Easy & Delicious Chana Dal made in the Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker). Split Chickpeas cooked with ginger, garlic, onion, tomato and flavorful spices, to make a comforting soup. Vegan & Gluten free.
Looking for dinner ideas for Meatless Monday? Enjoy this delicious & Healthy Chana Dal. It is perfect with a side of steamed broccoli and basmati rice. If you want to pair with an Indian style vegetable curry, Aloo Gobi or Saag Paneer are great options.
For vegetarians in Indian, dal (lentils) is the main component of the meal. A typical meal includes dal, vegetable curry (subzi), roti (flatbread) and/or rice with some salad. And there are enough varieties of dals to prepare a different one each day of the week. If you are curious, check out my this collection of 15 Lentil & Bean Recipes in the instant pot.
If you don't have Chana Dal at hand, you may want to check Dal Fry with Toor Dal, Green Moong Dal or Brown Lentil Curry recipe.
What is Chana Dal?
Chana Dal are dried brown chickpeas that have been split and skinned. It is also called Split Chickpeas or Bengal Gram. These wonderful little beans pack a powerhouse of nutrients as well as protein into the dish. Chana Dal is also rich in fiber, and has a low glycemic index.
The best part about lentils are that they are budget friendly and affordable by all. Chana Dal is usually used as lentil curry in North India and for tempering in South India. But there are other dishes that can be made such as Chana Dal Pilaf or Halwa (sweet pudding).
How to cook Chana Dal in Pressure Cooker?
Chana Dal takes a bit longer to cook compared to other split lentils such as Toor Dal or Moong Dal. I prefer to soak chana dal for about 30 minutes before cooking. Although they will cook just as well with a few extra minutes in the instant pot without soaking.
Traditionally Chana Dal was boiled in a pressure cooker and tempering was prepared separately in a pan. Then the boiled dal was added to the tempering and simmered to infuse flavors. However now with the instant pot, I like to make this as a one-pot dish. Hence in this recipe, I prepare the tempering with ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes and spices in the instant pot. Then add the chana dal, water and cook at high pressure.
Once cooked, sprinkle in some lime juice and garnish the chana dal with cilantro. If you like to make this even more nutritious, then add some spinach right after the dal is cooked. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. Spinach Chana Dal is ready to be enjoyed.
Looking for more easy Instant Pot Recipes? Here are 29 Best Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes for you to try!
Instant Pot Chana Dal Recipe (Split Chickpeas Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Split Chickpeas (Chana dal)
- 2 cups Water for soaking
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida (Hing) (optional)
- 3/4 cup Onion diced
- 1/2 tbsp Ginger minced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 3/4 cup Tomato chopped
- 2 cups Water for cooking, increase to 2.5 cups if not soaking the dal
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- Cilantro
Spices
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder (Mirchi powder)
- 1 tsp Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
Instructions
- Soak Chana dal along with the water for soaking for 30 minutes. Then drain the water. (This step is optional)
- Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat oil in it. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
- Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions, garlic, ginger and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and spices and stir them well. Add chana dal and water for cooking. Stir it all up. Pressure Cancel and close the lid with vent in sealing position.
- Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for for 12 mins. If you skipped soaking, cook for 15 minutes at high pressure.
- After the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. Add lime juice and give a good stir.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve chana dal over rice.
Notes
- Chana Dal foams, so if you double/triple the recipe make sure to only fill up to half of the pot.
- Make Spinach Chana Dal - Add spinach after opening the instant pot, right after pressure cooking. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Vegan Variation: To keep this recipe vegan, don't use ghee.
- Gluten free Variation: Use gluten-free asafoetida or skip it.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Love this! This is my go-to recipe when I want chana dal.
Hi Ariel - So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
What is the purpose for keeping the soaking liquid aside ? I don't see where it's used in the recipe.
Hi Manuela - You are right, I have removed that from the instructions. Sorry for the confusion. Hope you enjoy the Chana Dal!
The VERY best, most comforting Dahl only second to her Palak Paneer. I’m so very grateful for you putting this all out here for us less able to purchase the book. I tripled this one just now to avoid having to make it more than once a week because I don’t have enough energy to cook super often.
Thank you!
Hi Kimberley - So glad to hear that. Thank you for sharing it. 🙂
I was wondering if you can do this recipe with regular chickpeas instead of split chickpeas. Thank you!
Hi Stephanie - I would suggest the Chana Masala or Chana Saag recipe if you want to use regular chickpeas. Would love to hear if you try any of them.
Thank you for the suggestion! Will do 🙂
Delicious. I left the salt put for dietary reasons and added cauliflower to the serving. I would say these a big servings as I am a ricer. But awesome recipe!
Hi there,
How long does the natural release take for you?
Hi Sereina - It can take about 15-20 minutes. If it is not all released after 15 minutes, it is okay to turn the knob to venting and release the remaining pressure.