Chana Daal (Dhaba Style)

Chana Daal or Bengal Gram daal is one the most famous recipe in Indian and Pakistani cusines. Today I will guide you how to make channa daal gravy! Dhaba style in home, follow my step by step guide to make Chana Daal (Bengal Gram) curry.

My delicious, saucy, spicy channa daal recipe is a home-style aromatic curry that will leave you flabbergasted! This is one of India and Pakistan’s most beloved daals, or lentils. It is served with boiled white Basmati rice, or roti, making the most satisfying meal!

Following my recipe, you can make this chana daal using a pressure cooker, or if you don’t own one, simply on the stovetop. Not only is this chana daal a delicious meal, but it is nutritious, too! The chana or Bengal gram comes from chickpeas. It is jam-packed with protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins.

Read on to find out why I absolutely love this recipe, and hopefully, you will, too!

About Chana Daal

Chana Daal, or Bengal gram, is the skinned and split brown chickpea. Sometimes also called chana ki daal, this saucy gravy recipe uses onions and tomatoes as the base with lots of aromatic spices.

When I say this is one of the most popular lentils in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, I’m not kidding! It is made in every home across the Subcontinent. Many people also add meat to the gravy.

The channa daal is a versatile ingredient, too. It is used to make a variety of different dishes. It’s used to make chana daal halwa, a dessert made with channa daal, milk, and sugar. Yum!

It can also be combined with certain vegetables like loki or bottle gourd and karela or bitter gourd to make mouth-watering curries.

If you want more vegetarian recipes, try my Lauki ki sabzi recipe and Arvi ki bhujia recipe!

Health Benefits

So, I have mentioned (more than enough) how much I love this daal, but to tell you the truth, it is also a very healthy ingredient. Being a busy mom of young kids, I’m always looking for ways to make delicious and nutritious meals. And this daal is the solution!

This daal is packed with protein, zinc, folate, fiber, and iron. On top of all that, it is gluten-free and makes an excellent vegan dish!

Picky eaters? Not anymore!

Reasons to love this recipe

I mean, by now, I really don’t have to give you any more reasons to love this chane ki daal curry, do I? Here are a few anyways!

• Hearty, healthy, easy to make, and delicious!
• This is a simple and easy recipe, It’s almost like a 1-pot meal. Minimal effort but maximum flavor!
• You can make this recipe on the stovetop or a pressure cooker, add a delicious dhaba-style touch to this daal by giving it a smoked flavor.

Ingredients

The simplicity of Channa daal is mind-blowing. It is almost magical how such humble ingredients come together to create an unforgettable taste explosion.

Here’s a list of the ingredients required to make this recipe:

• Oil: 1/4 cup. You can use any neutral oil of your choice. Corn, vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil work best as they do not affect the flavor of the daal or curry.
• Onions: 2 medium-sized (200g), sliced. Onions form the base of almost all Asian curries and gravies. They give the gravy both body and a slight sweetness that helps balance the heat of the spices.
• Chana Daal/Bengal gram: 250 grams The dish’s star, the channa daal, must be soaked in water (more on that later). You can even soak it overnight, but a few hours is enough.
• Tomato: 1/2 cup, pureed. Tomatoes add a deliciously tangy and rich flavor to the curry. It balances the slightly sweet and mild flavor of the daal. It’s best to puree the tomatoes for this recipe… unless you like the look of tiny pieces of red tomato in your daal!
• Zeera or cumin: 1/2 teaspoon. Zeera is added to most daal recipes. It gives a mouthwatering aroma to the daal and helps to add an earthy and deep heat.
• Coriander powder: 1/2 tablespoon. Another staple Asian spice. This is a must-have in all Indian and Pakistani pantries. Adds great flavor to any curry or daal.
• Ginger-garlic paste: 1/2 teaspoon each. Ginger and garlic paste are essential when cooking any meaty dish, as they eliminate smells and add a delicious aroma to the dish.
• Salt: to taste
• Turmeric powder (haldi): 1/2 teaspoon. Turmeric is a staple spice in all Asian dishes. It has awesome antibiotic properties, making it essential for a healthy gut. It also adds a brilliant yellow/mustard color to any gravy.
• Red chili powder: 1/2 teaspoon. Red chili powder adds heat to the daal.
• Water: 1 cup. Added with the daal to cook it and make a runny gravy, if required.
• Green Chillies: 1, for aroma and presentation.

