5 Must-Try Chana Dal Recipes
BY DANFE |
Nothing satiates your hunger like chana dal recipes. Chana Dal, also known as split yellow chickpeas, is a popular lentil most often used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisines. Unlike other lentils, chana dal doesn’t require soaking overnight. However, soaking overnight or 4-6 hours before cooking speeds up the cooking time significantly.
The beauty of chana dal is that it is extremely nutrient-dense and diabetes-friendly. Chana Dal is rich in vital protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fun fact: just 1 cup of Chana Dal meets 54% of the daily recommended dietary fiber intake.
In Indian cuisine, chana dal is most commonly used to make dal/lentil soup. In many Indian households, this chana dal recipe is a staple, often consumed for lunch or dinner. But today, we are sharing simple and easy chana dal recipes that can be served as appetizers or entrees for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This way, you can enjoy chana dal in various forms and keep your body fueled during the day.
Chana Dal Pancakes
This split yellow chickpeas recipe is a savory-take on the much-loved pancakes. Contrary to pancakes, this split yellow chickpeas recipe is healthy, packed with protein, and will keep you satiated until your next meal. This split yellow chickpeas recipe is also great for diabetic patients since it is diabetes-friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Danfe’s Chana Dal
- ½ cup Danfe’s Sooji Flour
- ½ cup Spinach, Finely Chopped
- ½ cup Carrot, Grated
- 1 Medium-Sized Onion, Finely Chopped
- 4-6 Curry Leaves, Roughly Chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger, Grated
- 1-2 Green Chilies, Chopped
- Fruit Salt to Taste
- 1 tbsp Curd/Plain Yoghurt
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Step 1: Soak the chana dal overnight.
Step 2: Drain the excess water, and grind the chana dal to a coarse paste. Add a little bit of water if needed.
Step 3: In a mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients (minus the fruit salt) and mix well. Add the chana dal and mix well.
Step 4: Just before serving, add the fruit salt and mix well.
Step 5: Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
Step 6: Once the skillet is hot and ready, add a scoop of the batter.
Step 7: When one side is golden brown, flip and cook until the other side becomes golden brown. Drizzle a little oil if needed.
Step 8: Repeat the steps until the batter is finished.
Step 9: Serve hot with your desired chutneys.
Chana Dal Soup Instant Pot Recipe
This chana dal instant pot recipe is the ultimate comfort food, especially on a cold winter night. Normally, this chana dal recipe is cooked on a stovetop. But this time, we will show you how you can make this easy and hearty chana dal recipe in your instant pot! The beauty of making this chana dal recipe is that you can cook the chana dal without soaking it overnight or for 4-6 hours.
Instant Pot Ingredients
- 1 cup Danfe’s Chana Dal
- 1 Tomato, Roughly Chopped
- 1 Onion, Roughly Chopped
- 2 cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 1 tsp Danfe’s Turmeric Powder
- ¾ tsp Red Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Garam Masala
- ⅛ tsp Asafoetida
- 1 tbsp Cilantro, Roughly Chopped for Garnish
- Salt to Taste
- 1 ½ – 2 cups, Water
For the tempering
- 2 tsp Oil
- 2 Dried Red Chilies
- ¼ tsp Danfe’s Cumin Seeds
- ¼ tsp Danfe’s Mustard Seeds
Instructions
Step 1: Add the ingredients listed under “Instant Pot Ingredients” to your instant pot.
Step 2: Close the lid and seal the valve.
Step 3: Press the manual button and select high pressure. Set the cooking time for 12 minutes.
Step 4: Once the timer is up, wait for the pressure to release.
Step 5: Open the lid and give the dal a nice stir. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button. Then press the Saute button.
Step 6: Now it’s time for the tempering. Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
Step 7: Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and dried red chilies. Let them splutter.
Step 8: Once the seeds start spluttering, remove them from heat and add them to the instant pot. Give them a good stir.
Step 9: Add some lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice or enjoy alone as a soup.
Chana Dal Kebab
This chana dal recipe is a vegetarian take on the classic seekh kebab. The soya chunks used in this chana dal recipe give the kebabs the perfect meaty texture and adds an extra kick of protein. Traditionally, kebabs are served as an appetizer with chutneys. However, you can also serve these with roti, spread it on tortillas for a flavorful wrap, or even add it to a bed of green salad.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Danfe’s Soya Wadi
- ¾ cup Danfe’s Chana Dal
- 2 Medium-Sized Potatoes, Boiled and Mashed
- 2 Green Chilies, Finely Chopped
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, Finely Chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Danfe’s Cumin Seeds
- 2 tsp Danfe’s Coriander Seeds
- 1 tsp Shah Jeera
- 2 Cardamom
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Peppercorns
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Dried Red Chili
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- Salt to Taste
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Step 1: Soak the chana dal overnight. Soak the soya chunks for 30 minutes in hot water.
