Dal Fry

dal fry | Punjabi dal fry | dhaba style dal fry | Indian dal curry soup | with amazing 26 images.

dal fry recipe is a popular Punjabi dal fry. A mixture of moong and masoor dal cooked to perfection in dhaba style dal fry and perked up with an aromatic tempering along with fried onions and tomatoes. This dal fry has a very pleasing texture and irresistible flavour too.

From roadside dhabhas to global Indian restaurants, almost all diners serve this all-time favourite dhaba style dal fry.

A thoughtful combination of everyday ingredients come together in the form of a tadka to give this dal frydal fry a thoroughly enjoyable flavour that lingers on the palate for a long time. dal fry with masoor dal is made with the most basic ingredients yet the outcome is beautiful.

Generally, authentic dal fry is made with made with toor dal and chana dal but here we have slightly twisted the recipe by making dal fry with masoor dal and toor dal. This is our version of it.

The aroma tingles your nostrils, while the flavour teases your taste buds – so enticing is this dal frydal fry that it is hard to believe that it is simple, everyday fare made with the commonest ingredients!

The addition of nigella seeds to the tempering is a special touch, which leaves a lingering flavour of dal fry on your taste buds even after you finish your meal.

You can serve the dal fry with rotis, parathas, naans, plain steamed rice or jeera rice. It is simple and easy to cook, but gives irresistible results, so do give it a try!

Learn to make dal fry | Punjabi dal fry | dhaba style dal fry | Indian dal curry soup | with detailed step by step recipe photos and video below.

Dal Fry recipe - How to make Dal Fry

Soaking Time:  2 hours   Preparation Time:    Cooking Time:    Total Time:    Makes 4 servings

Ingredients


For Dal Fry
1/4 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow gram) , , washed , soaked for 2 hours and drained
1 cup masoor (split red lentil) dal , washed , soaked for 2 hours and drained
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
2 green chillies , slit
1 tsp grated ginger (adrak)
1 tsp grated garlic (lehsun)
salt to taste
3 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1/2 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji) , optional
1 whole dry kashmiri red chilli
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp chilli powder

For The Garnish
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

Method
For dal fry

    For dal fry
  1. To make {span class="bold1"}dal fry{/span}, combine the dals, 2½ cups of water, turmeric powder, green chillies, ginger, garlic and salt in a pressure cooker, mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
  2. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid and keep aside.
  3. Heat the 2 tbsp ghee in a deep non-stick kadhai, add the mustard seeds, nigella seeds and dry kashmiri red chilli and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
  4. Add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes or till the onions turn translucent.
  5. Add the tomatoes and ¼ cup of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
  6. Add the cooked dal mixture and 1½ cups of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
  7. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp ghee in a small non-stick pan , add the chilli powder, immediately pour over the dal and mix well.
  8. Serve the {span class="bold1"}dal fry{/span} immediately garnished with coriander.

Dal Fry Video by Tarla Dalal

Dal Fry recipe with step by step photos

Like dal fry

  1. If you like dal fry | Punjabi dal fry | dhaba style dal fry | given below is the list to similar recipes :

How to make Dal Fry

  1. 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. 
  2. Add enough water and soak both the dals in water for 2 hours. Ensure you cover it with a lid while soaking.
  3. After 2 hours, drain them completely with the help of a strainer.
  4. 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.
  5. Pour 2½ cups of fresh water.
  6. 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.
  7. Add green chillies and ginger. Adjust the quantity as per the spice level you can handle.
  8. Add garlic and salt. If you are Jain, skip adding the lehsun.
  9. 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.
  10. Stir the dal once, using a wire whisk or ladle mash the dal further so it’s almost smooth and no lumps remain. 

