Urad Dal (Black Dal)
Updated: September 12, 2024, By Swasthi
This Urad dal is delicious, flavor-packed and easy to make. Black dal is simmered with plenty of aromatics and a handful of spices, to create a nutritious and wholesome dish. It is a popular food from the Punjabi Cuisine and is known as Kali dal or Maa ki dal. If you love experimenting with different kinds of lentils, this Urad Dal recipe is a must try.
It is gluten-free and can be made vegan, if you cook in oil. This thick and creamy dal is best served hot with flatbreads like roti, naan, tandoori roti, plain kulcha or with basmati rice.
About Black Dal
Though this looks similar to Dal Makhani, it tastes much different and is actually low fat without compromising on the flavor and taste. This recipe does not use butter or cream and traditionally it is cooked in ghee. If you eat only plant based, you may use oil.
There are different ways to make this dish. The version I am sharing here is named as Maa choliyan dal, meaning it uses urad dal (maa) and chana dal (choliyan). Bengal gram aka chana dal are the skinned split lentils, derived from the desi chickpeas. They contribute a unique flavor and texture to the finished dish.
Urad dal has a natural slimy texture even after cooking. However that goes unnoticed in dishes like makhani dal due to the addition of cream. Using chana dal in this recipe is crucial to cut down the slimy texture of urad because we don’t use any cream here. I prefer to use these lentils in equal amounts. But if you want you may use only black dal or alter the ratios (like 2:1, urad dal:chana dal) but that yields a different result.
I use a instant pot to make this but including the instructions for a Indian stovetop pressure cooker. If you do not have a cooker, you may cook the lentils in a pot following my expert tips section below.
Preparation
The process of making this dish starts by rinsing and soaking the lentils overnight or for a minimum of 7 to 8 hours. This helps them cook faster, cuts down the phytic acid in the lentils and is easier for digestion. You will add ½ cup (100 grams) urad dal and ½ cup (100 grams) chana dal to a large bowl, rinse them well, rubbing with your hands. Rinse at least 4 to 5 times and soak them in plenty of water.
It is normal for the black dal to lose some of the black color and begin to look brown, dark green etc. Rinsing them well before and after soaking prevents the dish from turning too dark.
Photo Guide
Step by Step Instructions
Preparation
1. When you are ready to cook, prep up the following:
- ¾ cup onions chopped from 1 medium
- 1 green chili chopped, more if you want or omit for low heat
- ¾ tablespoon ginger (peeled and minced from 1 inch ginger root)
- ¾ tablespoon garlic (peeled and minced from 3 large garlic cloves)
- 1¼ cup tomatoes (deseed & chop 3 medium tomatoes, or ⅔ cup store bought tomato puree/ passata)
- ⅓ to ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to your preference)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt (more to adjust later)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons oil or ghee
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds + 1 inch cinnamon piece + 1 black cardamom+ 1 Indian bay leaf
2. Pour oil or ghee to a hot pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, cinnamon and black cardamom.
3. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add onions and saute for 5 mins, until light golden.
4. Add ginger, garlic and green chili. Saute for 2 mins.
5. Stir in turmeric, salt, red chili powder and garam masala.
6. Add the tomatoes and saute for a minute or 2.
7. You don’t really need to cook down the tomatoes here because we are going to cook the lentils for longer and the tomatoes will eventually become soft.
8. Add the dal and pour 3 cups (720 ml) water.
Pressure cooking
9. Mix well and close the pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 8 whistles on a medium heat. or If using instant pot, pressure cook for 35 mins. Let the pressure drop naturally.
10. Open the lid and mash the lentils with a masher. When you open the lid, there will be still plenty of liquid in the cooker, but it will be absorbed when you mash the lentils. You want nearly half (or ⅓) of the lentils to be broken down/mashed.
11. Pour 1 cup hot water in 2 batches and simmer for 25 mins until really thick, aromatic and creamy. Simmering well at this stage makes it more tasty and cuts down the slimy texture.
12. Taste test and add more salt to your taste. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of garam masala if you want, ¾ tablespoon kasuri methi (optional, dried fenugreek leaves), 1 tablespoon ghee and 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves (chopped).
13. Usually cream is not added to maa ki dal, but it does take the dish to the next level. I have not used it here. But we have tested this many times with 1/4 cup heavy cream & cashew cream. It makes the dish rich. I think malai or coconut cream works the same way.
Urad dal develops a darker color as it sits like seen in the next picture. Serve it hot with basmati rice or naan, plain parathas, Tandoori roti or kulcha.
Expert Tips
- No Pressure Cooker ? To cook this dish without a pressure cooker, bring 3 cups water to a rolling boil and cook on a medium heat uncovered for 50 mins. Keep adding more hot water as you cook. Make the tempering separately in a pan and add the lentils to the tempering and simmer for 25 mins.
- For a deep/ bright brown color, use store bought passata or tomato paste. Else your dish will turn dark as it sits/ cools down.
- Rinsing the lentils very well is important else the color of your dish is going to be dark.
