A homemade version of Dhaba Dal, a creamy, flavorful dal served at north Indian roadside cafes. Chana dal, urad dal and rajma or red kidney beans along with a few simple spices make this dal both nourishing and delicious!
Dhabas are north India's greasy spoons-- roadside shacks that dot dust-smothered highways and cater mostly to weary truckers who pull in for a hearty, hot meal before heading over to the gas station next door. Outside each dhaba are rows of charpoys, small Indian cots, where the truckers can nap awhile under the open sky.
If you've eaten at an Indian restaurant anywhere in the world, chances are you've already eaten a dish or two usually served by these unglamourous eateries: chana masala, aloo matar, and a creamy, deceptively indulgent dal that's simply known as dhabe wali dal or dhabe ki daal.
The dal is truly special: it has lots of flavor and texture from a few spices and three varieties of legumes that make it up. Its smooth, creamy, indulgent texture belies just how healthy this dal, made right, can actually be.
Like another famous north Indian dal, Dal Makhani, Dhabe ki Dal is not vegan. Many dhaba style dishes have oodles of butter and this dal is no different. The butter gives the dal a satiny finish and a well-rounded mouth feel.
Because the butter plays such a crucial role, I add some vegan butter to round off the dish and mellow out the richness of the spices.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this dhaba dal
- Creamy and mild. If spicy Indian food isn't your thing, this dhaba dal is the dal for you. It is neither hot nor is it overwhelming.
- A feast for all senses. The aroma of this dal will bring everyone to the table. It's like turning your home into an Indian restaurant without the restaurant prices.
- Easy recipe. This is a simple recipe, easy for nearly any cook to master, and once you have the lentils cooked and ready to go it comes together in minutes.
- Soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan.
Ingredients
- Legumes: Chana dal (Bengal gram dal or split chickpeas), urad dal (black gram dal) and rajma (kidney beans).
- Spices: ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne or paprika, turmeric and garam masala.
- Herbs: ginger-garlic paste, kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and cilantro.
- Vegetables: onions and tomatoes.
- Oils: avocado oil or any oil of choice and vegan butter.
How to make dhaba dal
Place the chana dal, urad dal and rajma in a pressure cooker with enough water to cover the legumes by two inches. Add ¼th of a teaspoon of turmeric. Pressure cook or cook in Instant Pot or saucepan over stovetop until the legumes are very tender. Set aside.
Place the oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
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Add the onions to the pot and saute until the onions begin to brown.
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until tomatoes are very soft and have broken down in a pulp.
Add the spices to the onions and tomatoes: ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and remaining ¼th teaspoon turmeric.
Crush the kasoori methi in the palms of your hands and add to the pot. Mix well.
Add the cooked lentils to the pot along with any cooking water and mix. Remove half the lentils to a blender and carefully blend until smooth.
Return the blended lentils to the pot and mix. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let the dal simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add more water if the dal is too thick. Add salt to taste.
Stir in the garam masala and vegan butter.
Cook the dal for another couple of minutes, check for salt and add more if needed, then turn off heat. Serve hot.
Top Tip
Soak the rajma beans or kidney beans in hot water for an hour or two. The beans take longer to cook than lentils and pre-soaking the beans will ensure that they get tender at the same time as the smaller lentils.
Serving suggestions
- With a spicy veggie, like baingan bharta or bhindi masala.
- With jeera rice and/or vegan naan.
- With a tall, cooling glass of Vegan Mango Lassi.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate the dhaba dal in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Freeze: The dal can be frozen for up to three months.
- Reheat: Reheat the dal in a saucepan or in the microwave until warmed through. Add more water if needed. Always check and add more salt if needed after adding water.
More vegan Indian dal recipes
Recipe card
Dhaba Dal
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or Instant Pot to cook the legumes
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- ½ cup chana dal
- ½ cup urad dal
- ½ cup rajma (red kidney beans)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric (divided)
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil (or any oil of choice. To make the dal oil-free saute the ginger-garlic and onions in ¼ cup water or vegetable stock).
- 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (Use less or more per your taste, or sub with paprika).
