Chana Dal Recipe (Bengal Gram Dal)
Updated: July 13, 2025, By Swasthi
This delicious North Indian Chana dal is a protein-packed dish made with Bengal gram/ split chickpeas, spices and herbs. It’s healthy, hearty, flavor-packed and everything you want for a good & satisfying meal. It goes well with rice, millets, quinoa or whole grain flatbreads. It’s naturally gluten-free and is 100% plant-based if you use oil. In this post I share how to make a super delicious Chana Dal, with and without a pressure cooker (in a sauce pan).
This recipe is divided into 3 sections – cook the lentils, make a spicy & fragrant onion tomato masala, later simmer lentils in the masala. Lastly make a special tadka for a flavor boost.
About Chana Dal
Chana dal is derived from Kala Chana, the desi variety of chickpeas (whole brown chickpeas) and not from white chickpeas (Kabuli Chana). The whole legume is skinned and split to get the chana dal. These are also labelled as split chickpeas, Bengal gram, yellow gram or gram dal in the stores.
Apart from having a distinct flavor and texture, these take longer to cook when compared to the other lentils. Like any other lentils, fresher stocks cook faster while those that have been sitting in the stores and warehouses for longer, take much longer time to cook. So always buy chana dal from a store where the stocks move out faster.
Soak or no soak?
If you do not have a pressure cooker, soak the lentils overnight or at least for 30 mins in hot boiling water (covered). I never soak mine and it always gets cooked perfectly, with 10 mins pressure cook time in the instant pot and 4 whistles in a 3 lts stovetop steel cooker (medium flame).
But if you have a tough time cooking them faster even in the pressure cooker, soak them in boiling hot water for 30 mins before cooking.
No Pressure Cooker?
You can cook chana dal in a sauce pan. Soak the dal in boiling hot water for 30 mins and cover. Later bring back to a boil and cook uncovered on a medium heat for 5 mins. Discard the scum that arises on top & add turmeric. Cook partially covered, leaving a spoon in the pot, until the lentils are tender & begin to break down slightly (not mushy). Takes around 30 mins, keep adding more hot water as required.
Ingredients & Substitutes
- Whole spices like bay leaf, cumin seeds, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon and dried red chilies add a lot of depth and flavor to your chana dal. It makes your dish special. However if you want to make a basic version, you may omit these but just use cumin seeds and more garam masala.
- Ground Spices like Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, coriander and cumin powder are essential to make this dish.
- Special ingredients like kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and amchur (mango powder) add beautiful North Indian flavors to the dish. You may omit kasuri if you don’t have and use chaat masala or lemon juice to substitute amchur.
- Onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilies & coriander leaves are the other basic essentials in this recipe. If you don’t eat onions & garlic, you may omit them. Coriander leaves are used to garnish, you may omit them if you don’t have.
- Fats – While oil helps to saute the onions and make the base masala, ghee helps to make a fragrant tadka. If you want to make this a low fat dish, omit the tadka and add the ingredients under tadka while you make the onion tomato base/masala. I have more details in the notes below. To make the dish plant-based, use oil.
- Asafoetida also known as hing is a spice used to flavor lentil dishes. You may omit if you don’t like and it won’t affect the flavor of this dish. It usually has a small amount of gluten, look for a gluten-free version if you follow a GF diet.
3 Expert Tips for a special Chana Dal
- To bring out the unique flavors, chana dal should be cooked long enough until some of them begin to break down in the onion tomato masala. These broken lentils make your dish thicker, without water separation and they get fragrant only at this stage.
- Chana dal has a natural strong flavor that is sweeter than other lentils. Using a good amount of whole and ground spices complements & enhances those flavors. So use a moderate amount of spices.
- For a special outstanding flavor, always make a fresh special tadka just before serving. This takes your dish to the next level. However If you want to omit the special tadka, simply include all the ingredients listed for additional tadka when you make the onion tomato masala. Ex – add cumin seeds when you add the other whole spices. Add more ginger, garlic, red chili, green chilies, red chilies when you make the masala. Add the hing and also the ghee if you want during the same process.
More lentil dishes
Masala Vada
Dal Tadka
Dal Fry
Masoor Dal
Dal Makhani
Photo Guide
How to make Chana Dal (Stepwise Pics)
This recipe serves 3 to 4. If you want you may halve the recipe for fewer servings.