For the Tarka:

Tarka is a tempering process done for mostly daal recipes. But it’s not limited to daal only. Meat curries can also be tempered. It adds a delicious aroma and enhances the richness of any dish.

Here are the ingredients required for the Tarka:

• Oil/Ghee: 3 tablespoons. I highly recommend using ghee for the tarka as it adds an authentic, rich flavor to the daal.
• Onion: half onion, thinly sliced.
• Whole dried red chili peppers: The red chili peppers add a unique heat. You can use button, bird’s eye, or any other dried chili.
• Zeera or cumin: 1/2 teaspoon. Frying the zeera in the oil will release a super yummy aroma that will lift the daal’s flavor.

Instructions

Now, let’s get down to business. Here’s the recipe for delicious Chana Daal:

• Begin by washing the 250 grams of Chana Dal to remove any impurities. You may have to rinse it 2-3 times till the water runs clear. Now, let it soak in water for at least 1 hour. While soaking, prepare the masala for the chana daal.
• Heat ¼ cup of cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
• Once the onions are caramelized, add ½ teaspoon of zeera and fry it for 5 to 8 seconds. Then, add ½ teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste and continue frying.

• Next, add the tomato puree and thoroughly blend it with the masala. I prefer using pureed tomato in this recipe to avoid any bits and pieces of solid tomato in the daal. Also helps when you have picky eaters in the family!
• Add half a cup of water, salt to taste, ¼ tablespoon of haldi powder, ½ tablespoon of coriander powder, and ½ tablespoon of red chili powder to the pan. Mix well and cover, allowing the mixture to cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.

• After 20 minutes, the masala should be well-browned. Stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure all the flavors meld together.

• Once the masala has reduced and the oil starts separating from the mixture, the masala is ready. Remove the daal from the water and add it to the masala. Pour half a cup of water, stir gently, and cover the pan. Allow the daal to cook for 30 to 45 minutes over low heat until it reaches the desired tenderness. The daal should be soft to the touch.

• After 40 minutes, when the chana daal is thoroughly cooked, add the green chili to the pan, cover, and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Making the Tarka

To prepare the Tarka:

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil/ghee in a separate frying pan.
2. Add the thinly sliced onions and saute till the onions turn light golden
3. Now add ½ teaspoon of zeera and 3 whole red chili peppers. Cook until fragrant, then remove from heat.
4. Serve the Chana Daal hot, garnished with the prepared Tarka.

Chana Daal in Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot

If you’re making this daal in a pressure cooker:

• After reducing the masala and adding the drained daal, shut your pressure cooker and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let it release its pressure.
• Open the pressure cooker and adjust the consistency of the daal by adding more water or reducing, if you like it to be thick.
• Proceed with the Tarka.

If using an Instant Pot, the procedure will be the same as above.

How to serve

The classic and authentic way to serve this delicious daal is on top of hot, boiled, white Basmati rice. The salty rice provides the perfect backdrop for the spicy and tasty chana daal.

Achar, or a traditional Pakistani/Indian vegetable pickle, is a hot favourite with this daal. Perfect combination!

A popular side to serve with this meal is a fresh green salad consisting of finely chopped cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, and green chilli. Alternatively, you could also serve thinly sliced red onions.

Add some fried papad or popadum to make this meal a hit with your family!

Pro Tips

here are some key tips when making chana daal recipe

• Soaking the Daal: When making any dried lentils or chickpeas, soaking is essential. You can soak the daal in room-temperature water overnight or at least a few hours.
• Consistency of the Daal: The consistency of this daal depends entirely on how you like it. You can keep it thick and paste-like if you want to serve it with roti or naan, add some more water and make it runnier if you like eating it with rice.
• Spice Level: You can increase or decrease the heat in the daal by changing the quantity of red chilli powder. But let me remind you that the recipe is awesome as is! And I say that because I have tested this recipe tens of times! My family will vouch for that!

And I say that because I have tested this recipe tens of times! My family will vouch for that!

Substitutions

Variety of Daal: If you don’t have channa daal at home, you can replace it with yellow daal, also known as moong daal. You could also use the orange masoor daal.

If you feel a little adventurous, combine either of these deals with the chana daal in a ratio of 2:1.

Tomato: You can omit the tomato if you wish, but the taste will be a little different. You can use yogurt in place of tomato, too.

FAQ