Panchmel Dal
Panchmel Dal (Panchratan Dal) is a popular Rajasthani lentil recipe made with a combination of five lentils. It is traditionally served with bati, but you can also enjoy it with steamed rice or phulka. You can make it in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or an instant pot.
Here are a few more Indian dal recipes you can include in your everyday meals: Navratan Dal, Toor Dal, Urdachi Dal, Hyderabadi Khatti Dal, and Dal Maharani.
About Panchmel Dal
Panch means “five,” and Mel refers to “mix or fusion” in Hindi.
Panchmel Dal (Panchratn Dal) is a Rajasthani lentil curry made using a mix of 5 different lentils. Each home has its own combination of lentils to make this recipe. Some use yellow moong dal and white urad dal instead of green moong dal and black urad dal. These little changes make the taste and texture of the dal very different from each other.
In this post, I am sharing the Rajasthani panchmel dal recipe my mom has been making for years.
This dal is usually served with bati but can also be served with rice, phulka, or tawa paratha. It also pairs well with jeera rice or steamed white rice.
You can cook the lentils in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or an instant pot. I use my 3-quart instant pot (or 3-liter pressure cooker) to cook this recipe. If you want to scale it up, use a bigger cooker or instant pot. The cooking time will remain the same.
Ingredients
To Cook The Dal
This panchratan dal recipe uses five different types of lentils: toor dal, green moong dal, black urad dal, chana dal, and pink masoor dal.
You will also need salt, turmeric powder, and water
For The Tempering
To temper panchmel dal, you will need ghee, asafetida (hing), cumin seeds, dry red chilies, onions, garlic, fresh ginger, green chilies, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), and lime juice.
Skip adding asafetida to make panchmel dal gluten-free.
Replace ghee with coconut or other cooking oil to make the recipe vegan.
How To Make Panchratan Dal
Cook The Lentils
In An Instant Pot
Add toor dal, green moong dal, black urad dal, chana dal, and pink masoor dal in a bowl and wash them well with water.
Soak the dal in water for 30 minutes.
Drain the water and add the soaked dal in an instant pot.
Add water, salt, and turmeric powder and stir to combine.
Close the lid of the instant pot. Set the valve to the sealing position.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 12 minutes at high pressure.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
Whisk the cooked dal using a wire whisk.
If the dal is too thick, add some boiling water. Check for salt and add more if needed.
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
Follow the recipe until turmeric powder is added to a stovetop pressure cooker. Secure the lid.
Cook for 1 whistle on high heat.
Now reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes.
Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid and whisk the cooked dal using a wire whisk.
If the dal is too thick, add some boiling water. Check for salt and add more if needed.
Temper The Panchmel Dal
Heat ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat.
When the ghee is hot, add asafetida, cumin seeds, and dry red chilies and fry for 4-5 seconds.
Add onions, green chilies, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the onion turns golden brown, stirring frequently.
Pour the tadka over the cooked dal and mix well.
Add lime juice and mix well.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Pro Tips By Neha
If you do not have all five lentils in your pantry, you can also make this dal panchmel with two or three lentils.
Soaking the lentils beforehand helps to reduce the cooking time and makes the lentils easily digestible.
You can also make it a no-onion, no-garlic panchmel dal recipe by skipping onions and garlic from the tempering.
Storage Suggestions
Leftover panchratan dal can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a pan or microwave until nicely hot. If the dal has thickened after refrigeration, then add some hot water and heat.
You can also freeze it for upto 2 months. Thaw, reheat and serve.
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Panchmel Dal Recipe (Panchratan Dal)
Ingredients
To Cook The Lentils
- ¼ cup toor dal
- ¼ cup green moong dal
- ¼ cup black urad dal
- ¼ cup chana dal
- ¼ cup pink masoor dal
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4 cups water
For The Tempering
- ½ cup ghee
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 whole dry red chilies
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
Cook The Lentils
In An Instant Pot
- Add all the dal in a bowl and wash them well with water.
- Soak the dal in water for 30 minutes.
- Drain the water and add the soaked dal in an instant pot.
- Add water, salt, and turmeric powder and stir to combine.
- Close the lid of the instant pot. Set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 12 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
- Whisk the dal using a wire whisk.
- Add some boiling water if the dal is too thick for your liking. Check for salt and add more if needed.
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Follow the recipe until adding turmeric powder in a stovetop pressure cooker. Secure the lid.
- Cook for 1 whistle on high heat.
- Now reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes.
- Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid and whisk the dal using a wire whisk.
- Add some boiling water if the dal is too thick for your liking. Check for salt and add more if needed.
Temper The Dal
- Heat ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat.
- When the ghee is hot, add asafetida, cumin seeds, and dry red chilies and fry for 4-5 seconds.
- Add onions, green chilies, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the onion turns golden brown, stirring frequently.
- Pour the tadka over the cooked dal and mix well.
- Add lime juice and mix well.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
I tried this dad with your daal baati recipe. It turned out well and all the family members loved it. Please put number of persons the recipe serves and the time it may take in the recipes, which will be helpful for us. Your pics are beautiful. I wonder how many wooden boards have you painted in different colors, hope we see them all in a pic 😉
Thnx Cynthia. I have taken your suggestion and have put the number of person this recipe serves and time taken to make it. I have also added a video to make it easy for the viewers. I hope you will like it. Thnx
perfect with roti.. healthy with all those blend of dals with spices.. stunning clicks..:)
Thnx Laxmi Priya.
thats a beautiful shot and tell me where do u get all those props : looking stunning
Thnx Aparna. These are collected over years from different places.