- Black dal turns very dark after freezing or refrigerating. I usually store the leftovers and reheat until bubbling hot. Lastly stir in a little heavy cream/ cashew cream to lighten up.
Recipe Card
Urad Dal Recipe (Black Dal)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- ½ cup (100 grams) black urad dal
- ½ cup (100 grams) chana dal (Bengal gram)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons oil or ghee (+ 1 tablespoon ghee to finish)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon piece
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 bay leaf (Indian tej patta)
- ¾ cup (1 medium) onion (chopped)
- 1 green chili (chopped, more if you want, omit for low heat)
- ¾ tablespoon (1 inch) ginger (peeled and minced or use ¾ tsp paste)
- ¾ tablespoon (3 large cloves) garlic (peeled and minced or use ¾ tsp paste)
- 1¼ cup (2 medium) tomatoes (deseed & chop or puree, or ⅔ cup store bought tomato puree/ passata)
- ⅓ to ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to your preference)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala (+ a pinch more if you want)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt (+ more, adjust to taste)
- 3 cups (720 ml) water + 1 cup hot water to adjust the consistency
- 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves / cilantro fine chopped
- ¾ tablespoon kasuri methi (optional, dried fenugreek leaves)
Instructions
- Rinse urad and chana dal very well, rubbing with your fingers. Repeat the rinse thrice and soak overnight or for a minimum of 7 hours. Drain the water and rinse when you are ready to cook.
- Pour oil or ghee to a hot pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, cinnamon and black cardamom. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add onions and saute for 5 mins, until light golden.
- Add ginger, garlic and green chili. Saute for 2 mins and stir in turmeric, salt, red chili powder and garam masala powder. Add the tomatoes and saute for a minute or 2.
- Add the dal and pour water. Mix well and close the pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 8 whistles on a medium heat. or If using instant pot, pressure cook for 35 mins. Let the pressure drop naturally.
- Open the lid and mash the lentils with a masher. You want nearly half (or ⅓) of the lentils to be broken down/mashed. Pour hot water in batches and simmer for 20 to 25 mins until really thick, aromatic and creamy.
- Taste test and add more salt to your taste. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of garam masala (if you want), kasuri methi (optional), ghee and coriander leaves.
- Serve urad dal with basmati rice or naan, plain parathas, roti or kulcha.
Notes
- Pot method (no pressure cooker) – to follow after step 1 – Add dal to a large pot and pour water. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to medium. Cook until urad dal begins to break down and becomes tender, for 45 to 50 minutes. You may need to add more water as you cook. Follow from step 2 as written and omit the pressure cooking – step 4.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
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About Swasthi
Iโm 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 Swasthiโs Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Hello Swasthi, I try one of your recipes at least four times a week. Theyโre so good Iโm addicted to them. My friends and family love them too. Your detailed instructions are so helpful, but I was about to make this Urad dal And soak the beans tonight, but I noticed in your step-by-step instructions. It says one cup of urad dal, and in the recipe it says half a cup, could you please tell me which one is it?
Hello Jacky,
So happy to read that! Sorry for the confusion. It is 1/2 cup urad dal. I have edited it. Thank you so much!
Hi, Swasthi, thank you for your prompt reply. I made this for dinner tonight. It was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Turned out just like the photo too.
I know this is a very basic question, but Indian food is uncommon where I live and I just recently started learning to cook it at home. I’ve never actually eaten dal before except for the few recipes I’ve tried cooking myself.
To get the dal to a creamy texture like in your photos, do I need to mash it, or should it break down on it’s own once it simmers long enough? I tried this recipe a couple days ago and the flavor was very good, but the lentils didn’t break down at all even though they seemed to be fully cooked.
I’ve been making a lot of your recipes and so far all of them have been delicious. They’re very clear and easy to follow, and have made learning an unfamiliar cuisine much less intimidating. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into these.
Hello James,
You are most welcome! Happy to know the recipes have been helpful. You need to mash the lentils with a masher once they are soft cooked. If you are cooking in a pot (not cooker), do this before adding them to the tempering. We want nearly 1/3 of the lentils to be broken down and that gives it a thick and creamy texture and you won’t have the water separated in the dal. I think you just had to mash and cook them a little longer. Alternately you may try blending half a cup of cooked lentils to get the same results. Hope this helps.
It looks yummy.
Thanks Muskan. Hope you get to try!
Thanks for the recipes They are indeed good. Hints are. useful for desired results.
Keep up the good work!!!
Thank you!
Hello Swasthi! I have tried many of your recipes – Chole, Paneer, Veg pulao, veg cutlets, and a couple more – ALL your recipes are winners – each one gets a lot of compliments each time I cook them. I am very appreciative of the exact measurements. Will surely try this urad dal. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I know it will be a 5 star recipe.
Hello Anu,
You are most welcome! Thank you so much for sharing back on the recipes you have tried. I am so glad to read that!
Your recipes are a huge hit with my family. Thank you for posting
Hope you get to try! Thank you Gabriella