Dal Fry Recipe

Dal Fry is a simple and flavourful Indian lentil dish made with toor dal (split pigeon peas). This Dal recipe is popular lentil dish served in Indian restaurants. Cooked lentils are simmered in a tadka of onions, garlic, tomatoes and spices. Serve is dal fry with roti, paratha, rice or Jeera Rice. 

I am sharing how to make a Punjabi-style dal fry recipe using the Instant Pot, pressure cooker, and in a regular pot on the stovetop.

What is Dal Fry?

In Indian cuisine dal is a dish made with lentils. Dal dishes are a staple in Indian meals and an excellent source of plant based protein.

Dal fry means lentils (Dal) with a fried tempering (tadka). This is also known as chaunk in Hindi. Tadka is a cooking technique in which a dish is tempered with spices, chilli, garlic which is fried in hot ghee or oil.  

That is why it is also known as Dal fry. Dal is comforting and tastes super delicious. There are different dal fry recipes available which are personalized as per different families. I am sharing Punjabi style dal fry recipe with toor dal the way it is made in my home.

Which Dals Used in Making Dal Fry

The combination of dal and spices can vary but the process remains the same. This recipe is very adaptable. You can make this dal using lentils of choice or a combination of two or more. 

For making this popular lentil dish Dal tadka usually arhar dal (skinned & split pigeon pea lentils) is used.

Some people use a mix of dals.  Sometimes a combination of lentils is used. Arhar dal and moong dal (skinned & split yellow moong) or moong and masoor dal (Pink lentils).

Use any of these lentils this Dal tadka recipe will make a creamy delicious dal with smoky and spicy flavour. This dal fry recipe is incredibly delicious and so simple and easy to make that even beginner cooks can make it.

Jump to:

• What is Dal Fry?
• Which Dals Used in Making Dal Fry
• About This Dal Fry Recipe
• Ingredients Required
• How to Make Dal Fry
• Stepwise Recipe
• Recipe Notes & Pro tips
• How to Make Restaurant Style Smoky Dal
• What To serve with Dal Tadka?
• How To Store Leftover Dal?
• More Such Recipes
• Watch Video
• 📖 Recipe
• Dal Tadka in Instant Pot - Step by Step
• Making Tadka For Dal

About This Dal Fry Recipe

• Tastes just like restaurant-style dal. 
• You can make it smoky just like dhaba dal with coal and tempering. 
• A simple, quick and easy to cook dal recipe that is bursting with flavours.
• Fried Tadka adds a lot of aroma and flavour to the dish. 
• A nutritious and wholesome dish packed with proteins and healthy dietary fibers.

Ingredients Required

• Lentils: Arhar dal/Split Pigeon peas.
• Spices & Seasonings: Salt, red chilli powder, turmeric.
• Fresh: chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli, coriander leaves, lime juice.
• Onions
• Tomato: fresh tomato
• For Tadka: Ghee, cumin seeds, asafoetida, whole red chillies, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder etc.

How to Make Dal Fry

I am sharing 2 versions of Dal Fry recipe. First I cook dal and then Dal is tempered with tadka of spices and ghee. Tadka imparts it a nice smoky and nutty flavour.

Stepwise Recipe

Dal Fry Recipe on Stovetop 

1. Wash and rinse 1 cup lentils 2-3 times. Add dal in the pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water, salt and asafoetida. I am also sharing the instant pot method in the next section.
2. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles and allow the pressure to release naturally.
3. To make fried masala for dal fry in a pan add ghee and heat that.
4. Add cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, green chili and fry them for a few seconds. Add chopped onions and fry them for 2-3 minutes.
5. Now add tomatoes, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and fry this masala till tomatoes are pulpy.
6. Open the pressure cooker Dal consistency should be creamy.
7. Next, add this cooked dal in the fried masala.
8. Allow the dal to simmer with fried masala.
9. Heat 1 tablespoons of ghee in a tadka pan (small pan). Reduce the heat and add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili and immediately pour this over simmering lentils for a smoky taste.
10. Mix it and add chopped coriander and squeeze the juice of lime before serving.
11. Enjoy this warm bowl of dal with roti rice or paratha.

Recipe Notes & Pro tips

• If dal is thick after pressure cooking you can add some water to make it as per your preferred consistency.
• If dal is thin, simmer it on slow heat to thicken it. Mix dal with a ladle uniformly to make a smooth and creamy consistency.
• Onion tomato masala is perfect for making dals. You can cut short cooking time considerably if you have prepared masala in your fridge. This gives dal an authentic dhaba like the taste. 
• If you do not have onion tomato masala you can add ¼ cup chopped onions, 2 chopped tomatoes while pressure cooking dal. Another way is to have double tadka as I have shown in the video recipe of dal tadka.
• Use fresh and good quality spices for the best aromatic flavour.

How to Make Restaurant Style Smoky Dal

An extra step of Dhungar can take dal to next level by adding a smoky flavour to it. 

For that heat a piece of coal and place that in a bowl. Pour a teaspoon of ghee over coal and immediately place this bowl in the cooked dal and cover with a lid of 5 minutes.

After that remove the bowl from the pot and pour the final tadka.

What To serve with Dal Tadka?

Dal chawal is one of the best healthy and satisfying meal combinations you can serve tadka Dal Fry with Basmati rice or jeera rice.  

Dal also tastes best with flatbreads like Garlic Naan, Butter Naan, laccha Paratha , masala paratha or tandoori roti. 

How To Store Leftover Dal?

You can store leftover dal fry  in the fridge for 2-3 days. I mostly make an extra batch. You can also easily freeze dal makhani. Store it in a ziplock bag or a freezer safe container. You can freeze it upto 10-12 weeks in freezer

More Such Recipes

• Slow cooked Dal Makhani in Pressure cooker 
• Dal Makhani
• Instant Pot Masoor Dal
• Dal Fry Recipe
• Green Moong Dal
• Dal Palak Recipe
• Instant Pot Dal Makhani
• Khatti Dal
• Punjabi Sabut Moong Dal
• Sookhi Urad dal

Watch Video

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📖 Recipe

Dal Tadka in Instant Pot - Step by Step

• 
  
  Wash and rinse 1cup Tuvar dal ¼cup moong dal for 3-4 times in water.
  
  

• 
  
  Add dals in the inner pot of the Instant pot.
  
  

• 
  
  Put ¼ cup onion tomato masala, salt, red chilli powder, ginger paste, turmeric powder, finely chopped tomatoes in the Instant pot.
  
  

• Add 3 cups of water. 

• Set the Instant pot on high pressure setting and the timer to 15 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 7 minutes.
• After that force release the pressure by turning pressure valve to venting position and once all pressure is released open the lid.
• Dal consistency should be creamy. If it is thick you can add some boiling water to make it as per your preferred consistency. If dal is too thin you can turn the saute mode on instant pot and cook dal for few minutes.

Making Tadka For Dal

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee in a tadka pan (small pan).

• Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and allow them to pop.

• Add a pinch of asafoetida.

• add slit green chillies.

• whole red chillis.

• ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder.

• Immediately pour this tadka over simmering dal.

• Mix and then add chopped cilantro.

Serve this dal tadka with steaming hot rice and finish with lime juice and Enjoy!