What is ‘Chana Dal’?
Chana Dal is known as Bengal Gram. It is a yellow color lentil from the chickpea family. In India, it is well known as chana dal, cholar dal, or chole ki dal. Bengal Gram is a plant-based source of protein that is rich in fiber, minerals, and iron. It is easy to store, and cook. Many people confuse it with white kabuli chana (chole/chickpeas). Both are different in color, taste, and texture. Kabuli Chana cannot be used as a substitute for Bengal Gram and vice versa. In Punjabi Cuisine, chana dal khichdi is one of the most popular comfort food recipes. In many households, this dal khichdi is commonly prepared for lunch on a regular basis. In my husband’s Sikh family, it is a must-cook dish on special festive and celebratory occasions such as Sankranti, as a sign of a good omen.
Khichdi vs Pulao
Is this a khichdi or pulao? Chana Dal Khichdi has a texture and cooking process more like a pulao. Unlike, traditional dal khichdi it is more fluffy like a pulao. As it is a combination of dal and rice, hence, it is called khichdi. Otherwise, I find it more like a pulao. In the Punjabi language, it is also called chole ki dal ke chawal, or chole ki dal ka pulao, or chana dal pulao.
Ingredient Required
Rice: Short to medium grain rice works best for this khichdi recipe. Chana Dal: Make sure to soak the Bengal Gram for 20 minutes before making the khichdi. Ginger and Garlic: I use chopped ginger and garlic. You can add a teaspoon of the ginger garlic paste as well. Cooking Oil: You can use either flavorless vegetable oil or ghee. Spices: Cumin Seeds, Red Chili Powder, Turmeric, Asafoetida Other Ingredients: Onion, Salt, Water
How To Make
The chana dal khichdi is cooked in two steps. Both the cooking steps can be easily done on a pressure cooker or an instant pot. Step 1) The first step is to cook the Bengal gram or chana dal without rice in the pressure cooker.
Wash and soak rice in water for 20 minutes. Similarly clean, wash and soak Bengal gram (chana dal) in water for 20 minutes in a separate bowl. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, and onion. Fry till the onion turns golden brown. (image 2)Add ginger-garlic and fry for another 10 – 20 seconds to remove the raw smell.Drain water from the soaked Bengal gram. Add it to the pressure cooker along with the salt to taste and spices. Fry for 1 minute.Add 1 ¼ cup of water. Stir to mix. Pressure cook the dal for 2 – 3 whistles over medium heat. Turn off the heat. Let the steam release naturally.
Step 2) The second step is to cook rice with the flavored chana dal to make khichdi.
Open the lid, add the soaked rice without water and stir to combine (image 6). Taste for seasoning. Reduce the heat to low and let the rice cook uncovered over slow heat. At this stage, you can also pressure cook it for 1 whistle. (image 8)After cooking the chana dal khichdi, fluff it using a fork, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. This ensures each grain of rice and lentil is non-sticky and fluffy.
Serving Suggestion
Like other Indian khichdi’s this dal khichdi also tastes best with: spicy pickle ghee or butter fresh curd or raita sliced onion or kachumber salad green chutney or tomato chutney
My Tried & True Tips
Do not add too much water to cook the dal. The ratio of 1: ¼ (dal to water) works perfectly. For me, in a stovetop pressure cooker, it takes 2 – 3 whistles over medium heat to cook the dal perfectly for khichdi. In an instant pot, To make a vegan khichdi, you can use coconut oil or vegetable oil. After cooking the chana dal khichdi, fluff it using a fork, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. This ensures each grain of rice and lentil is non-sticky and fluffy.
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