Restaurant Style Dal Fry:
Dal Fry is a simple, comforting Indian lentil recipe made with mixture of three different dals. Some people like to make it only from moong daal or toor dal. I usually make with Yellow moong dal, toor dal and masoor dal. You can make any ways. It is popular dish in Indian restaurant or even on Dhaba too. It’s healthy and Vegan.
Jump to RecipeTable of contents
Every region in India has its own delectable dal fry recipe. This Punjabi Dal fry pairs well with Indian flatbread (roti or naan) and rice.
Ingredients :
- Mixed lentils (Toor dal, Moong dal and masoor dal): I usually make my dal fry by using 3 dals.
- Onion: I; usually use red onions in my cooking. You can use any onions. you can make this no-onion dal as well.
- Tomatoes: I only like Red ripe roma tomatoes for my cooking which are not that savory.
- Ginger and garlic: you can use either paste of ginger garlic or you can use minced ginger garlic
- Ghee or oil: I love using ghee in my dal fry.
- Spices: for basic spice i use red chili powder, turmeric, salt, garam masala.
- Lime Juice: I like to squeeze a little bit of lime juice after cooking the dal. It gives good taste to this dal.
- Cilantro: I always use chopped fresh cilantro to garnish.
How to make Dal Fry?
Step:1 Cook Dal
Take 1 cup of moong dal, 1/3 cup of toor dal and 1/4 cup of masoor dal. Wash it well and cook it with salt and turmeric either on stovetop in pressure cooker or in instant pot.
In instant pot turn on the pressure cooker button and cook this for 15 minutes on high pressure. In pressure cooker you can cook this with 5 to 7 whistle.
Once this dal is cooked, slowly release the pressure and open the lid. Use the whisk to mix the dal.
Step: 2 Prepare Onion and Tomato mixture:
In a pan, add some ghee or oil. Once the ghee or oil heat, add cumin seed and allow them to splutter. You can add dry red chili here as well. Add asafetida and chopped onion along with ginger and garlic. saute them for little bit.
Add chopped tomatoes and allow them to cook for little bit. Once the tomatoes cook well add all basic spices like cumin coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric. Add cooked dal and water. Add salt to taste and in last kasuri methi and lemon juice. Let simmer this dal for little bit.
Garnish this dal with cilantro and serve with rice, salad or roti.
How to make Dal Fry in Instant Pot?
- Rinse the dal 2-3 times until the water runs clear.
- Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Heat 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee) add cumin seeds, and let them splutter.
- Next, add dried red chili, and asafoetida (hing). Saute for a few seconds.
- Then stir in the onions, and salt and mix well. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until onions turn light brown.
- Add minced ginger garlic, and green chilies. Saute till the raw smell of the ginger-garlic goes away.
- Then add 1 cup of finely chopped (or pureed) tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Add spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder. Mix well. Cook the masala until the oil oozes out from the side of the masala.
- Then add 1 cup of rinsed dal, and 3 cups of water and give a stir. No need to soak the dal for this recipe.
- Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to “SEALING“. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 15 minutes.
- When the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.
- ou can adjust the consistency of the dal at this point. If it’s too thick, turn on SAUTE mode, add ½ to 1 cup of water, and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Then crush some Kasuri methi between your palms and add to the dal along with garam masala. Mix well. Taste and adjust more salt if required.
- Finally, add lime/lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. Turn off the heat. Dal fry is ready.
Serving Suggestion:
You can serve this Dal with Jeera rice or any Indian Flatebreads like naan or roti.
Storage Suggestions
Reheat: Reheat the toor dal fry on the stovetop or in the microwave oven. The dal will thicken on standing, so thin it out with a little water and reheat. If frozen, Defrost for a few hours on the kitchen top before reheating.
Refrigerate:Â Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Freeze:Â You can store the dal fry in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to three months in the freezer.
Restaurant Style Dal Fry:
Course: MainCuisine: Indian4
servings15
minutes15
minutes200
kcal30
minutesDal Fry is a simple, comforting Indian lentil recipe made with mixture of three different dals. Some people like to make it only from moong daal or toor dal. I usually make with Yellow moong dal, toor dal and masoor dal. You can make any ways. It is popular dish in Indian restaurant or even on Dhaba too. It’s healthy and Vegan.
Ingredients
1 cup yellow split moong dal
1/3 cup toor dal
1/4 cup masoor dal
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
1 tsp kasoori methi
1 tsp lemon juice
cilantro
Directions
- Step:1 Cook Dal
- Take 1 cup of moong dal, 1/3 cup of toor dal and 1/4 cup of masoor dal. Wash it well and cook it with salt and turmeric either on stovetop in pressure cooker or in instant pot.
- In instant pot turn on the pressure cooker button and cook this for 15 minutes on high pressure. In pressure cooker you can cook this with 5 to 7 whistle.
- Once this dal is cooked, slowly release the pressure and open the lid. Use the whisk to mix the dal.
- Step: 2 Prepare Onion and Tomato mixture:
- In a pan, add some ghee or oil. Once the ghee or oil heat, add cumin seed and allow them to splutter. You can add dry red chili here as well. Add asafetida and chopped onion along with ginger and garlic. saute them for little bit.
- Add chopped tomatoes and allow them to cook for little bit. Once the tomatoes cook well add all basic spices like cumin coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric. Add cooked dal and water. Add salt to taste and in last kasuri methi and lemon juice. Let simmer this dal for little bit.
- Garnish this dal with cilantro and serve with rice, salad or roti.
- How to make Dal fry in Instant Pot?
- Rinse the dal 2-3 times until the water runs clear.
- Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Heat 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee) add cumin seeds, and let them splutter.
- Next, add dried red chili, and asafoetida (hing). Saute for a few seconds.
- Then stir in the onions, and salt and mix well. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until onions turn light brown.
- Add minced ginger garlic, and green chilies. Saute till the raw smell of the ginger-garlic goes away.
- Then add 1 cup of finely chopped (or pureed) tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Add spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder. Mix well. Cook the masala until the oil oozes out from the side of the masala.
- Then add 1 cup of rinsed dal, and 3 cups of water and give a stir. No need to soak the dal for this recipe.
- Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to “SEALING”. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 15 minutes.
- When the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.
- ou can adjust the consistency of the dal at this point. If it’s too thick, turn on SAUTE mode, add ½ to 1 cup of water, and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Then crush some Kasuri methi between your palms and add to the dal along with garam masala. Mix well. Taste and adjust more salt if required.
- Finally, add lime/lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. Turn off the heat. Dal fry is ready.