Panchratna Dal AKA Rajasthani Panchmel Dal

Rajasthani Panchmel Dal is a nutritious and protein-packed lentil dish from the Indian state of Rajasthan.

The ‘panchmel’ in the name signifies a mixture of five – the dal is made using a mix of five types of lentils. These lentils are toor dal (pigeon pea split), moong dal (yellow lentil), chana dal (split Bengal gram), masoor dal (split red lentil), and green moong dal (moong lentil with husk).

It is also called the panchratna dal and the panchkuti dal and is one of the staple lentil dishes from Rajasthan. Traditionally it is made without onion and garlic.

Why you will love this 5 lentils stew

• Healthy & nutritious– Lentils are a good source of protein and carbs for vegetarians and plant based diets. Having a tempering with ghee, this 5 lentil Indian stew taste heavenly.
• Make ahead & Meal prep– You can prepare it in advance and refrigerate. Due to which this Indian dal recipe works in meal planning as well.

Ingredients & notes

• Lentils– I am using moong dal, masoor dal, urad dal, chana dal, and arhar dal to make this dahl recipe. I soaked it while preparing tempering, soaking reduces the cooking time but you can always skip it.
• Ghee or Oil– Ghee is a very important part of Indian dal recipes. Tempering with ghee not only enhances the overall flavour profile but also nutrient value as well. Do not skip it.
• Seasoning– Onion, tomato, green chilies, and ginger are used for making masala for tempering.
• Spices– Cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder, and red chili powder are few spices to use.
• Herbs– garnish with fresh cilantro leaves while serving.

I like to add onion and garlic for an enhanced flavor. A ghee tadka (tempering) with jeera (cumin), hing (asafetida), and red chilies is a must and takes the aroma of the dal several notches up.

Making panchmel dal with onion is perfectly fine, but you can always cook it without onion and garlic to make it in a traditional way.

Substitutions

• Some people use urad dal (split black lentil) instead of green moong dal, and that works fine as well. The great thing about it is that you can adjust that per the lentils you have at hand. 
• Use vegan butter or any oil of your choice to cook vegan panchmel dal.
• Mustard seeds works fine too in place of cumin seeds.

How to make panchmel dal

You can cook lentils in multiple ways. Stovetop Indian pressure cooker, stovetop dutch oven or kadai, and instant pot.

1. First of all, prepare for boiling dal. Combine all five dals together. Wash and soak for about 20-30 minutes. This will reduce the cooking time.
2. Pressure cook the dals with 3 cups of water. 2 Whistle is enough to cook lentils and let the pressure releases on its own. If you like mushy dal then go for 3-5 whistles.
3. Meanwhile, prepare for tempering. Heat a kadhai and add ghee.
4. To this add cumin seeds, asafoetida, and dry red chilies and let them splutter.
5. Now add chopped onion and grated ginger. Fry till they change color to brown.
6. Add chopped tomato and cook until tomatoes become mushy.
7. Finally add turmeric powder, red chili powder and mix well.
8. Now add boiled dal, stir well. Adjust salt as per taste.
9. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with roti or rice or baati. Rajasthani panchmel dal is ready to enjoy.

Tips & FAQ’s

• Whenever making Indian-style dal, it is always recommended to wash the dry lentils well and soak them in fresh water for at least 20 minutes. This reduces the cooking time significantly.
• And here is an expert tip – add a teaspoon of ghee when cooking the dal; it will make the dal more aromatic and will also improve the dal texture.

What to serve

Traditional Panchmel Dal is served with Dal Baati in Rajasthan. But you can serve this dal as a side with chapati, naan, or serve with plain steam rice or jeera rice.

Quinoa and brown rice are other options to enjoy this stew.

How to store

Any leftovers you can transfer in a container and store in the fridge.

How to reheat

Microwave it for 1-2 minutes or just use a sauce pan on the stovetop to reheat the dal.

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This is my entry for “Breakfast staple with different grain event” in BM 91 week3 day 3.