Step 1

MethodSoak the chana dal in enough hot water for 1 hour. Drain well.Combine the soaked chana dal, turmeric powder and 2½ cups of water in a pressure cooker, mix well and pressure cook for 5 whistles.Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.Whisk the dal using a whisk. Keep aside.Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan, add the cumin seeds, asafeotida, garlic, ginger and green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.Add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.Add the tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, dried mango powder and 2 tbsp of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.Add the dried fenugreek leaves, salt, whisked dal, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.Add the coriander and mix well.Serve hot.

Step 2

If you like chana dal fry, then also try other Punjabi dal recipes like dal makhani | how to make dal makhani | dhaba-style dal makhani | punjabi dal makhani | with 30 amazing photos.dal tadka recipe | Punjabi dal tadka | restaurant style dal tadka | with 30 amazing images.Amritsari dal recipe | Punjabi Amritsari dal | langarwali dal | healthy Amritsari dal | with 24 amazing images.

Step 3

To make chana dal fry recipe, we need chana dal. One cup of cooked Chana Dal provides 33% of your protein for the day. Chana dal is heart and diabetic friendly, also rich in fiber. Chana dal has high amount of potassium and low amount of sodium which makes it very effective in regulating your blood pressure. Read this article on complete benefits of chana dal. Clean and wash the chana dal. Then soak the chana dal in enough hot water for 1 hour. This is to speeden up the process of cooking. Drain well using a strainer. Discard the water. Next to make North Indian chana dal tadka, place the washed and drained chana dal in a pressure cooker. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi). Add 2½ cups of water for cooking. Mix well using a ladle. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 5 whistles. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Once the pressure cooker has cooled slightly, open the lid. This is how the dal looks after cooking. Whisk the dal using a whisk till coarse. We suggest you don’t make it completely smooth. Keep aside.

Step 4

Next to make chana dal fry recipe | North Indian chana dal tadka | easy chana dal masala | how to make Punjabi masala chana dal, we need to temper the easy chana dal masala. For that heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep non-stick pan. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera). Cumin seeds are apparently a very good source of iron. A tbsp. of cumin seeds can fulfil nearly 20% of days iron requirement. Even small quantity of cumin seeds has huge amounts of calcium ( see calcium rich Indian foods ) – a bone supporting mineral. They aid is digestion, weight loss and help reduce inflammation. See detailed benefits of cumin seeds, jeera. Add a pinch of asafoetida (hing). The active compound 'coumarin' helps in managing blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Asafoetida is known to have anti-bacterial properties, which helps to keep asthma at bay. Asafoetida is an age-old remedy for bloating and other stomach problems like flatulence. Add 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic (lehsun). Garlic has been proven to lower cholesterol. The active ingredient allicin present in garlic aids in lowering blood pressure. Garlic is also alleged to help regulate blood glucose levels for diabetics. Garlic is great for the heart and circulatory system. Add 1 tsp finely chopped ginger (adrak). Ginger is an effective cure for congestion, sore throat, cold and cough. It aids digestion and relieves constipation. Ginger was found as effective as drugs in relieving menstrual pain. Ginger is effective in decreasing the cholesterol levels in patients with high cholesterol. Ginger significantly reduces symptoms of nausea in pregnant ladies. See here for 16 Super Health Benefits of Adrak, Ginger. Add 1 tsp chopped green chillies. Antioxidant vitamin C in green chillies protects the body from effects of harmful free radicals and prevents stress. It is probably the high fiber which helps in controlling blood sugar levels. This it is a welcome addition to a diabetic diet. Suffering from anaemia? Add green chillies to your list of iron rich foods too. For complete details see benefits of green chilli. Sauté these on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup finely chopped onions. Raw onions are a very valuable source of vitamin C – the immune building vitamin. Along with other phytonutrients from onions, it helps to build WBC (white blood cells) which serves as a line of defence against illness. Yes, it’s a source of many antioxidants, the most important one amongst them being Quercetin. The quercetin in Onions promotes production of HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers total cholesterol in the body. Sauté the onions as well on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes for slight tang. Tomatoes are extremely rich source of Lycopene. Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, super rich in Vitamin C, good for heart. Tomatoes are a Pregnant women's friend and are rich in Folate or Folic Acid which helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Read about 13 amazing benefits of tomatoes. Add 1 tsp chilli powder. Add 1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder. It is an appetite stimulant and aids in the secretion of gastric juices. It has also been known to stimulate insulin production and help in manging blood sugar levels in diabetics. It also exhibits anti-microbial property. The presence of antioxidants in it promotes skin health and maintain hair health. Its anti-inflammatory properties promote heart health. Add 1/2 tsp garam masala. Add 1/2 tsp dried mango powder (amchur). Add 2 tbsp of water. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes. Ensure that you keep stirring occasionallyto avoid the masalas from burning. Add 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi). Always crush the kasuri methi before adding to get its best flavour and aroma. Add salt to taste. Finally add the whisked dal. Mix Punjabi masala chana dal well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Add the coriander and mix well. The antioxidants vitamin A, vitamin C and the quercetin present in coriander works towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source of iron and folate – the 2 nutrient which help in the production and maintenance of red blood cells in our blood. Good for reducing cholesterol and good for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details. Serve chana dal fry hot.

Step 5

Chana Dal Fry – a protein rich fare. Chana dal being a very good source of protein, helps to nourish or cells and tissues. Protein also has a role to play in adding glow to skin, improving vision and building immune cells along with strengthening bones. Protein is beneficial for weight watchers too. They can include this dal in their menu by reducing the amount of oil used for tempering to 1 to 2 tsp of oil / ghee. This dal can then be enjoyed by diabetics and heart patients too. Further this dal also has a lot of antioxidant rich ingredients like garlic, ginger, turmeric powder, onions, tomatoes etc, which will help in reducing inflammation in the body. Try serving it to kids. They are also sure to enjoy it. This dal is thus a good way to add protein to growing kids diet too.

Step 6

It is important to soak this dal in hot water as mentioned in the recipe, to ensure easy and complete cooking. Try not to whisk it very smooth. You will enjoy the mouthfeel of cooked chana dal.