Dal Fry recipe with step by step photos
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How to make Dal Fry-
For the dal fry recipe, clean and wash yellow moong dal and masoor dal. You can use any dal you cook on regular basis to prepare basic dal fry or a combination of dals like toor dal, moong dal, chana dal, and masoor dal to make dal fry recipe more rich in protein.
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Add enough water and soak both the dals in water for 2 hours. Ensure you cover it with a lid while soaking.
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After 2 hours, drain them completely with the help of a strainer.
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Add the soaked and drained dals in a pressure cooker. You can cook the dals directly on the stovetop in a pan but it will take around 45-60 minutes to cook completely.
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Pour 2½ cups of fresh water.
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Add turmeric powder. dal fry | Punjabi dal fry | dhaba style dal fry | is not heavily spiced or seasoned as it will totally change the flavor. Apart from the regular spices, we won’t be using anything in this recipe.
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Add green chillies and ginger. Adjust the quantity as per the spice level you can handle.
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Add garlic and salt. If you are Jain, skip adding the lehsun.
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Mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistles or until the dals are very well cooked. The key for smooth dal fry is to cook the dals very well. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid and keep aside.
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Stir the dal once, using a wire whisk or ladle mash the dal further so it’s almost smooth and no lumps remain.
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Tempering dal fry-
To temper, dal fry recipe, heat the ghee in a deep non-stick kadhai. Ghee imparts an aroma and rich flavor to dal fry however vegans can use oil.
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Once the ghee melts, add the mustard seeds.
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Add nigella seeds. We are not using cumin seeds but nigella to give a strong aroma and warm, toasted-onion flavor to the dal fry.
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Add dry Kashmiri red chilli.
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Mix well and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
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Add the onions.
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Sauté on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes or till the onions turn translucent.
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Add the tomatoes.
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Add ¼ cup of water.
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Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally or until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
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Add the cooked dal mixture.
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Add 1 1/2 cup of water. The consistency of dal fry is very important. It should not be either thin or thick, just runny enough to mix easily with rice. You can also add a pinch of garam masala powder or coriander-cumin seeds powder to uplift the flavors of dal fry.
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Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring occasionally so that the flavors develop. Our restaurant-style dal fry is ready.
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Garnish dal fry with coriander. To make Dhaba style dal fry, add a dhungar at the end. It will give a nice smoky flavor to the dal fry. For adding smoke flavor to the dal fry, heat a piece of coal until red. Keep a bowl in the centre of the dal and keep this hot coal piece in the bowl. Drizzle a tsp of ghee over the coal and immediately close the lid of the pan. Let the smoke soak in the dal for 3-4 minutes. Then remove the bowl and give the dal a gentle mix.
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Serve dal fry immediately with steamed rice, peas pulao or jeera rice. You can even serve dal fry | Punjabi dal fry | dhaba style dal fry | along with sabzi roti and salad to make a complete meal.
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