Rajasthani Panchmel Dal | Panchratna Dal

Panchmel Dal or Panchratna dal is a delicious flavourful Indian lentil recipe made with five lentils (or dal). It is a Rajasthani recipe and traditionally served with bati (whole wheat flour balls). However it tastes good with rice, roti or chapati also.

The word panchmel in hindi literally translates to combination of five– ‘panch’ means five and ‘mel’ means mixture. This panchmel dal is full of proteins & other nutrients as it amalgamates the goodness of different dals (lentils). All five lentils are taken in equal quantities, boiled and then mixed with fresh aromatic spice blend.

The panchratan dal recipe shared here is:

• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Gluten Free
• High in Protein and fibre

Lentils have been an essential part of our diet since childhood. Our mother made sure that we ate lentils in at least one of our meals as it is a major source of protein especially in vegetarian or vegan diet. In fact in most of Indian homes, you will find different varieties of lentil being cooked on every day basis.

Panchmel Dal Ingredients:

Lentils- The five dal which are used in this recipe are-

1. Arhar Dal (Split Pigeon Peas)
2. Chilka Moong Dal (Split Green Gram)
3. Masoor Dal (Orange Lentil)
4. Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas)
5. Chilka Urad Dal (Split Black Gram)

It is fine to do minor substitutions like if you don’t have chilka urad dal you can replace it with urad dal or instead of split green moong you can use split yellow moong. However if you want the taste close to authentic panch-mel dal then I would recommend using above mentioned lentils.

Ghee / Oil- Though this dal tastes best when cooked in ghee (clarified butter) but to make it vegan (dairy free), replace ghee with any cooking oil.

Spices: Any Indian curry would be incomplete without spices. In this dal recipe also, different aromatic spices have been used like cumin seeds (jeera), heeng (asafoetida), garam masala and red chilli powder. Instead of red chilli powder, you can easily use paprika or smoked paprika for colour and flavour.

Onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilli: These together form the base of this lentil curry, adding flavour, aroma and texture to it. If you wish, you can make this panchmel dal without onion and garlic also.

Amchoor: This spice is made by powdering raw dried mangoes and often added for tanginess in curries. You can easily find it online or in any Indian grocery store. If you still can’t find it, replace it with some freshly squeezed lime juice.

Serving Suggestion:

• If you want to try the authentic combo of dal & bati (whole wheat flour balls slow cooked in charcoal oven), then do checkout Rajasthani Bati Recipe which you can easily make in oven or air fryer.
• This dal can also be enjoyed with some steamed jeera rice or roti for a comforting soulful meal. You can accompany it with jeera aloo (potatoes), aloo gobi, pickle, papad or salad on sides.

While making recipes, I always keep thinking why do we cook an ingredient in a particular way or choose certain flavours or spices to enhance its taste. As I was surfing about lentils online, I came across this interesting article on Indian history of lentils. If you are also curious about the fascinating history of dal and its evolutions with time, then do check it out. 

Hope you will like this panchratna dal recipe. Do try it with bati also along with a generous serving of ghee. I am sure you will love it.

Ingredients:

• Arhar Dal (Split Pigeon Peas)- ¼ cup
• Chilka Moong (Split Green gram)- ¼ cup
• Masoor Dal (Orange Lentil)- ¼ cup
• Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas)- ¼ cup
• Chilka Urad (Split black gram)- ¼ cup
• Salt- 1 & ½ tsp (or to taste)
• Water- 5 cups
• Haldi (Turmeric)- 1 tsp
• Ghee / Cooking Oil- 2 tbsp
• Jeera (Cumin seeds)- 2 tsp
• Heeng (Asafoetida)- ¼ tsp
• Whole dried red chilli- 1
• Green Chilli (finely chopped)- 2
• Ginger Paste- 1 & ½ tsp
• Garlic Cloves (minced)- 4 to 6
• Onion (chopped)- ½ cup
• Tomato Puree- 3 tbsp
• Red Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
• Garam Masala- ½ tsp
• Amchoor Powder- ½ tsp
• Coriander or Cilantro (chopped)- For garnishing

Notes:

1. If you don’t have amchoor powder, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the dal in last step.
2. You can make this recipe without onion and garlic also.

Directions:

Step 1:
Add all the lentils in a mixing bowl. Rinse it 2-3 times while scrubbing to wash off all the dust & impurities. Soak it for 30-40 minutes.

Step 2:
Discard the water in which dal was soaked. Add the soaked lentils, fresh water, salt & turmeric in a pressure cooker. After 2-3 whistles, sim for 10 minutes. Then switch off the flame. Let the pressure release on its own. By the time dal is boiling you can proceed to next step.

Step 3:
Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Add jeera (cumin seeds), heeng (asafoetida), whole dried red chilli, chopped green chillies and ginger paste. Sauté for few seconds.

Step 4:
Add chopped garlic cloves, onion and stir till onion turns translucent.

Step 5:
Add tomato puree, red chilli powder & coriander powder. Mix well.

Let this masala cook on medium flame for another 5-6 minutes.

Step 6:
Add boiled lentils to it along with garam masala & amchur powder. Mix well and let the dal simmer in these spices for 8-10 minutes more (Instead of amchur you can use lemon juice but add it towards the end of cooking).

Delicious flavourful Panchmel dal is ready. Garnish it with freshly chopped coriander or cilantro. If you wish, you can drizzle some tadka or tempering (chilli oil) on top before serving. Enjoy it with hot bati, roti or steamed rice.

Storing & Reheating:

You can easily store leftover dal in an airtight container in fridge for 2-3 days. Sometimes it tends to thicken up after cooling down. Add a splash of water to it, before reheating in microwave or in a pan on stovetop.

More Indian recipes you might like:

• Dal Fry
  
• Dal Makhani
• Dal Palak (Spinach Lentil)
  
• Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)
• Rajma Masala (Kidney Beans Curry)

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(7 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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