This Mixed Dal or Mix Dal Fry is a delicious Indian recipe prepared with a mix of lentils, onion, garlic, tomato and spices. The tadka give this dish a delicious dhaba style dal flavour.
The humble Indian mixed dal is a wonderful dish filled with flavours, textures, and aromas.
This recipe brings together a variety of lentils, each contributing its unique taste and nutritional goodness, to create a wholesome and comforting meal. The dal is cooked with aromatic spices, onions, tomatoes, this versatile dish is a staple in Indian households.
Whether served with steamed rice, roti, or a dollop of tangy pickle, mixed dal is a bowl of nourishment.
If you love dal recipes, don’t miss other delicious options on the blog like Dhaba Dal Fry, Mug Ni Chutti Dal, and Whole Masoor Dal.
Ingredients notes
Be sure to check out the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Split chickpea dal – Chana dal
Split red lentils – Masoor dal
Yellow Moong Dal - Mung Ki Dal
Onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies
Tomatoes
Spice powders: turmeric powder, red chili powder, hing.
Cumin seeds and dried red chillies
Oil
Coriander leaves
Lemon wedges
Optional
Garam masala powder and coriander powder.
Tips
- Add ghee to make an extra rich tadka and creamy dal.
- Add kasoori methi for restaurant style flavours.
- Use lemon juice instead of dry mango powder
- you can add black urad dal or tuvar dal.
- For speed, I use the instant pot to boil the dal to reduce cooking time. You can use any electric pressure cooker or stove top pressure cooker. Alternatively, cook the dal in a pan on the stove.
Serving Suggestion
Mixed Daal is best served with basmati rice, jeera rice or ghee rice.
For a complete meal, serve with an Indian vegetable curry and whole wheat chapati or plain paratha.
Storage
Mixed dal is a fantastic make ahead recipe. Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Mixed daal is also freezable for up to 3 months.
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📖 Recipe
Mixed Dal Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pot or Pressure cooker/Instant Pot
- 1 small pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup chana dal split chickpea dal
- ½ cup masoor dal split red lentils
- ½ cup yellow moong dal
- ½ cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon green chillies crushed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or dry mango powder
Tempering (Tadka)
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing
- 1 red dry chilli
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
Garnish
- 3 tablespoon coriander leaves
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean and wash all three lentils and soak for half an hour in water.
- Discard the water and add new water, about 2 cups and add tomato, garlic, ginger, green chillies turmeric, oil and salt.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Transfer to a stoveto pressure cooker, and close the lid. Cook dal on medium heat until 3 whistles in Indian style pressure cooker.
Pan/Pot
- If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook lentils in a pan/pot. On stove, medium heat cook 40-45 minutes or till dal is completely tender. You may need extra water to cook mixed lentils.
Instant Pot
- Cook lentils for 7 minutes on high pressure.
Tadka (Temper the spices)
- Give cooked dal a good mix using ladle or whisked baloon. If the dal is very thick, add some warm water to bring it at right consistancy.
- Heat a small pan or kadai then add oil. Add cumin seeds and hing in hot oil.
- Allow cumins crackle, then add dry red chillies, chopped onion and garlic.
- Saute onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes or till little pink, add red chilli powder.
- Add tadka into boiled/cooked dal.
- Turn the heat back on and simmer the dal for 2-3 minutes again on medium- high heat.
- Mix lemon juice, garnish with coriander and serve hot.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Share on Facebook Pin This Recipe Share by TextNote – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First published in May 2015.
Hayley Dhanecha says
This mixed lentils dal is one of those comforting bowls that always turns out so good and incredibly tasty. The combination of different dals creates a rich, hearty texture with layers of flavour in every spoonful. I love serving it with hot rice or roti—it’s simple, nourishing and always hits the spot.
kitchen queen says
super delicious and tempting lip smacking dal.
jcookingodyssey says
Thank you Induji for lovely words