1. Add 1 cup chana dal (205 grams) to a colander or a large bowl. Rinse well thrice under running water while you rub with your fingers. Drain and transfer to a pressure cooker or a large bowl. Pour 3 cups (710 ml) water and add ½ teaspoon turmeric.
2. Pressure cook in the instant pot for 10 mins. If using a stovetop cooker, cook on a medium flame, until you hear 4 to 5 whistles. Let the pressure drop naturally. Your chana dal should ideally get mashed easily when you press down in between your fingers, but still hold shape. It should not be al dente.
3. Meanwhile prep up the following ingredients:
- Fine chop 1 medium onion to make ¾ cup (100 grams)
- Mince or grate ¾ inch ginger to make ½ tablespoon (6 grams)
- Mince or grate 4 to 5 medium garlic cloves to make 1 tablespoon (11 grams)
- Fine chop 2 medium tomatoes to make 1 cup (150 grams)
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- ½ teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder or chaat masala or use 2 tablespoons lemon juice while serving)
- 1 Indian bay leaf (optional), 2 inch cinnamon piece (Ceylon/cassia), 1 black cardamom, 3 green cardamoms (or use ¼ tsp ground cardamom, won’t be able to pick from the dal later)
Make the onion tomato masala
4. While the chana dal cooks, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and add the whole spices – bay leaf, cinnamon, black and green cardamoms. When the spices begin to sizzle in the hot oil, add the chopped onions and saute on a medium flame for 6 to 7 mins, until light golden.
5. Stir in the ginger and garlic. Saute until aromatic, for 1 to 2 mins.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they break down to a mush, for 4 to 5 mins.
7. Add all the ground spices – red chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt.
8. Saute for 2 mins until aromatic.
9. Mix in the cooked chana dal with the remaining stock/dal cooked water.
10. Some of my chana dal is usually broken down so I don’t need to mash, but if your’s isn’t, mash some of them. This keeps the dal binded and there is no water separation.
11. If you feel your dal is too thick, you may add some hot water. Mix and simmer until thick, for 5 mins. Crush kasuri methi in your hands and sprinkle. Stir in the amchur if using. Taste test and adjust salt to your preference. If using chaat masala sprinkle all over the chana dal.
12. This is the consistency and texture we prefer. It thickens further after cooling down. If you want you may pick and discard the whole spices bay leaf, black cardamom and cinnamon.
Make the tempering or Tadka
13. While the dal is simmering, prep up the ingredients for tadka
- 1½ to 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 green chilies deseed & slit or dried red chilies (or both, omit green chilies if making for kids)
- 2 garlic cloves chopped (4 grams)
- ½ inch ginger juliennes (4 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing, optional)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (optional, use only if required)
14. Heat a small pan on a medium flame and add ghee. Stir in the ginger, garlic, red and green chilies. Let them fry for 1 to 2 mins, until aromatic. Do not burn. Turn off the flame and add red chili powder (to increase the heat) and hing (optional).
Pour this over the Chana Dal and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with plain basmati rice, Jeera rice, plain parathas or roti.
Variations
- You can add 4 to 5 cups of baby spinach to this dish. Saute in a tablespoon ghee/oil for 4 to 5 mins and add it to the chana dal at the last stage.
- If you are including vegetables (as mentioned below) you omit the whole spices like cardamoms, cinnamon and bay leaf. Use more cumin seeds
- A lot of Telugu speaking people cook veggies like ridge gourd/turai, bottle gourd/ lauki, yellow cucumber and pumpkin with chana dal. Cook them in the onion tomato masala until tender yet firm. Later add the cooked chana dal. Your dish will take on the flavors of the veggies here.
- Alternately I pressure cook the gourd veggies along with the chana dal and just add to the masala. You can also make a one pot dish in pressure cooker with chana dal and gourd veggies. The veggies get mushy but we are okay with that.
- You can also add curry leaves and mustard seeds to your tadka, for a North-South Indian mixed flavors.