- 2 tablespoons kasoori methi (crushed in the palms of your hands)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the chana dal, urad dal and rajma in a pressure cooker with enough water to cover the legumes by two inches. Add ¼th of a teaspoon of turmeric. Pressure cook or cook in Instant Pot or saucepan over stovetop until the legumes are very tender. Set aside. (Presoaking the rajma in hot water for an hour or two before cooking with the lentils ensures the legumes cook together perfectly).
- Place the oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add the onions to the pot and saute until the onions begin to brown.
- Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until tomatoes are very soft and have broken down in a pulp.
- Add the spices to the onions and tomatoes: ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and remaining ¼th teaspoon turmeric. Crush the kasoori methi in the palms of your hands and add to the pot. Mix well.
- Add the cooked lentils to the pot along with 2 cups of cooking water (or just water) and mix. Remove half the lentils to a blender and carefully blend until smooth.
- Return the blended lentils to the pot and mix. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let the dal simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add more water if the dal is too thick. Add salt to taste.
- Stir in the garam masala and vegan butter. Cook the dal for another couple of minutes, check for salt and add more if needed, then turn off heat. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
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Love this dhaba style dal? Check out more Indian vegan recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!
Kay
Omg this was incredible! I love all of your recipes. If you ever come out with a cookbook, I kost definitely would buy it!
Lina Prema
Hi Vaishili,
Lina from Sesto San Giovanni, Milano, Italy
I've done many of your recipes. I love India since I discovered it in 1980. But, love apart for anything in the Country, today I prepared this delicious food. I have a full drawer of spices, it's about a 90x60 cm drawer. And I can prepare any kind of food.
The dal was excellent, with plain rice. No sald added, used parsley insted of fresh coriander. it has been a success.
Thank you for posting your recipes.
We have been vegetarian from 1984 when nobody knew about this healthy way of taking food. (it happened that in 1980 we had our first trip to India, and then, anything changed in our life). than after some periode of vegetarian and vegan we turned full vegan in 2023. I have a background of cooking. It's something in my soul. I can cook with water, ;-)))), even if the fridge has only two ingredients.
Congratulation Vaishili for your excellent blog.
Kisses and hugs from Italy.
Lina
Vaishali
Hi Lina, thanks for your lovely message. It's great to meet someone else that loves cooking so much, and it sounds like you have the gift. I am so happy you enjoyed the dal. ❤️
Annapurneshwari
#7 says stir in garam masala but there’s no garam masala in the ingredients. Or is it supposed to be kasoori methi?
Vaishali
Stir in the garam masala in step 7--you need a teaspoon of it. Thanks!
Rhonda
Is there any other way that I could make Dhaba Dal, as I don't own a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot?
Vaishali
Rhonda, you can cook the lentils on the stovetop. It will take much longer, but it absolutely can be done. Soak the lentils and beans overnight and then place in a saucepan covered by at least an inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and let the legumes simmer until tender. It will take at least an hour or possibly more. Because the kidney beans take longer to cook, you might be better off using canned kidney beans and adding them to the pot while making the dal along with the cooked lentils.
Janae Stephens
Can we sub dried garbanzo beans and green lentils for the chana and Urad dal?
Vaishali
Hi Janae, the lentils are picked for their specific flavor and texture, which contribute to the overall flavor and texture of the dal. Subbing with dried garbanzo beans for the chana dal would change the texture and taste. But if that's all you have, go ahead. It won't taste the same but it will still be delicious.
Vince
Another outstanding recipe. Vaishali you always deliver! This is my go-to site for awesome vegetarian food.
Vaishali
Awesome! Thanks for the kind words ❤️
Tanaji Rohidas Gaikwad
Thanks for this excellent recipe
Sanajy Mishra
Thanks for this excellent recipe, we all enjoyed this currie . first time i used kasoori methi in it. and now I used it in many other recipes as well.
Gagan Mahotra
I Love To Eat at Dhabha.
I Love The Dhaba Food, & Snap Of Your daal Reminds Me The Dhaba & My Friends.
Really It is Looking Like Daal i ate at Dhaba.