Panchmel Dal (Rajasthani Panchratna Dal)

Panchmel Dal, also called Panchratna dal, is a comforting one-pot Indian mixed lentil soup which is high in protein, and fiber. With only a few basic pantry ingredients, you’ll put a complete and tasty meal on the table.

Panchkuti, or Rajasthani Panchmel Dal, is a classic Rajasthani dal dish. It is a mainstay in practically every Rajasthani home.

A side dish of Baati in a Rajasthani Thali is this traditional and creamy textured Panchmel dal. You can make this dal in the instant pot or a stovetop pressure cooker.

The spicy onion tomato masala in this panchmel dal dish creates a beautiful blend of fragrant aromas. Panchratan Dal is a protein-rich and nutrient-dense meal.

Traditionally, when cooking dal, the lentils are first cooked in the pressure cooker, and then the tadka is added. I like to make it a one-pot method, and cook the tempering and lentils together in the pressure cooker or instant pot.

Watch How to Make Panchmel Dal

What is Panchmel Dal?

“Panch” means five, and “mel” means “mixed”. Five lentils are used to make this dazzling panchmel dal. This delicious dish is made up of five different dals cooked together and spiced with onion tomato masala. 

This dal recipe shines not only because of its beautiful ingredients but also because the texture and flavors of five different dals are so prominently evident in this delicious meal. Ghee and whole spices give Panchmel Dal a lovely fragrant richness.

In some areas of Rajasthan, this dal is also called panchkuti dal, Mel ki dal, and mixed dal.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It is a delicious and filling meal. 
• So thick and creamy 
• Packed with the benefits of 5 lentils 
• It is ideal for quick weeknight/weekend dinners.

Ingredients for Panchmel Dal

Lentils: You’ll need Split Bengal gram lentil (Chana Dal), Split Black gram lentil (split black urad dal), Split Red lentils (Masoor dal), Split Green Gram lentil (Split Green Moong), Split Pigeon Peas (Toor Dal)

Spices: These spices, including salt, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, and coriander powder, work together to give this Panchmel dal a rich, earthy taste.

Tempering: This Panchmel dal is elevated to a new level with the addition of cumin seeds, cloves, dry red chilis & asafoetida

Onion, ginger, green chile, and tomatoes: are all essential ingredients in Indian cuisine. If you want to skip onions, that works perfectly as well.

Ghee: enriches the dal’s overall flavor and fragrance

Lime Juice: Add’s up a tangy flavor.

Garnish: You’ll need cilantro leaves.

How to make Panchmel Dal?

Wash the lentils with water until the water runs clear and keep aside.

You can make this dal in the instant pot or the stovetop pressure cooker. I am including instructions for both in this post.

Now lets begin by heating the ghee or oil in the pressure cooker, then adding the tempering ingredients: cumin seeds, cloves, asafoetida, dry whole red chilies and green chilies. Let them cook for 30 seconds while stirring.

When I make dal, I normally use homemade ghee, but any plant-based oil would suffice for a vegan version.

Then add the ginger, onion, tomatoes and spices. Saute until onions are translucent.

Add all the spices except garam masala and lime juice and mix them.  

Then add the washed lentils. Now we are ready to pressure cook the dal.

Instant Pot Method: Pressure cook the dal for 8 minutes. Then let the pressure release naturally.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

When the pressure cooking is done, open the lid and add the chopped lime juice, and garam masala.  Stir well and let it rest for 2-3 minutes. 

The dal is cooked to perfection and ready to eat. You can add an extra spurt of tempering at the end if you like.

How to serve?

This Panchmel dal is a match made in heaven with basmati rice. You can also pair with quinoa or cauliflower rice.

To make the tempering, in a small pan, heat ghee or oil. Add some cumin seeds and dry red chilies. Cook for about 30 seconds. Then take the pan off heat and add some mild red chili powder.

When serving, drizzle the tempering over the dal. It gives such a lovely splash of color!

Tips to make perfect Panchratna Dal

• If you’re aiming for real flavorings, I wouldn’t recommend cooking this dal in oil. Ghee is used only in the traditional Panchmel dal preparation. However, this dal can be made with a mix of ghee and oil.
• In this dish, I used both whole spices and garam masala powder. This is because panchmel dal is a bit of a spicier Rajasthani dish. If you don’t want it to be overly spicy, you may cut back on the garam masala and red chili powder. You can also skip the green chili.

Common Questions

Hope you enjoy this authentic Rajasthani Panchmel Dal recipe. You might like other lentil recipes –

• Dal Makhani
• Green Moong Dal
• Dal Tadka
• Red Massor Dal
• Mango Dal