What’s better than a simple dal tadka or dal makhani? Dal Pancharatni! Panchratan means five jewels and in this particular recipe we use a mix of five different types of dal or lentils. A dal cannot get more interesting than that!
I got a bag of mixed dal from a supermarket in Delhi when I was there last. This makes the job of making panchratan dal so much easier because otherwise you’d have to buy the dal separately. I haven’t seen this in Singapore though.
Dal Panchratan / Pancharatani Recipe
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
4 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)
1/4 cup tuvar (arhar) dal
1/4 cup moong dal (split green gram)
3 tbsp urad dal (whole black lentils)
1/4 cup masoor dal (split red lentil)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 large tomato, pureed
1 large onion, ground to a paste
1″ piece of ginger, grated
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
For tempering:
2 tsp ghee (or oil)
1/2 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
A few curry leaves
How I Made It:
1. Pressure cook the mixed dal (lentils) with 5 cups water and the turmeric powder for 4-5 whistles or until the dal is cooked mushy. Alternately, bring the dal and water mixture to a boil and simmer on low heat until cooked. This will take between 45 mins to an hour.
2. Heat oil for tempering in a kadai (that’s big enough to hold everything) and add the ingredients in the given order. Let the cumin seeds splutter and turn brown and the mustard seeds (if using) pop. Next, add the ginger and garlic and fry for a minute.
3. The onion paste and red chilli powder go in next. Cook until the paste is fried to a ligher colour (about 3-4 mins). Next, add the pureed tomato and salt. Mix well and let it simmer for another 3-4 mins.
4. Finally, add the cooked dal, mix well and simmer for 5 mins until all the flavours have blended. Check salt.
Hi, soaking of dals not required?? I presume black lentils take extra time to cook if not soaked overnight..I've experienced while trying Dal Makhani…Correct me if 'm wrong!! BTW awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee blog and believe me ever since I started recipe googling, the first site that hits my mind is surely yours! Keep up ur GREATTTTT work:) TIA
the dal used for dal makhani is different from these. this mixture of dal in dal panchratni is ok to cook without soaking but you can try soaking if you are worried it won't cook.
thank you! 🙂
beautifully photographed &very healthy dal.
Hey Nags, I followed your recipe and the Dal came out really well! Thanks a ton! And I have put it in my blog and Tagged you. Hope you don't mind!
can I prepare this daal one day ahead and serve.
yeah sure.
Can we skip masoor dal and replace black urad dal with black moong dal instead?
i don't see why not.
Okay, this looks so fantastic! Loving everything about this and can't wait to try it out soon!
HEY we are new to blogging and were trying to start up a food blog as well. Just curious, how do you add ingredient/recipe tabs to your blog page. Just like yours would be more than great 🙂 Thnaks!
Do a Google search for "navigation bar for Blogger" and you should hit up something.
one of my favourite dals and yes you get mixed dals in Delhi…..makes it very convenienet, yiu even get mixed dal in proportion for maa ka dal…Yours looks perfect with the tadka
All mixed lentils pic looks gorgeous!!