This dal is easy to prepare and is often served as a community langar dish and can be paired with rice or dal. This dal can be made vegan, making it the perfect one-pot meal.
Why Is It Called Langar Wali Dal?
Maa/Maah means split black gram or kali urad dal, and chole means Bengal gram lentil or chana dal. This dal is made by combining these two and a few Indian spices. So you will ask why the terminology of langar wali dal? This lentil or dal dish is regularly served in the langar of gurudwaras worldwide, especially in Punjab. The unusual combination of these two lentils makes this dal a unique dish. Have you ever tried this? If not, it’s not too late. You will love every spoonful of this Langar Wali Dal.
What Ingredients Are Used in Making Langar Wali Dal?
The main ingredients are split black gram dal/Kali urad dal and yellow Bengal gram lentil. If you don’t have split black gram dal, you can always use whole black gram dal in this recipe. You need to soak the whole lentil for 8 hours or overnight. A few spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin seeds, dry red chili, asafoetida, ginger garlic paste, green chilies, chopped tomato, and chopped onion with salt are the other ingredients. You can always sprinkle a little bit of lime juice or fresh cilantro on top of it to enhance the taste. Your Langar Wali dal /Maa Chole KI Dal will shine through.
What Can You Serve With Langar Wali Dal?
This dal is served with roti in the gurudwaras, but at home, you can have whatever you like to eat with it. I am a rice eater, and I love to eat a bowl full of this dal with rice and salad. Sometimes, I get slightly greedy for a heavenly taste and pour a dollop of ghee on top of the rice dal. Boy, you cannot beat this taste, and I will prefer that over any meal.
You May Also Want To Check Out These Lentil Recipes-
Dal Palak/Lentil Soup with spinach Rajma Masala/Red Kidney Beans Curry Black Eyed Beans / Lobia Curry Dal Tadka
How to Make This Lentil/Dal in the Instant Pot-
Traditionally, this dal is prepared in a big pot over the traditional chulha or clay stove for long hours. Since we can’t do that now, I liked to make it in the pressure cooker previously, and in the last few years, the Instant Pot has been perfect for this. Firstly, wash and soak the lentils for 30 minutes. Then, with turmeric and salt, cook them on high pressure for 20 minutes. Release the steam naturally. After that, prepare a simple yet flavourful tadka in a pan or the Instant Pot after removing the boiled lentils in a bowl. Next, pour 2 tbsp of ghee or oil into the Instant Pot or pan. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, and dry red chili as well. Add ginger-garlic paste to it and stir until the raw smell is gone. After that, make a masala/spice paste of onions, tomatoes, and all the other spices by stirring everything continuously. If you think they are sticking to the bottom, use one or two tbsps of water to scrape them. Then, mix the boiled lentil with that and cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame. Add 2 cups of water for a thick dal; if you want a thin one, add one more. Then, cook it for two to three minutes and remove it from the stove. Garnish it and serve.