Related posts
Recipe Card
Chana Dal Recipe (Bengal Gram Dal)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 cup (205 grams) chana dal (Bengal gram)
- 3 cups (710 ml) water to pressure cook (more if using pot)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
To make onion tomato masala
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) ghee or oil
- ¾ cup (100 grams) onions (1 medium onion fine chopped)
- ½ tablespoon ginger minced/grated (6 grams from ¾ inch root)
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced/ grated (11 grams from 4 to 5 medium cloves)
- 1 cup (150 grams) tomatoes (2 medium chopped finely)
- 1 Indian bay leaf (optional)
- 2 inch cinnamon piece (Ceylon/cassia, read notes)
- 1 black cardamom (omit if you don’t like)
- 3 green cardamoms (or use ¼ tsp ground)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- ½ teaspoon amchur (mango powder or sub with chaat masala or 2 tbsps lemon juice while serving)
- 3 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro chopped finely)
To temper /tadka (read notes)
- 1½ to 2 tablespoon ghee or oil (30 ml)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 green chilies deseed & slit or dried red chilies (or both, omit if making for kids)
- 2 garlic cloves chopped (4 grams)
- ½ inch ginger juliennes (4 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing, optional)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (optional, only if required)
Instructions
Cook chana dal
- Add chana dal to a colander or a bowl and rinse well thrice, rubbing with your fingers. Drain and transfer to a pressure cooker or a large bowl. Pour water and add turmeric.
- Pressure cook on a medium heat, until you hear 4 to 5 whistles. Or in the instant pot for 10 mins. Wait until the pressure drops. (For sauce pan method, check post intro)
Make the masala
- While the chana dal cooks, heat oil in a pan and add the bay leaf, cinnamon, black and green cardamoms.
- When they begin to sizzle, add onions and saute on a medium heat, until golden, for 6 to 7 mins.
- Add ginger and garlic and saute for 2 mins, until aromatic. Stir in the tomatoes and cook down for 4 to 5 mins, till they break down to a mush.
- Stir in the ground spices – chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Saute for 2 mins and add the cooked chana dal with the remaining stock/water. Optionally, mash gently to break down some of the lentils.
- If your dal is too thick you may add little hot water. Mix well and simmer for 5 mins, until thick. Lastly stir in kasuri methi and amchur if using. Taste test to adjust salt. (If you want you may pick and discard the black cardamom, bay leaf and cinnamon stick)
Temper/ Tadka
- On a medium flame, heat ghee in a small pan. When it is medium hot, add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the garlic, ginger, red and green chilies.
- Fry for 1 to 2 mins, until aromatic but not burnt. Turn off and add red chili powder (optional) and hing.
- Pour this over the Chana Dal and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with plain basmati rice, Jeera rice, plain parathas or roti.
Instant pot Chana Dal
- Press saute button and pour oil to the steel insert. Add bay leaf, green & black cardamoms, cinnamon and onions.
- Saute for 5 mins and stir in the ginger and garlic. Cook for a minute and add tomatoes. Saute until they break down slightly for 2 to 3 mins.
- Stir in red chili powder, turmeric, salt, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
- Add the dal together with water. Mix well and pressure cook for 13 mins. Wait until the pressure drops & mash some of the lentils, for a thicker consistency. Stir in amchur and kasuri methi.
- Taste test to adjust salt. Make the tadka following the above section.
Notes
- Whole spices add a ton of flavor to the dish. You may sub with more garam masala but you won’t get the same flavors.
- If using chaat masala, sprinkle it all over the dal just before pouring the tadka.
- To omit the additional special tadka, use the ingredients listed for additional tadka when you make the onion tomato masala. Add cumin seeds along with the other whole spices. Add more ghee, ginger, garlic, red chili, green chilies, red chilies and hing when you make the masala.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Originally published in May 2017, Republished in July 2025.
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Thank you Swasthi! This is the first time I’ve tried a recipe from your website and this chana dal was a big hit. It tasted similar to a dalcha served with biryani in our hometown. This brought back all those beautiful childhood memories. I know this will be made often from now onwards. Thank you again
You are welcome Gayatri. I’m so happy you like it. Thank you so much for sharing back your thoughts
Delicious chana dal recipe. Made it twice and served with frozen naan. Can you add whole spices like cloves and black cardamom? At what stage would you do that?
