aka coriander/dhaniya
  • 1 inch piece of ginger - aka adrak, peeled and julienned
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter - preferably unsalted (Note B)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice - fresh

Instructions

  • Have all ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. Tip: Use the checkboxes next to each ingredient to track your prep.
  • Add unsoaked chana dal, 3.5 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, and chicken cube to Instant Pot. Pressure cook on High for 15 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 12 minutes, then quick-release the rest. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a wide pan/pot/wok (preferably non-stick) on medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook until light golden. Stir in ginger and garlic pastes, sauté 1 minute.
  • Add chopped green chilies, cook 30 seconds more. Then add tomatoes, cook until softened (around 8 to 10 minutes).
  • Add cumin seeds, Kashmiri chili powder, red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, tikka masala, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the cooked chana dal along with its cooking liquid to the pan. Mix well and simmer on low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the dal is fully cooked but not mushy. Stir frequently so the dal does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add some water if you prefer a thinner consistency.
  • Add chopped mint, cilantro/coriander, julienned ginger and butter. Mix, cover, and cook for 5 minutes on very low heat. Then turn off the heat.
  • Add lemon juice and mix. Taste the dal and adjust salt, if needed, and serve. If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen. Leave your rating and comment below.

Notes

Note A: Tikka Masala – I’ve tried a few, like Shan and National tikka masala, but any brand should work. You could even use seekh kabab masala.
Note B: Butter – If using salted butter, reduce the salt quantity by a quarter of the total amount to be safe. You can always taste the finished dish and add more if needed.