Channa Daal with Zucchini is a great combination and a very simple dish. Channa Daal is a heavy daal and cooking it with zucchini makes it a lot lighter and easier on the stomach. Needless to say that it is also a very colorful daal, the green of the zucchini, the red of the tomatoes (that’s why we kept big pieces) andthe yellow of the daal…very appealing to the eye.
Prep time:5 min
Cook time:20 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Channa Daal – 1 cup
Zucchini – 2 small (approx. 1/2 lb), cut
Water – 3 cups
Salt – to taste
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – pinch
Garlic – 2 cloves, finely chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp, grated
Green Chili – to taste
Onion – 1/2 med, finely chopped
Tomato – 1 med, chopped
Cilantro – for garnish
Method:
1. Wash and soak the Channa Daal for an hour.
2. Drain out the water and put the Daal in a pressure cooker.
3. Add in the Zucchini, Water, Salt and Turmeric Powder.
4. Mix well, Close pressure cooker and give it 1 wistle and then allow the pressure to release by itself.
5. For the seasoning, in a skillet, heat Oil on medium heat.
6. Once the Oil is hot, add in Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle.
7. Add in the Asafoetida and then the Onions.
8. Cook for a minute and add in Ginger, Garlic and Green Chilies.
9. Cook till the Onions turn translucent.
10. Add in the Tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
11. Open the pressure cooker and check on the Daal.
12. Turn on the stove and allow it to come to a boil.
13. Add in the seasoning to te Daal.
14. Allow it to boil for 5 minutes.
15. Garnish with Cilantro and it’s ready to serve.
I made this split Channa dal with zucchini in my 4 quart stove top pressure cooker. I soaked the legumes for 4 hours and pressure cooked for 25 minutes. I used a natural release. Then I simmered with the chaunce/tanka for 1 hour on low to infuse the flavor deeply. It was absolutely delicious! I will make it every week now! Thank you!
Hi Martha,
Thanks for your feedback.
Happy Cooking!
hi can I use ghee instead of butter in nan khatai? reply soon thanks.
Hi nav,
Yes, you can but ensure that the dough goes into the fridge and hardens up before you put it into the oven else your nan khatais will be flat.
this tasted really good, ,made it for dinner last night! Thanks
just made this, kids loved it! thank you=)
How long does it take for one whistle? I have a pressure cooker, but its a newer style that doesn’t “whistle” the way the older ones did. I think it just lets out steam as needed without the loud whistle.
Hi Abhishek,
Unfortunately, every pressure cooker is different because based on the size, the amount of pressure it creates is different. You will have to experiment to get the timings that are correct for your particular cooker. Start with about 3 minutes per whistle and then work your way up from there.
I have to frankly say this that I have never tasted a daal tastier than this one…kudos to you guys for the absolute simplicity and wonderful flavor of this dish! My hubby is going to be one happy man today 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Asha! Hope hubby liked it :).
Made this dal the other day following the recipe exactly. My family loved it. My kids who start their meals with “No Dal” chant were asking for more. Thanks for the recipes. I love your site and come her often to check out your latest video.Do you run a catering business or just do this as a hobby ?
This looks fantastic! Is there a way to cook the daal and zucchini w/o a pressure cooker?
Hi Linda,
Yes, make it on the stove top. The Channa Daal will take longer to cook and you will need to add the zucchini a little later so it does not get mushy.
hi hetal and anuja,
i would like to know is that channa dhal is the same as bengal gram dhal? pls advice me on this. hope to get a better answer from your side.
Yes, channa daal is the same as Bengal gram (or kala channa).
Fantastic recipe! I also did some variation by adding spinach instead of zucchini. And it tasted awesome!
Thanks so much, ladies!!!
Hi Neha,
Spinach with daal is one of my favorites, check out this recipe:
https://34.233.61.50/daalsbeans/daal-with-spinach.html
Enjoy!
I love this recipe! I’ve been making it almost every week since I first watched it about a month ago. It’s simple but so, so hearty and delicious. The spices are more subtle than some other dishes so that the flavor of the channa daal really stands out. I add chopped carrots and green peas in addition to the zucchini to eat more vegetables.
I use bottle gourd (lauki) instead of zucchini. Make it very hot and spicy, goes well with both chappati and rice.
I picked up channa daal by mistake for a recipe I was going to make a couple of weeks ago, and have a lot left over that I’m not sure what to do with, because it’s a lot sweeter than the daal I usually like, and it doesn’t soften as well.
This recipe looks good, but I don’t have a pressure cooker. How would I make the dish without one?
hi hetal and anuja,
tries this recepi for lunch today. my family liked it a lot