Traditionally, this dal is a part of dal bati meal. But this panchratna dal makes a healthy, hearty, nutritious meal when served with plain rice or roti with a side salad or veggies.
What Is Panchmel Dal?
Panch = Five. Mel = Mix. In short, panchmel dal is a lentil preparation made with a mixture of 5 different kinds of lentils. Other names are panchratna dal or panchkuti dal or Rajasthani dal. Just like any other Rajasthani food, this panchmel dal is made with a generous amount of ghee. Ghee adds a nice flavor as well as makes the dal a little on the heavier side. If making on daily basis then reduce the amount of ghee or simply use oil.
❤️ You’ll Love This Panchratna Dal
Protein-packed meal: Lentils are a good source of protein for vegetarians. To make it a complete protein, always serve panchmel dal with any grain (such as rice, quinoa, millet, roti, paratha, etc).
Medium spicy (adjustable) Rich, flavorful, and aromatic with full-on ghee flavor Slightly creamy (thanks to urad dal) Lentils flavor is at its peak as a few spice powders (except turmeric, chili powder, and coriander powder) are used.
Pack this panchratna dal into kid’s or adult’s lunch boxes with rice in a separate container. This makes a filling meal. Meal prep friendly: Make a large batch of it and store some for later in the refrigerator or freeze some for busy/lazy day meals.
🧾 Ingredient Notes
Here is the pic of the lentils you’ll need to make panchmel dal recipe. All of them are easily available in any Indian grocery store.
Toor dal (arhar dal, tuvar dal) – split pigeon peas Chana dal – split bengal gram Moong dal – split yellow green gram Masoor dal – split red lentils Urad dal – split, skinless black gram
Ghee (Clarified butter): When it comes to the Rajasthani dal recipe, one must use ghee. It adds richness and a unique flavor to the dal. Cloves: It adds a nice aroma to the dal. Cumin seeds: It is added into tempering which aids in easy digestion. Hing: Again, it aids in easy digestion. Onion: I prefer to use red onion for Indian cooking. But you can use yellow or white onion. Ginger Garlic: You can use readymade paste or freshly crushed. We are using julienned ginger as well. Green chili: Slit green chili is added, so remove it at the time of serving. Tomatoes: I prefer to use Roma or plum tomatoes for Indian cooking. Spice powders: Only turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder are used.
👩🍳 How To Make Panchmel Dal Recipe (Pics)
Pressure Cooking Dal:
- Take the mixture of 5 lentils in a bowl and rinse them with water by massaging the dal gently using your fingers. Rinse 2-3 times or until the water is not cloudy anymore. Take it to a pressure cooker, add salt and turmeric powder.
- Add water and stir to mix.
- Cover the cooker with a lid and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles on medium heat. Instant pot: Manual 10 minutes.
- Let the pressure go down by itself and open the lid. You’ll notice most of the dal gets cooked to the mushy stage and chana dal has its shape intact. Making Panchmel Dal Recipe:
- Heat the ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cloves and saute for 30 seconds or until you get a nice aroma of cloves. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit. Add hing.
- Immediately add onion, sprinkle a pinch of salt to speed up the cooking process.
- Saute for 4-5 minutes or until the onions get soft and light pink or translucent in color.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 1 minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away. 9, 10) Add red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix and cook for a minute. If spices are getting burned then add a splash of water to make the mixture moist and avoid burning. 11, 12) Add tomatoes, julienned ginger, and slit green chili. Mix and cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Add cooked dal along with some more water.
- Mix and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the stove and panchratna dal is ready to serve.
💭 Expert Tips For Panchmel Dal Recipe
Don’t have all 5 lentil varieties? That’s fine, just mix 2 or 3 (or whatever you have on hand) and make this dal. It will still taste super good. Make it light: Reduce the amount of ghee or replace it with oil. Adjust the spice level: The given amount makes a medium spicy panchmel dal. To make it mild, reduce the amount of green chili and red chili powder. To make it spicy, increase only the green chili amount. Soak the lentils for 20-30 minutes if you have time. This reduces the cooking time as well as helps in easy nutrient absorption.
🥣 Storage Instructions
In the refrigerator, panchmel dal stays good for 3-4 days in an airtight container. In the freezer, panchratna dal stays good for up to 3 months. I would freeze in individual servings (or family-size servings) and defrost as needed. To thaw, keep the container in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. Reheat on the stovetop until hot. You may need to add a splash of water to adjust the consistency.
🍽 Serving Ideas
Panchmel dal is served with Rajasthani bati. It is a part of dal bati churma. Panchmel dal can be served with plain rice or jeera rice. It can be served with roti or paratha. A side of salad, papad, mango pickle, and a glass of chaas make a complete meal.
Did you try this Rajasthani panchmel dal recipe (panchratna dal)? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
Dal fry Urad dal Arhar dal Moong dal Chana dal
