Chana Dal with Dhungar

A dhaba-style chana dal that is rich and flavorful. It has an outstanding balance of flavors with onions, garlic, black cardamom, lots of ghee, and some smokiness. It is a little more complex than a homestyle dal, but well worth the effort.

For this recipe, you will need: chana dal, water, turmeric, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, ghee, cilantro, lemon juice, onion, garlic, ginger, red chili powder, tomatoes, garam masala, green chilies, cumin seeds, and salt

Ingredients

Rinse and soak the dal for 30 minutes (soaking the dal is optional and can be skipped)

Step 1

Combine the dal, 4 cups water, turmeric, salt, black cardamom pod, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, and ghee in the pressure cooker (Instant Pot).

Step 2

Add the spices, tomatoes and chilies for the first tadka.

Step 3

Step 4

Add the dal to the pan and add the dhungar.

Step 5

Remove the dhungar and add the second tadka.