Punjabi dal fry is one of the most popular main course food in Northern Indian states. It is a very simple food but surprisingly very mouthwatering dish because of using various aromatic spices into it. Any North Indian dinner without dal fry seems like an incomplete one. The best part of this dal fry is it is equally enjoyable with both rice and roti. Though many people prefer both arhar dal & masoor dal in Punjabi dal fry (Dhaba style), but I love masoor dal fry than anything else. Did you try this mouthwatering & super aromatic dal ever at home? If not then you should try this now.
Pressure cooking of masoor dal is important because it will make dal mashy, so you can not identify any lentil out of it. Such mashed dal will the texture of this Dhaba style masoor dal fry.
So pressure cooked masoor dal with turmeric powder and pinches of salt. Pour enough water to cook it.
A few other Punjabi recipes: Delicious aloo methi, Very tasty paneer chole masala, The best kadhi chawal
Spices used for making this Dhaba style mouthwatering dal fry
Mustard seeds (1.5 tsp): These are very small size round shaped seeds. It is also called sarson in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu languages. These seeds are also used to extracts oil.
Cumin seeds (1.5 tsp): These are very small sized seeds. This seed is native to middle East, Iran & India. China & India are two major producers of this spice. But India is the major consumer of this spice. It is called jeera in Hindi.
Garlic (8 cloves): This is another common Indian spice. It is also known as lahsun in Hindi. This spice is using by human beings for thousands of years. China is the biggest producer of this spice.
Ginger (1 inch): It is known as adrak in Hindi. It is a rhizome or root of this plant. Ginger has very nice & strong aroma which is used to make various Indian dishes. India, Nigeria & China are the major producers of this spice.
Fresh green chillies (3 pieces). These are the fruits of this plant. It is very hot in taste. It is also known as mirch in Hindi. China is the major producer of the world.
Fresh curry leaves (10-12 leaves): It is also known as kadi patta in Hindi. These are basically leaves of this plant. The leaf of this plant is very aromatic. Due to its strong aroma, it is used as a spice in many Indian dishes.
Red chilli powder (1.5 tsp): This is ripened & then sun-dried fruits of chilli pepper plant. When this are unripe then these are green in color but after ripening it becomes red. People preserve it after sun drying and make powder out of it and use as a spice to bring hot in taste as well as red color in dishes.
Turmeric powder (1 tsp): The root of this plant is used as a spice. It is boiled then sun-dried and make a powder out of it. It brings flavor and color in food. This is a popular spice in Indian cuisine. It is known as haldi in Hindi.
Asafoetida (1/2 tsp): It is also known as Hing in Hindi, Bengali & some other Indian languages. It is dried latex released from the rhizome (taproot) of a plant.
Coriander powder (2 tsp): It is also known as dhania in Hindi. The seeds, as well as its leaves, are used as spices. Its dried seeds are ground to make powder and use as a spice. Not only powder, but its whole seed can also often be used as a spice to many Indian dishes.
Kasuri methi (2 tsp): It is sundried leaves of fenugreek herbs. Its seeds also can be used as a spice.
Garam masala (1 tsp): It is an Indian spice what comes in powder form. It is a mixture of different aromatic spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves etc.
Onion (1 big size): It is root vegetable as well as an important spice in Indian kitchen.
You can see the list of spices is quite long and many aromatic Indian spices are used to make Masoor dal fry special and mouthwatering.
Apart from all those spices, red coloured ripen tomatoes are added to this Punjabi masoor dal fry recipe (dhaba style). Tomatoes bring color & flavor in this food.
This dish normally is cooked in desi ghee. It makes this dal fry more mouthwatering. But I prefer to cook this in a combination with both vegetable oil & ghee.
Also read:
Punjabi wedding food menu – At a glance for you
If you ever visit a dhaba or traditional restaurant in any Northern Indian states then you will see they serve this food in a small brass made bucket.
Punjabi style masoor dal fry recipe (Dhaba style)
- ½ cup masoor dal
- 1.5 teaspoons turmeric powder/haldi
- Salt as needed
- 2 cups water
- 1.5 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 12 fresh curry leaves
- 1.5 teaspoons red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida/hing
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 big size onion, chopped into thin slices
- 2 medium size tomato, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ tablespoon ghee
- Take masoor dal, turmeric powder, salt and water in a pressure cooker
- Then cook it till 6-7 whistles and keep it over a low flame for next 5 mins
- Heat oil in a cooking pot (or wok), add mustard seeds allow it to start cracking, then add whole cumin seeds and saute for next 1 min
- Now add garlic pieces, grated ginger and cook till raw aroma disappear
- Add fresh curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies and saute, then add chopped onion, salt and cook till it becomes light brown
- Now add finely chopped tomato pieces and cook till it becomes soft & mashy
- Then add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida (hing), garam masala and pout half tablespoon of ghee
- Then add pressure cooked masoor dal and mix with all spices, add water if needed
- Now allow it to start boiling over medium flame, boil it for next 5 mins
- Then add crushed kasuri methi and finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)
- Switch off flame
So did you like this Punjabi style masoor dal fry that too in dhaba style? Is it not very delicious?
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