This is an easy chana dal recipe with split chickpeas, curry powder, turmeric, and garam masala. Fluffy homemade quinoa coconut flatbreads on the side make this a delicious and satisfying vegan dinner.
What is Chana Dal?
Translated from Indian into English, “chana” means chickpea, and “dal” refers to any split pulse (like red lentil dal, made from split lentils). In this case, cooked and simmered split chickpeas are flavored with a delicious tomato-spice mixture that transforms them into an incredible curry-style dish. Today's vegan chana dal is here to make your taste buds sing!
We're talking aromatic spices, soupy beans, all scooped up with homemade flatbreads. It's a plant-based feast that's easy to make and INCREDIBLY delicious. We're making a simple chana dal and serving it with simple quinoa flatbreads. This recipe tastes amazing, takes about 40 minutes to make, and is something everyone who loves Indian flavors will adore.
What Makes This Chana Dal Recipe So Good
- Simple ingredients. I've done my best to simplify this traditional curry-style dish with ingredients you'll find easily in the fridge, pantry, and spice rack.
- Fragrant spices. We'll use a bold blend of curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, and a few other seasonings. These are adaptable, so you can make your dal as spicy or mild as you'd like.
- Ready in 40 minutes. I love cooking chana dal for a quick and tasty weeknight meal that fills us up. It's ready in under an hour, and leftovers taste great in the following days.
Gather These Ingredients
Ever heard someone say, “vegan food is bland” or “vegan food has no flavor”? That couldn't be farther from the truth! To make this quick chana dal recipe, here's what you'll need:
- Chana dal – Again, these are split chickpeas and can be found on Amazon if you can't find them locally. And of course, you'll cook the beans in some water!
- Olive oil – Traditionally, you'll see ghee or butter used, but since I wanted to make this recipe vegan, we're using oil. Use whichever you prefer.
- Garlic – I like to crush my garlic using a garlic press so that it evenly distributes throughout the meal.
- Onion – I recommend a red onion just for the flavor, but you can use any type (or shallot if you want!)
- Ginger – Freshly grated ginger adds a really lovely zing to the dish that I think elevates the flavor to a whole other level!
- Tomato – The tomato adds flavor, juiciness, and a touch of sweetness to the gravy, which I think is absolutely amazing!
- Spices – We're using a fair amount, including curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cardamom, coriander, salt, and pepper. If you don't have them all on hand, don't worry. You'll find ready-to-use Indian dal seasoning in stores that will also work in this dal recipe.
Can I Substitute Chana Dal Beans?
Chana dal beans might sometimes be tricky to find, so if you can't find them, you can use split red lentils in their place. Just skip the soaking and cook for a little less time.
How to Cook Chana Dal
There are essentially four steps to making chana dal: soak the beans, cook the beans, cook the tomato-spice mixture, and stir everything together. Start to finish, it should take you about 40 minutes of cooking time plus another 30 for soaking (if you want).
- Cook the beans. Before you start, soak the dried chana dal beans for at least 1 hour, then drain and rinse them. Afterward, boil, then simmer the beans in water for 30-40 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Sauté. Meanwhile, sauté garlic and onion in a skillet. Stir in the ginger, tomato, followed by the rest of the spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes to bring out the flavors.
- Finish and serve. Take your dal off the heat and use a potato masher to gently mash a portion of the cooked beans. This makes the gravy thick and creamy, without adding any cream! Lastly, garnish with cilantro, and serve with your choice of flatbreads and sides (see below).
Make the Flatbreads
While the dal cooks, combine the ingredients for your quinoa flatbreads in a high-powered blender. Blend until the batter is smooth. To cook the flatbreads, spoon the batter onto a greased pan and swirl lightly with the back of the spoon to make a thin, round pancake. Cook the flatbread for 1 minute, flip, and cook for 30 seconds. Move the finished flatbread to a plate, and repeat with the rest of the batter.
What to Serve with Chana Dal
Chana dal can be served as a side dish, or it can be the main attraction! Since I follow a primarily plant-based diet, I like to have it as my main dish and serve it up with some sides.
Most often, I'll serve chana dal with:
- White jasmine or basmati rice, or coconut rice for more flavor
- Flatbreads (the quinoa flatbreads included in this recipe are awesome, or you can try my gluten-free naan)
- Cilantro for garnish
- Side salad, like my kale salad
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store any leftover chana dal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. To reheat dal, warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave. I usually add a splash of water or vegetable broth to help loosen the gravy, which tends to thicken over time.
- Freeze. You can freeze your chana dal for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Reheat frozen dal right from the freezer over low heat, or thaw it overnight first.
And that's dinner! So simple to make, SO flavorful, and all can be made ahead if you want to meal prep it. I think you're going to absolutely love this easy chana dal recipe, and I can't wait to hear what you think.
