Dhaba dal fry recipe is a flavorful and tasty dal fry with bold flavors. A delicious mix of lentils cooked and seasoned with selective spices, this dal served in Punjabi Dhaba is one of a kind. When you serve this dal with phulka or jeera rice it makes a wonderful nourishing meal.
Dhaba are road side eateries mostly found in highways that facilitate spicy and quick food along with truck stops for drivers.
The food served in dhaba are mostly local cuisine,rustic, wholesome and spicy. They eventually gained popularity and dhabas are now found across the country.
Some very common Punjabi specialties you will find in dhaba are parathas, dal makhani, rajma etc.
I tasted this very delicious dhaba dal in a Punjabi dhaba and I have been making this at home since then. Over the years I have improvised the recipe and this dhaba dal fry recipe I am sharing here is the best 🙂
Whenever I make this dhaba style dal fry at home, I also make jeera rice loaded with onions. We just love the combination of dal fry and jeera rice.
Serve dhaba dal piping hot with jeer Rice, peas pulao, steamed basmati rice, paratha and phulka. You can also serve bhindi fry, potato fry as side.
How To Make Dhaba Dal Easily
To make dhaba dal I like to use a mix of pigeon peas, split green gram and split bengal gram. You can also make this dal with a mix of five lentils. You can use split black gram, toor dal, masoor dal, moong dal and chana dal.
First of all pressure cook the lentils until soft and mushy. Mash well and set aside.
Heat butter in a thick pan and saute the whole spices well. Next add the chopped onions followed by slit green chilies. Saute well.Next add minced ginger garlic and saute. Then we add chopped tomatoes, spice powders and saute well.
Next step is to add the mashed dal. Mix the dal well with the masala. Season with salt. Add garam masala powder and kasuri methi. Mix well.
Finally just before serving I add a generous dose of fried onions and it just elevates the flavor of this dal. Do try this out once.
Can You Make Dhaba Dal Directly In Pressure Cooker?
Yes, you can easily make this dal fry in pressure cooker. Here are the instructions.
Heat a thick pressure cooker base with butter. Prepare the onion-tomato mixture as mentioned in the recipe. Once you prepare the masala, add the picked and rinsed lentils. Mix well and add required water. Season with salt. Pressure cook up to 6 whistles.
Once the pressure is released, mix well. Add kasuri methi, garam masala and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.
Tips For Making Best Dhaba Dal Fry?
For best flavor always use butter for this dal fry. The taste of this dhaba dal is when made with butter than ghee.
Vegans can use oil though.
Do not add too many tomatoes in this recipe.
Add garam masala just before you take the dal off the stove.
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How To Make Dhaba Dal Fry Recipe Step by Step
Pick, rinse and pressure cook the dal or lentils well. The lentils should be completely cooked and easy to mash.
Heat oil or butter in a thick pan. Add bay leaf, black cardamom and cloves. Saute well for a minute. Add cumin seeds and saute well.
Add chopped onions and saute well. Next add minced ginger -garlic and slit green chilies.
Once the raw smell of ginger garlic leaves, add the chopped tomatoes. Add chili powder Saute well till the tomatoes get well cooked.
Next add the cooked mashed dal. Mix well. Season with salt and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Add kasuri methi, garam masala powder and mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot.
Dhaba Dal Fry Recipe
Dhaba dal fry recipe is a flavorful and tasty dal fry with bold flavors. A delicious mix of lentils cooked and seasoned with selective spices, this dal served in Punjabi Dhaba is one of a kind. When you serve this dal with phulka or jeera rice it makes a wonderful nourishing meal.
- 1/4 cup toor dal split pigeon peas
- 1/4 cup moong dal split green gram
- 1/4 cup chana dal split bengal gram
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 2 green chilies slit
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger-garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped
- Pick, rinse and pressure cook the dal or lentils well. The lentils should be completely cooked and easy to mash.
- Heat oil or butter in a thick pan. Add bay leaf, black cardamom and cloves. Saute well for a minute. Add cumin seeds and saute well.
- Add chopped onions and saute well. Next add minced ginger -garlic and slit green chilies.
- Once the raw smell of ginger garlic leaves, add the chopped tomatoes. Add chili powder Saute well till the tomatoes get well cooked.
- Next add the cooked mashed dal. Mix well. Season with salt and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Add kasuri methi, garam masala powder and mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot.
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This dal tasted so authentic and yummy. Just like what I tasted in dhaba!