Tempering dal fry

  1. 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. 
  2. Once the ghee melts, add the mustard seeds.
  3. 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.
  4. Add dry Kashmiri red chilli.
  5. Mix well and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
  6. Add the onions.
  7. Sauté on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes or till the onions turn translucent.
  8. Add the tomatoes.
  9. Add ¼ cup of water.
  10. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally or until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  11. Add the cooked dal mixture.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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. 
  15. 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. 
Nutrient values per serving
Energy245 cal
Protein13.1 g
Carbohydrates32.6 g
Fiber5.4 g
Fat7 g
Cholesterol0 mg
Vitamin A241.4 mcg
Vitamin B10.3 mg
Vitamin B20.1 mg
Vitamin B31.6 mg
Vitamin C7.8 mg
Folic Acid35.8 mcg
Calcium52.7 mg
Iron3.7 mg
Magnesium47.3 mg
Phosphorus172.3 mg
Sodium8.8 mg
Potassium401.4 mg
Zinc1.6 mg
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Reviews

Dal Fry
 on 12 Mar 22 10:22 AM
5

Nice recipe
Tarla Dalal
12 Mar 22 05:11 PM
   Thank you for the feedback. Please keep reviewing recipes and articles you love.
Dal Fry
 on 25 Sep 20 12:19 PM
5

Very tasty
Tarla Dalal
26 Sep 20 09:32 AM
   Thanks for the feedback !!! keep reviewing recipes and articles you loved.
Dal Fry
 on 25 Jul 19 03:56 AM
5

what is Nigella seeds (kalongi) . please post picture to my mailbox . Also is it available anywhere in India
Tarla Dalal
25 Jul 19 03:37 PM
   Available all over India. All you had to do is click on the ingredient and it will lead you to the explanation. https://www.tarladalal.com/glossary-nigella-seeds-552i
Dal Fry
 on 24 Mar 19 07:21 AM
5

awesome recipe tarlaji.... everyone loved it
Tarla Dalal
25 Mar 19 09:17 AM
   Hi Bindi, Delighted to know you liked the recipe. Do try more & more recipes and share with us your feedback. Happy Cooking!
Dal Fry
 on 06 Jan 19 03:16 AM
5

I googled the internet to find a simple recipe for dal. This came up. I tried it today with good success. I''m just home from traveling and did not have all the spices, but I went ahead with what I had, and even so, it came out quite delicious. Thanks so much for posting this recipe which is simple to do and quite delicious.
Tarla Dalal
07 Jan 19 09:22 AM
   Hi Colleen, Thank you so much for your kind words.Delighted to know you liked the recipe. Do try more and more recipes from our website and share with us your feedback. Happy Cooking!
Dal Fry
 on 09 Aug 18 01:24 PM
5

I am very happy with all your recipes .they are awesome. I wanted to know if I want to make 15 servings of dal fry how much quantity will I need ? Thank you
Tarla Dalal
10 Aug 18 08:52 AM
   Hi Dipti, We have a quantity conversion option on our recipe page. Below the Soaking time: 2 hours Preparation Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 22 mins Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes Makes 4 servings (4 serving), check for, Showing ingredients for ___ servings.
Dal Fry
 on 06 Apr 18 08:22 AM
4

Dal Fry
 on 05 Apr 18 01:10 PM
5

Thank u so much for this wonderful recipe. My husband was craving for some Gud DAL fry since some days.. He wanted something similar to wat his mom used to make for him as a kid. N I made this as I knew ur recipes wudnt go wrong. N he loved it. N said it''s exact replica of wat his mom used to make for him. Will come bk to try more. Thanks again.
Tarla Dalal
05 Apr 18 03:19 PM
   Hi Lava, We are delighted you loved the recipe. Please keep posting your thoughts and feedback and review recipes you have loved. Happy Cooking.
Dal Fry
 on 18 Oct 17 12:46 PM
5

The recipe is superb.. But lots of advertisement r popping up, so can''t read & follow the recipe properly. Do the needful steps.
Tarla Dalal
18 Oct 17 04:13 PM
   Hi Shimoli, Thank you for your suggestion, we are looking into it and sorry for the inconvenience...
Dal Fry
 on 14 Jul 17 09:21 PM
5

yummmm...I just love it
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