Step 2: In a non-stick skillet, dry roast all the spices: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, shah jeera, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, dried red chili, cinnamon stick.
Step 3: Let the masalas cool to room temperature and grind them to powder form. Set it aside.
Step 4: Once the chana dal and soya chunks are done, drain the excess water.
Step 5: Add chana dal and soya chunks to a blender. Blend them to a coarse paste. Add a little bit of water if needed.
Step 6: Heat another non-stick skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add the green chilies and ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2 minutes.
Step 7: Add the soya chunks/chana dal paste and saute for 5-7 minutes.
Step 8: Remove the mixture from heat. Then, add the mashed potatoes, ground masala powder. Mix well.
Step 9: Now, add the lemon juice and cilantro. Mix well.
Step 10: Now, take a scoop or two of the coarse mixture and make small patties.
Step 11: Air fry these patties, or shallow fry on a griddle.
Step 12: Serve with mint chutney and garlic chutney, or with any dressings as you prefer. Enjoy!
Chana Dal Salad
This split yellow chickpeas recipe requires no cooking and is incredibly easy to make – 15 minutes tops, to be exact! All you need to make this colorful and nutritious split yellow chickpeas recipe are fresh vegetables, cheese, and salad dressing. Sounds easy enough? This recipe’s beauty is that you can throw in any fresh vegetables and seasonings you have lying around.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Danfe’s Chana Dal, Rinsed
- 1 Cucumber, Diced
- 1 Medium-Sized Red Onion, Finely Chopped
- 1 Medium-Sized Tomato, Finely Chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, Roughly Chopped
- 1 tsp Dried Mint Leaves
- 1 tsp Danfe’s Cumin Seeds, crushed
- ½ tsp Red Chili Flakes
- 2 tbsp Feta Cheese
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil (Optional)
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (Optional)
- 3 Cups Water
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
Step 1: Soak the chana dal overnight.
Step 2: When you are ready to make the salad, Rinse the chana dal until the water runs clear. Step 3: Add the chana dal with 3 cups of water to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
Step 4: In the meantime, in a salad mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients: cucumber, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, dried mint leaves, cilantro, red chili flakes, and crushed cumin seeds. Mix well.
Step 5: Once the chana dal is done and the pressure releases, drain the chana dal and add it to the salad bowl. Toss well.
Step 6: Top it off with feta cheese. Drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss well. If you prefer another salad dressing, you can leave out the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and instead add your favorite salad dressing.
Step 7: Serve alone or with toasted pita or crostini.
Chana Dal Fava Dip
Greek Fava Dip is a traditional dip from the islands of Santorini! Think of it as a Greek hummus. This chana dal recipe is straightforward to make and only requires basic ingredients like red onion, garlic, olive oil, and a few basic seasonings.
In ancient Greek, this flavorful chana dal recipe was a staple meal and served every day as a soup. Now, it is considered an appetizer and often served with veggies or pita. If you prefer to enjoy it as a soup, blend using an immersion blender as the last step and serve warm. The dip follows the same recipe, except once you remove it from heat, let it refrigerate for 2-3 hours to get the hummus-like consistency. This chana dal recipe thickens as it cools.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Danfe’s Chana Dal, rinsed and drained
- 1 Medium-Sized Red Onion, Diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 tsp Danfe’s Cumin Seeds, ground
- ⅛ tsp Danfe’s Turmeric Powder
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Lemon Zest + Juice
- 6 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 cups Water
- Sea Salt to Taste
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil, to thin
Instructions
Step 1: Soak the Chana Dal overnight. Rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.
Step 2: In a large pot, add water, soaked chana dal, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 – 45 minutes.
Step 3: While the chana dal cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high.
Step 4: Add garlic and red onion. Saute for 5-7 minutes.
Step 5: Then add ground cumin and turmeric powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is fragrant and the raw smell of garlic disappears.
Step 6: Turn off the stove, remove the mixture from heat, and set it aside.
Step 7: Once the chana dal is fully cooked, drain the water and discard the bay leaf. Set it aside until it gets to room temperature.
Step 8: Once the chana dal is at room temperature, transfer it to a food processor. Add the onion-garlic mixture, lemon zest, and remaining olive oil. Blend until smooth.
Step 9: Taste the dip and add extra sea salt or lemon juice, if necessary. Transfer the dip to the refrigerator and let it cool.
Step 10: When you are ready to serve, drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle some greek oregano and top it with kalamata olives.
These chana dal recipes are a deliciously healthy way to keep your whole family satiated and fueled throughout the day. Moreover, these chana dal recipes are full of incredible flavors that your kids won’t even notice that they are packed with healthy ingredients. All of the recipes are made with Danfe’s 100% pure and natural products, so you can be rest assured that there are no GMOs, pesticides, or chemicals. So get cracking to make these chana dal recipes for tasty and nutritious meals!