More Curry Recipes to Try
Chana Dal with Coconut Quinoa Flatbreads
Ingredients
for the dal:
- 1 cup chana dal beans
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , grated/minced
- 1 small onion , diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 ” piece of fresh ginger , grated
- 1 small tomato , chopped
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- Salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup cilantro
for the flatbreads:
- 1 cup quinoa flour
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 1/2 cup water
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Soak the chana dal beans for at least 1 hour. Rinse and add to a pot along with the water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 30 – 40 minutes until the beans are tender and the liquid is almost absorbed.
- While the dal is cooking, heat the oil over medium heat in a pan. Once hot, add the garlic and onion and saute for 2 – 3 minutes until the onion is almost translucent. Add the ginger and tomato and cook another minute. Finally, add all the spices and cook for one to two additional minutes, until the mixture is fragrant and golden brown.
- Next, make the crepes. Add all ingredients into a high powered blender and blend on high until smooth. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter onto a lightly greased pan and swirl with the back of a spoon until they are thin and round. Cook for 1 minute then flip and cook for another 30 seconds. Repeat until no batter remains.
- Remove from dal from the heat and gently mash a few of the cooked beans (this will make it thick and creamy). Stir in the spice mixture as well as the cilantro.
- Serve dal with crepes (and some white rice if you want!) and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Really sorry but this was so bland! Have gone over and over the ingredients to check I didn’t miss anything but it’s really tasteless. Gutted as wanted to enjoy it
This was a disappointing recipe. The dal was tasteless; had to add more salt and pepper to get any flavor from the spices. It ended up being a porridge without even having to mash any of the dal.Sadly, the recipe for the flatbread was maybe meant to be written differently? Perhaps letting the chia seed sit in the water first for a while? Instead I followed the instructions to blend all the ingredients into a blender and it thickened a little as it blended. Tried making the flatbread/crepes and they never cooked properly. Ended up being just crumbs, tasteless crumbs. The rice was the only thing worth eating. Perhaps a video of how you make the flatbread may help for next time.
Sorry you felt that way! I definitely never want anyone to be disappointed 🙁 Did you make any changes to the ingredient list or anything? I’ll definitely make a video for the flatbread as well!
Hello Alyssa, The channa dal and rice platter is looking so hearty and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
From-Sonia
You’re so welcome!
The flatbread fell apart when I tried to smooth it out with the back of a spoon. I finally got it to old together after 4 tries, but it was in much smaller pieces than shown. I guess it takes getting used to the right heat, pan, etc. it all tasted wonderful.,though!
Sorry you had some trouble Debbie! I do think it takes a little getting used to–they’re very delicate since there isn’t any gluten to help hold them together. Glad all the flavors were there for you though 🙂
That flatbread looks really amazing!
Would you believe it I have every gf flour you can think of (well…..) an the only one I have run out of us quinoa flour!
Still, off to health shop tomorrow (got lovely chestnut flour last time) it is get what you can in rural ireland!
They do not run out of quinoa often or there would be people waving placards I am sure. I cannot believe how popular it is nowadays.
But cold too, so daal on my list of goodies to cook big pot of, perfect.
I dot salad with mini falafels or burgers, I make them in the mini doughnut machine (we hate doughnuts) but do lots of spicy, garlicky cakes in them and freeze bags, they travel with us.
I do sound as a bit as though I am losing it don’t i , but I am all for improvisation.
Keep yours coming won’t you as I love to get my healthy quinoa in there, I send to my sister abroad and she loves our emails with all your ideas. So, we share you!
Oh my! This looks amazing! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
My husband still isn’t sure about quinoa but I love it so would definitely try quinoa flatbreads. The curry looks deliciious. I have never tried making my own but maybe it’s time now!
This looks amazing! Love the idea for quinoa flatbread.
I’m definitely going to check out the flatbreads. Those sounds great.
I love making Indian food and have just decided to keep all those ingredients on hand in case I get a hankering. Lucky for me I have all these ingredients on hand to male this!
i think i would eat the whole bowl right there! YUM
This sounds like amazing comfort food!
I cannot wait to try this flatbread, and we love dal, so I’m pinning this for later as well!
Thanks! I hope you end up trying it 🙂
My husband is from India so I’ve had to learn to make it. I’ve never made chana dal though. Your looks so good especially with the coconut flatbread.
So great! I love how much there is to learn about Indian cooking – all the nuances of flavor and spices – something I’d certainly love to explore more.
I can’t believe you managed to squeeze two such flavorful looking recipes into so few ingredients! This looks so, so good Alyssa!
Thanks, Alisa! I was actually surprised myself how tasty it was 🙂
Oh my gosh, this sounds like my kinda meal! I miss Indian so much, we used to have it once a week in England, but I can rarely convince my other half to try it here. booooo! Love that you used quinoa!
Oh I remember how tasty the Indian food in England was when I visited a few years ago. I loved it! Surprisingly we don’t have too many great joints in NYC, but I certainly think I’ll be exploring it more in my own kitchen 🙂
Indian is my favorite cuisine! But can you guess…I’ve never had nor made Naan! What is up with me!?
Oh man! You’re missing out my friend 😉 It’s sooo good!