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Langar wali dal
Black gram and chana dal
ਲੰਗਰ ਵਾਲੀ ਦਾਲ: whole urad and chana dal slow-cooked as in the gurdwara kitchen
On Gurpurab, the birthdays of the Sikh Gurus, gurdwara kitchens run day and night, and volunteers stir vast pots of maa chholeyan di dal, whole black urad with split chana dal, for everyone who sits in pangat on the floor to eat, whatever their faith. It is plain and honest cooking: the dal simmers for hours with ginger and a little salt and is finished with a simple tadka of ghee, onion, tomato and green chilli, with no cream and no butter swirls. The result is earthy, creamy from slow cooking alone, and very comforting with fresh rotis. Common mistake: rushing it; the urad must be cooked until the skins split and the grains break down when pressed, otherwise the dal stays thin and separate. Chef's tip: mash a ladleful of dal against the side of the pot near the end; this thickens it the way long hours over the langar fire do.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dal
- 5 ½ oz whole black urad dalsoaked 6–8 hours
- 1 ¾ oz split chana dalsoaked with the urad
- 6 ¼ cups water
- ⅔ oz fresh gingerfinely chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the tadka
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 tomatoesfinely chopped
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
To serve
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain and rinse 5 ½ oz whole black urad dal and 1 ¾ oz split chana dal. Put them in a large heavy pot with 6 ¼ cups water, ⅔ oz fresh ginger, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 ½ tsp salt.
2 minStep 2: Bring to the boil, skim off the foam, then simmer gently, partly covered, for 1½ hours, stirring every 15 minutes and topping up with hot water if it gets too thick. It is ready when the urad skins have split and the grains break down when pressed.
90 minStep 3: Mash a ladleful of dal against the side of the pot and stir it back in to thicken.
1 minStep 4: For the tadka, heat 3 tbsp ghee in a pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, then 1 onion, and fry for 6–8 minutes until golden.
8 minStep 5: Add 2 tomatoes, 2 green chillies and 1 tsp red chilli powder and cook for 5–6 minutes until the tomatoes break down and the ghee separates at the edges.
6 minStep 6: Pour the tadka into the dal, add ½ tsp garam masala and simmer for 10 minutes so the flavours blend. Scatter over 2 tbsp coriander leaves and serve with rotis.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does langar wali dal take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 110 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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