Thanks Ada. Yes you can add whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom and bay leaf. Add them while making the onion tomato masala.
Hello, Swasthi!
Thank you for sharing your recipes!
I’m interested in trying this recipe but I only have Toor Dal at the moment. Can I substitute it for chana dal and follow the same recipe?
Hello Chrissy,
I have a separate recipe using toor dal. Please check it here Dal fry. Hope you enjoy
Hi Swasthi, just wondering if it was possible to freeze this dal?
Hi Jacky,
Yes you can freeze this.
Extremely easy to make and very tasty! Thanks 😊
love this quick easy one pot dish .. served over rice delicious
Your recipes are easy to follow and the results are amazing. I made this chana dal and it taste delicious. I don’t have a pressure cooker so soaked and cooked it in a pot. We had a bowl of blanched stinging nettles to finish up which I threw into the masala and it was delish! Thank you and this is going to my top favorites.
I learnt cooking reading your recipe. Nothing but amazing.
Thank you so much!
Turned out delicious. I used nihari masala for garam masala and garnished with fried onions. Slow cooked it overnight and the texture was amazing.
That’s lovely SS. Thank you
Hello SS, yes, Swasthi’s Nihari Masala is quite probably my favourite Masala ever. I have leftovers from a Beef in Yoghurt with Nihari Masala for tomorrow. I’m looking at this recipe as a consideration for an accompaniment to it.
Paul:-)
Delicious! We like our dal mushy, so cooked longer and mashed a bit. I also added a black cardamom and cinnamon stick while boiling the chana dal. Turned out delicious.
Followed the recipe exactly but added mustard and curry leaves to the tadka. I had some coconut milk to use up, so I used that as well. Turned out delicious
Simple and fast recipe. I cooked chana dal in yakhni and made the masala with ghee. It turned out delicious. Thank you for the easy recipes
Glad you like it Maria. Thank you for sharing back
Supper Delicious recipe
Yummy
Being a South Indian I have never made a chana dal like this. This was delicious and loved amchur. Thank you Swasthi
Akhila, that’s really nice to know. Thank you for sharing back how it went for you
I am a beginner and trying to cook healthy homemade meals. I made this chana dal recipe and it turned out delicious. Loving the flavors and it is so simple. Why not mention about the whole spices in the recipe or in the notes instead of the comments. I see many are asking about it. Next time I am going to try with all the whole spices you mentioned there. Thank you for all the beautiful recipes
So glad to read that Nina. Yes I can update it in the notes. Thanks for your suggestion. Do try with whole spices if you really like them
OMG this is the best chana dal and it’s so simple to make! This recipe has been on weekly rotation for years now. My meat eating husband and kids loves as much as I do. I don’t have a pressure cooker, so soaking in hot water for an hour works the best, cooks under 25 mins while I make the masala. Recently I have also started to use whole spices. Cinnamon and black cardamom are amazing. Thank you for posting.
That’s really nice to know Rebecca. Soaking really helps with softening the lentils and cuts down the cook time. Thanks for trying and sharing back how you made it.
I have been making many of your recipes and have bought whole spices. I would like to use them more often. Please let me know if any of the biryani spices can be used in this recipe and at what stage do I add them
Hi Sam,
Not all biryani spices can be used in this chana dal. You can add 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon to the tempering along with cumin seeds. Hope you enjoy
Made this chana dal tonight and it was amazing! Garnished with barista and it was an excellent addition! A little smoked paprika at the last stage gave a real kick. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you like it Lucy. Thank you
I made this chana dal last week and it turned out delicious. Do you have a recommendation to make it spicer & more special for occasions?
Thanks Praty,
you may double the ground spices for more heat and spicy flavors. To make it special, you can use fried onions for regular onions and add more whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, black cardamoms. Or simply cook the raw onions until brown. This brings a lot of flavor.
Hi there,
This chana dal looks delicious. I am new to Indian cooking and trying to learn. Do you have a separate post/instructions on how to cook lentils without a pressure cooker? Please advice.
Hi,
Thank you. You just need to soak and cook them in surplus water. I have the details included in the post. If you want you may take a look at this split chickpeas post to see the pictures of how I cooked without a cooker. Hope this helps