Chataka Dal is a spicy and flavorful Dal from the Indian state of Maharashtra. It’s made with yellow split pigeon peas simmered with tomatoes, then seasoned with a spicy chili pepper. Gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.
I grew up in the state of Maharashtra and the dishes of this particular cuisine hold a special place in my heart! Simple dals, bhaji like my jackfruit brown chickpea bhaji, saoji, kohlapuri and Zunka are already on the blog! You can find misal pav and anti dal in my cookbook.
This Chataka dal is another dish I love – it’s a simple dal with few ingredients but trust me it’s far from simple in taste. It’s feisty with the added chili powder temper. As always, you can adjust the spice level to your preference.
To serve, I serve with flatbread or rice. This dish goes incredibly well with rice but you can also serve it with cauliflower rice.
Dals are soul food with many variations from various states and regions of India.
There are several types of Dals and pulses used in Indian cooking. You can see a list with images here.
This Chataka dal is quick and delicious. Traditionally, he used 1-2 tbsp Indian chili powder, but that was quite hot. So I use less. You can use any lentils or split peas you have for this recipe. Just cook them long enough until tender, then add tempering/Tadka.
More dal recipes:
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Chataka Dal Spicy Maharashtrian Toor Dal
Chataka Dal is a spicy and flavorful Dal from the Indian state of Maharashtra. It’s made with yellow split pigeon peas simmered with tomatoes, then seasoned with a spicy chili pepper. Gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.
Servings: 4
calories: 127calories
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (126 g) toor dal (split pigeon peas) You can also use chana dal (split-skinned brown chickpeas) or Moong dal (split mung beans)
- 1 tomato chopped small
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (950 ml) water
For the tadka/tempering:
- 2 coffee spoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 12 curry leaves fresh or frozen or dried
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder or use paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or use 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp paprika
- Lemon juice and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
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Cook the split peas or lentils: wash the lentils/dal and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes then drain them and add them to a saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Cook over medium heat, partially covered. Depending on the dal, it will take between 35 and 55 minutes.
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If using chana dal, use a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 18-20 minutes. It can take up to 2 hours in a pan if the dal is too old.
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To pressure cook the dal, use only 2 cups of water and add the rest of the ingredients along with the washed and drained dal to an instant pot or pressure cooker and pressure cook for 10 minutes for the split pea/toor dar, 6 minutes for moong dal and 18 minutes for chana dal. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes then quickly release, then open the lid.
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quench. Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, you can check the oil by putting in 1 or 2 mustard seeds and see if they start changing color immediately. If they don’t, let the oil heat up for a minute or 2. If they come out immediately, the oil is a bit too hot, reduce the heat a bit and continue.
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Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil and cook until the mustard seeds pop or change color and lighten significantly. Then add the cumin seeds and mix well for a few seconds. Then reduce the heat to medium and add the curry leaves, asafoetida and stir for a few more seconds. Then add the garlic gently and mix well.
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If you are using an electric stove, remove the pan from the stove because the electric stove takes longer to reduce the heat. Also add an additional 1 teaspoon of oil if the pan is overheated.
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As soon as the garlic starts to brown, mix well then add the Kashmiri chili powder, cayenne pepper and mix. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
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Drop this tadka/dip in the dal. I usually put the dal in a serving container before adding the tadka so the tempering can be swirled around and not completely mixed.
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If your mash doesn’t have enough oil, you can add a few splashes of water to get all the mash and pour this hot mash over all the cooked dal. Swirl it around.
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Garnish with lemon juice and cilantro and serve immediately, with flatbread or rice. This Chataka dal goes incredibly well with rice.
Remarks
- It is a spicy dal, to reduce the spiciness you can reduce cayenne pepper and Kashmiri chili powder.
- Serve with sides like poriyal, jackfruit bhaji, crispy potatoes or eggplant and potatoes.
- this dal is gluten free, soy free and nut free.
- No garlic: omit the garlic and add a pinch of asafetida and 1/2 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves
Nutrition
Nutritional intakes
Chataka Dal Spicy Maharashtrian Toor Dal
Amount per serving
calories 127
Calories from fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 0.2g1%
Sodium 337mg15%
Potassium 117mg3%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
5g fiber21%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 589UI12%
Vitamin C 66mg80%
Calcium 52mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients:
- this dal is made with split pigeon peas. You can also use chana dal
- 1 tomato, finely diced
- For the tadka/dipping we heat the oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves
- garlic, finely chopped
- ground spices: turmeric and chilli powder, cayenne
- chopped cilantro and lemon juice
Advice:
- It is a spicy dal, to reduce the spiciness you can reduce cayenne pepper and Kashmiri chili powder.
- It is gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.
How to make Chataka Dal:
Cook the split peas or lentils: wash the lentils/dal and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes then drain them and add them to a saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and mix, cook over medium heat, partially covered.
Depending on the dal, it will take between 35 and 55 minutes.
Pressure cook the dal, use only 2 cups of water and add the rest of the ingredients along with the washed and drained dal to an instant pot or pressure cooker and pressure cook for 10 minutes for the split pigeon pea/toor dar, 6 minutes for the moong dal and 18 minutes for chana dal. Let the pressure release naturally then open the lid.
quench. Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, you can check the oil by putting in 1 or 2 mustard seeds and see if they start changing color immediately.
Then add the mustard seeds to the hot oil and cook until the mustard seeds pop or change color and lighten significantly. Then add the cumin seeds and mix well for a few seconds.
Then reduce the heat to medium and add the curry leaves, asafoetida, and stir for a few more seconds. Then add the garlic gently and mix well.
If using an electric stove, remove the pan from the stove as the electric stove takes longer to reduce the heat and will tend to burn the garlic. Also add an additional 1 teaspoon of oil if the pan is overheated. As soon as the garlic starts to brown, mix well then add the Kashmiri chili powder, cayenne pepper and mix. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Drop this tadka/dip in the dal. I usually put the dal in a serving container before adding the tadka so the tempering doesn’t mix completely.
If your tadka doesn’t have enough oil, you can add a few splashes of water to get all the mash and pour this hot mash over all the cooked dal.
How to Serve Chataka Dal
Garnish with lemon juice and cilantro and serve hot with roti, flatbread or rice. It goes well with rice.
Chataka Dal is a spicy dal. To reduce the spiciness of this dish, you can reduce cayenne pepper and Kashmiri pepper powder.
The traditional recipe would call for adding 1 tablespoon of chili powder, but that’s a lot of heat. So I use less. As a side dish, you can serve poriyal, jackfruit bhaji, zunka, crispy potatoes or eggplant and potatoes. It is gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.
