Panchmel Dal
five lentils cooked together and finished with a ghee, hing and red chilli tadka
Allergens in Panchmel Dal: milk.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 60g Toor Dal
- 50g Chana Dal
- 40g Moong Dal
- 30g Urad Dalsplit and skinned
- 30g Masoor Dal
- 5 tbsp Gheehalf in the dal, half in the final tadka
- 1.5 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Asafoetidause compounded-free hing to keep this gluten-free
- 4, broken Dried Red Chilli
- 1 Bay Leafoptional
- 3 Clovesoptional
- 1 tbsp, finely chopped Ginger
- 2, slit Green Chilli
- 1 medium, chopped Tomatooptional
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masalaoptional
- 1 tsp Amchuror a squeeze of lemon at the table
- 3 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
- 1 litre Water
- to taste Salt
Cookware
pressure cooker, stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Rinse the five dals together until the water runs clear, then soak 30 minutes. Chana dal is the slowest of them and soaking evens out the cooking.
- This is the dal that goes with dal baati, so make it thinner than you think. It should pour, not sit.
- Keep the tadka ingredients within reach; the last step takes under a minute.
Method
- Drain the soaked dals and pressure-cook with the turmeric, 1 tbsp ghee and 900ml water for 4 whistles, then let the pressure drop naturally.The ghee in the cooker stops the dal frothing up into the vent.
- Whisk the cooked dal briefly. It should be soft but the chana dal still recognisable, not a puree.
- Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a separate pan, crackle 1 tsp cumin with the bay leaf and cloves.
- Add the ginger and green chilli and fry 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the coriander powder, chilli powder and half the hing off the heat for 10 seconds, then add the tomato and cook 4 minutes until it breaks down.Ground spices burn in hot ghee. Always take the pan off the flame first.
- Pour this into the dal with the salt and the remaining water, and simmer 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens to a pouring consistency.
- Stir in the amchur and garam masala and taste for salt and sourness.
- For the final tadka, heat the last 2 tbsp ghee, crackle the remaining cumin, add the broken red chillies and the rest of the hing, and pour it over the dal while it is still foaming.Pour it on at the table. The noise and the smell are half the point.
- Scatter the coriander leaves and serve with baati or bajre ki roti.
Storage
Keeps 4 days refrigerated and thickens considerably. Reheat with 100ml water per portion and refresh with a small ghee-and-cumin tadka. Freezes for a month.
Nutrition Medium estimate
One serving of Panchmel Dal (343 g) is about 357 calories, or 105 calories per 100 g.
Medium protein: 13 g a serving, 15% of the calories
| Per serving343 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 357 kcal | 105 kcal |
| Protein | 13.0 g | 4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 39.0 g | 11 g |
| of which sugars | 4.4 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 9.3 g | 3 g |
| Fat | 18.1 g | 5 g |
| of which saturated | 10.2 g | 3 g |
| of which unsaturated | 6.6 g | 2 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for amchur, asafoetida, garam masala, urad dal. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Rajasthani recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.