With this easy Chana Dal recipe, one can easily create the dish in his or her own instant pot. Chana dal comes from baby chickpeas after splitting and polishing them. Chana dal cooked with tomatoes and spices is delicious and can be accompanied with rice. One can also enjoy it with chapati, poori, naan, paratha, or bhatura.
What is chana dal?
Chana Dal is made with dry skinless split chickpeas, tomatoes, and a potpourri of Indian Subcontinent spices. It is traditionally cooked in a pressure cooker. One can also employ a slow method of cooking upon a stove with a pot.
Ingredients and substitutions
The following list describes the ingredients and their respective substitutions:
- Tomato: One may switch up the whole diced tomatoes with cherry tomatoes.
- Water: You may alter the amount of water to make it very concentrated or very thin.
- Ghee: Whether you like to have healthy options instead of ghee, you may consider other oils such as avocado, safflower, or corn oil. However, the taste might not come out the same.
- Coriander powder: Mix this with other spices before pressurization of the dish to make it flavorful.
- Fennel seed powder: This part of the recipe is best in small quantities to contribute to the overall taste of the chana dal.
- Turmeric powder: In order to get the yellowish look of chana and the saucy and watery liquid of the masala-laden curry, you have to place this ingredient at a precise amount.
- Ginger powder: While one might use ginger sauce or whole, freshly cut ginger instead, one might use ginger powder to enhance the taste of the curry inside the chana dal.
- Sea salt: Depending on if you have any issues with salt in your dish, one might employ salt alternatives instead of sea salt with iodine. Please use your own discretion.
- Black pepper: While one could use a small quantity of cayenne, chilli, or green pepper instead.
- Cilantro: One can add this part of the dish to make the texture more heterogeneous with the leaves of cilantro to enhance the taste of the chana dal.
- Lime (or lemon): In order to produce a tangy taste from the chana dal, one may add this ingredient to make the chana dal super interesting and exciting to eat with rice, naan, puri, or bhatura.
How to make Instant Pot chana dal
Get everything ready – I prefer to gather all the ingredients and the spices in easy to reach place so that I do not forget anything.
1. Get everything ready: I prefer to gather all the ingredients and the spices in easy to reach place so that I do not forget anything.
2. Soaked chana dal: In a medium bowl, soak the dried chana dal in water. Since the dal will expand as they absorb water, be sure to add enough water to cover the dal and more. Rinse the chana dal before you’re ready to use them.
3. Cherry tomatoes or slice tomatoes: Wash one cup of cherry tomatoes in a bowl or slice one cup of tomatoes. I prefer cherry tomatoes because I don’t have to slice, I just wash them and they are ready.
4. Spices: Following picture shows all the spices and oil or ghee for this dish.
5. Saute: Press the Saute button, add the oil/ghee and allow it to heat up for a minute. Add the cumin seeds and saute them until once they become brown – make sure to ensure that the cumin seeds are cooked and the the heat is enough for the next step of the recipe.
6. Add remaining spices: Add turmeric powder and stir quickly, the chopped fresh ginger (or ginger powder) and the remaining spices except the cilantro. Saute the mixture for about a minute while mixing it with a spatula.
7. Add main ingredients: Add the overnight soaked and drained chana dal, tomatoes and and mix it well. Add water and stir.
8. Set the Instant Pot: Set the cook time to 15 minutes using + and – buttons and pressure level to high pressure by pressing the Pressure Level button.
9. Close Instant Pot: Make sure you secure the instant pot to Sealing (sometimes I leave it on the Venting setting).
10. Pressure release naturally: Let the pressure naturally release itself. Open the lid carefully to avoid the steam touching your hand or your face. If there is too much water at the bottom then keep the Instant Pot on at the Saute mode for a few minutes until excess water evaporates.
11. Squeeze fresh lime: Make sure to stir the chana dal fully so that the lemon or lime is everywhere in the dish.
12. Garnish and serve: Sprinkle fresh or dry cilantro leaves and if desired some freshly sliced onions and stir to ensure that the mixture is carefully homogenous with cilantro leaves. I prefer dry cilantro leaves because the fresh cilantro may not be available and you cannot store them for a long time.
Serving suggestions
Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve chana dal:
- A side of rice. Similar to curry, you can also mix the rice into the chana dal.
- With warm naan, either plain or garlic naan.
- Scoop it up with roti. Roti is an Indian flatbread made with whole wheat flour.
- Enjoy it with all kinds of parathas.
- And my most preferred method is to eat with Bhature.
- Enjoy it as a soup, on its own.
- Serve it with other side dishes.
Commonly asked questions
Is it necessary to soak chana dal overnight?
It’s recommended that you soak the chana dal overnight, however, it’s not required.
What if you forget to soak the chana dal overnight?
If you forget to soak the chana dal overnight, then add an extra 1 cup of water and increase the cooking time by 15 minutes.
How do you know when the chana dal is done?
Chana dal is done when it is fully cooked through. Otherwise, close the Instant Pot and cook for another 5 minutes.
Can you freeze chana dal?
Yes, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.
How do you reheat chana dal?
On the stove-top at low-medium heat.
More Indian Instant Pot recipes
If you want to save a few more Indian main dishes, the recipes below will satisfy your cravings anytime.
If you tried this Instant Pot Chana Dal recipe or any other recipe, be sure to rate the recipe and let me know what you think! Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more delicious recipes.
Instant Pot Chana Dal
Ingredients
Method
- Press the sauté button. Add the oil/ghee and allow it to heat up for a minute. Add the cumin seeds and saute them until once they become brown.
- Add turmeric powder and stir quickly, then add the chopped fresh ginger (or ginger powder) and the remaining spices except the cilantro leaves and lime/lemon.
- Add the overnight soaked and drained chana dal, tomatoes and mix it well. Add water and stir.
- Set the cook time to 15 minutes using + and – buttons and pressure level to high pressure by pressing the Pressure Level button.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the pressure valve to Sealing and let it cook for 15 minutes at high pressure.
- Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid carefully without exposing your hand to steam and mash the mixture with a ladle.
- If there is too much water left at the bottom then keep the Instant Pot on for a few minutes until most of the water evaporates. Squeeze fresh lime or lemon and mix it well with a ladle.
- Sprinkle fresh or dry cilantro leaves and some freshly sliced onions when served. Serve with rice, naan, roti, chapati, poorie, bhature, or paratha.
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