It has been a long time since I thought I would try an authentic Indian dish, today is the time. Lentils are the favorite food of Indians in any meal. Yes, Indians love to eat lentil. With that in mind, the recipe that came to my mind today is Dal Fry. Don’t surprise, it’s a different Dal fry recipe that contains an authentic Indian feeling.
Dal fry is a famous Indian lentil recipe that uses pigeon pea lentils, onions, tomatoes, and some spices as ingredients. This dal fry is available in almost all the restaurants. This yellow lentil recipe, with its light thicky, lightly tangy, and creamy texture, tastes really awesome.
In today’s recipe, I will use a little different method and ingredients that you will like very much. That’s why I said at the beginning that my recipe for today is a little different. I will make this recipe with three main ingredients. Pigeon pea or Toor, Masoor dal, and Moong dal.
Many people say that Dhaba style Dal Fry and Homemade Dal Fry have different tastes. But I think if you can make the best tasting dal (lentil) with fewer ingredients, it is perfect for all places, be it for home serving or in Dhaba. Taste must be like authentic and that secret I will teach you today.
What ingredients do I use in Dal Fry?
- Pigeon Pea or Toor Dal or Arhar Dal
- Masoor Dal or Red Lentil
- Moong Dal or Small Yellow Lentils
- Butter
- Ghee
- Cumin Seeds
- Dry Red Chili
- Finely chopped Onion
- Finely chopped Ginger and Garlic
- Green Chili or Raw Cilantro
- Chopped Coriander leaves
- Turmeric powder
- Black Pepper Powder
- Asafoetida or Hing
Yes, you need all these ingredients to make this lentil recipe authentic. Don’t worry, I will reveal all the methods.
How to make Dal Fry Recipe With Step by Step Photo
Cook the lentils or Dal
Those who make dal fry at home usually use only Toor Dal or Arahar Dal, but 2 to 3 types of lentils are used in Dhaba. So you can use more than one dal at home if you want. It makes your recipe more delicious. Don’t think too much and just try it and let me know how’s the taste.
The right amount is very important here. You need to take an equal amount of Red Lentils and Toor. This means that if you take 1 cup of Toor Dal, you have to take that amount of Red Lentil. Along with these add 2 large tbsp of Moong Dal or Small Yellow Lentils.
In this case, moong dal is only used to make this Dal fry a little thicker and gives a creamy texture.
1. First, take 1 cup of Toor Dal or Arahar Dal, 1 cup of Red Lentil or Masoor Dal, and 2 teaspoons of Moong Dal or Small Yellow Lentils in a pressure cooker. Now wash well in cold water. If needed, wash repeatedly so that the lentils are clean.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Put it on gas over medium heat till 3 whistles. Then open the lid of the cooker. [Note: – After 3 whistles, turn off the gas and keep the lid of the cooker open. Because if you keep the lid closed, the lentils may melt.]
3. During this time, you can be chopped the necessary vegetables i.e. onion, chili, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, and put them in separate containers.
4. Now heat oil in a pan. Now add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds in it and fry.
5. When you get a nice smell of cumin, add chopped ginger, garlic, and green chili and fry a little.
6. Then add the chopped onion. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, it will help to bring beautiful color and flavor to this recipe.
7. Add red chili powder and stir a little. This time add 1 teaspoon of butter. Take 1 minute to saute.
8. Now add the cooked lentils and mix well. Add salt to taste.
9. Add coriander leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes. The initial stage of your dal fry is ready. You can serve it now if you want. In fact, many people also serve at this stage. But I’m going to add a little extra twist to this recipe.
10. Now place the prepared dal in a serving bowl.
11. Heat 2 tbsp ghee with 1 tbsp oil in a pan again. Add 2 red dried chilies, 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic, and 1 teaspoon asafoetida.
12. Add 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon hot spices powder. No need to fry too much, after a little fry you will see a nice pungent smell.
13. Then take it and spread it on the bowl. This simple and small step will take your recipe to a whole new level. Hopefully, after eating this home-made dal fry, you will no longer like to eat in Dhaba or the hotel.
14. It can be served with Roti, Parathas, or Fried Rice. But Especially I love to serve this with Jeera Rice. Please let me know what you like to serve with Dal Fry. I am waiting for your comments.
Don’t forget to take an Indian Dessert with this Meal like Gulab Jamun. Here is your Gulab Jamun Recipe with Khoya.
Related: Lentil Recipes
Tips:
- Many people use Kasuri Methi powder to add some extra flavor in this recipe but that is totally optional in my recipe.
- You can add 1 tbsp of coriander powder at the time of sauteing onions.
- Mustard seeds are also essential ingredients that very much used in southern states of India.
- Many people use chopped tomatoes in this recipe. If you don’t have that, tomato sauce is a good alternative.
- After pressure-cooking, if you noticed that the lentils are not yet cooked, use a hand masher to mash the dal.
Actually, this recipe is a combination of Dal Fry and Dal Tadka
Can we eat lemon rice with dal fry?
Yes, you can. Lemon rice is a very good dish. Why only lemon rice with dal fry, can be eaten with any kind of rice.
Will my Dal Fry get spoilt if kept out for the whole day?
