Chana Dal

This is a fantastic, protein-packed, vegan and gluten-free dish that tastes great all by itself. It’s also delicious with basmati rice or your choice of bread. 

Chana dal (daal/dahl) comes from chickpeas that have been split, skinned, and polished. They are also known as split chickpeas, yellow split peas, bengal gram, or split yellow gram. This everyday dish is very popular in Pakistani cuisine.

There are various ways of making this dish but this recipe is one of my husband’s favorites, especially when I serve it with fresh cilantro, avocado and lime! I hope you’ll love it the way we do!

I encourage you to share your experience in the comments below if you tried this recipe or made it differently. If you took a photo, please share with me on my instagram account ‘zesty_zahra’ and I will share your stories there. I am always happy to learn about people’s food choices and preferences!

Chana Dal

Zahra

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Pakistani

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  

• 4 tbsp Avocado Oil optional
• ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 Yellow Onion medium size, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 inch Ginger minced
• 6 cloves Garlic minced
• 1 inch Jalapeño minced
• 2 cups Roma Tomatoes diced
• 1 cup Chana Dal (split chickpeas)
• 2½ cups Water
• 1½ tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric
• 1½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 tsp Salt

Garnish

• Fresh Cilantro
• Lime Wedge
• Avocado Slices

Instructions

 

• Heat a pan on high heat and add cumin seeds and onion (and oil if using). Sauté until golden brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle some water if the mixture is sticking to the pan.
• Add ginger, garlic, jalapeño and tomatoes and mix well. Cover the lid and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Add chana dal, water, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, crushed red pepper and salt. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low-medium and continue to cook until water dissolves, about 40 minutes.
• Add garnishes and serve while hot. Serve with naan if you like!

Keyword split chickpeas