I don’t think the dal fry would be spoiled if left out all day because in my experience I haven’t seen it yet. However, there are some conditions that you must comply with. Such as:
Do not refrigerate the Lentils in hot conditions.
The prepared dal fry should not touch by hands, as it can be spoiled by germs from sticking to the hands.
Also, you can use Ajinomoto (MSG) when creating the recipe, it will help keep your recipe fresh for more than a day.
Can dal fry eat in jaundice?
Doctors say light food should be eaten during Jaundice. Rich and high protein foods should be avoided. But this recipe has a lot of protein and fat. So in my opinion jaundice, patients should not eat this dal fry.
How to dehydrate cooked dal fry?
If you think that your dal fry has too much water (hydrated), then there is no way to reduce the water from there. So at that time the gas should be brought to a medium level and boiled for a while more. Stir a little from time to time, if you stir too much, all the lentils can melt. keep boiled until the extra water evaporated.
This is the only process to dehydrate cooked Dal Fry.
What do you eat with dal fry?
Dal fry is eaten with regular rice or bread. It can also be eaten with basmati rice, Jeera rice, fried rice, flatbread, various types of parathas, etc. Doesn’t matter what you served with it, Dal Fry can be perfect with all dishes.
Do I need to soak toor dal or whatever I used in this recipe?
You should always wash all the dals (lentils) before cooking, because the dal may contain a lot of chemicals and dust. You can also soak the dals about 30 minutes before pressure cooked them but that was not recommended. If you used channa dal or gram lentil, then you need to soak at least 1 hour before pressure cooked them.
What can I use instead of Toor dal?
Gram Lentil (Chana Dal) is an alternative to Toor Dal or pigeon peas. If you see my recipe here I used Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) and Petite yellow lentils (Mung Dal) along with Toor Dal. You can also use them with Chana Dal.
Can I make this Dal Fry in Instant Pot?
Of course. In fact, the first time when I made this recipe, I used an instant pot. Just follow the same process mentioned in my recipe.
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Dal Fry Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pigeon Pea or Toor Dal (or Arhar Dal)
- 1 cup Red Lentil or Masoor Dal
- 2 tbsp Small Yellow Lentils or Moong Dal
- ½ tbsp Cumin seeds
- 1 piece Onion chopped
- 1½ tbsp Garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Ginger finely chopped
- 2 pieces Green chili chopped
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves finely chopped
- ⅓ tbsp Turmeric Powder
- ½ tbsp Black Pepper powder
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 2 pieces Dry Red Chili
- 1 tbsp Red chili powder
- ½ tbsp Asafoetida or Hing
- Salt as per taste
- 1 tbsp Sugar optional
Instructions
- First, take 1 cup of Toor Dal or Arahar Dal, 1 cup of Red Lentil or Masoor Dal, and 2 teaspoons of Moong Dal or Small Yellow Lentils in a pressure cooker. Now wash well in cold water. If needed, wash repeatedly so that the lentils are clean.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Put it on gas over medium heat till 3 whistles. Then open the lid of the cooker. [Note: – After 3 whistles, turn off the gas and keep the lid of the cooker open. Because if you keep the lid closed, the lentils may melt.]
- Chopped the necessary vegetables i.e. onion, green chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, and put them in separate containers.
- Now heat oil in a pan. Now add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds in it and fry.
- When you get a nice aroma of cumin, add chopped ginger, garlic, and green chili and fry a little.
- Then add the chopped onions that you keep aside before.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, it will help to bring beautiful color and flavor to this recipe.
- Add 1/2 tbsp of red chili powder, 1/2 tbsp of black pepper powder and stir a little. This time add 1 teaspoon of butter. After that take 1 minute to saute.
- Now add the cooked lentils and mix well. Add salt to taste. You can also add a little sugar at this time but it's totally optional.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes. The initial stage of your dal fry is ready. You can serve it now if you want. In fact, many people also serve at this stage. Actually, it is the common Dal fry that everyone made in the home. The twist is coming from the next step.
- Now place the prepared dal in a serving bowl or a separate container.
- Heat 2 tbsp ghee with 1 tbsp oil in a pan again. Add 2 red dried chilies, 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic, and 1 teaspoon asafoetida.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon hot spices powder. No need to fry too much, after a little fry you will see a nice pungent smell.
- Then take it and spread it on the bowl. This simple and small step will take your recipe to a whole new level.
Notes
- You can add a little Kasuri Methi powder (dry fenugreek leaves powder) to this recipe if you want. Fenugreek will help bring a nice flavor.
- In the case of hot spice powder, use home-made spices and you will see that there is an authentic feeling.
Nutrition
Related:
Radhaballavi Recipe
High Protein Slow Cooker Recipes
Here you can watch this video that may help you a lot to make this recipe easily. I am the biggest fan of Chef Ranveer, so I give this video for guidance. Take a look –
You may like these Indian recipes:
- Aloo Mutter Recipe
- Veg Manchurian Recipe
- Restaurant Style Malai Kofta Recipe
- Chana Masala Street Style
- Paneer Pakora Recipe
- Chili Mushroom Recipe
- Dhokla Recipe
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