Maa Ki Dal (Punjabi Langar Dal)
Whole black urad dal simmered long and slow with ginger, garlic and a generous ghee tempering, cooked in enormous quantities for Sikh community langars.
- Prep
- 480 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 570 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 260 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- fat
- 9 g
- carbs
- 30 g
- fibre
- 9 g
- protein
- 13 g
- calories
- 260 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Pressure cook the soaked urad and chana dal with turmeric and salt. Cook until fully soft, about 40 minutes.
- 2
Mash the cooked dal lightly. Simmer on low heat for at least an hour, stirring occasionally so it does not stick.
- 3
In a separate pan, heat ghee (clarified butter). Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle and pop.
- 4
Add onion and fry until golden. Add ginger garlic paste and cook until it smells fragrant.
- 5
Add tomato and chilli powder. Cook until the oil separates from the masala.
- 6
Pour this tadka (sizzling spiced oil) into the simmering dal. Mix well.
- 7
Simmer for another 20-30 minutes until thick and creamy. Serve hot.
Chef's tips
Slow simmering makes the dal rich and creamy, just like at a community langar (free kitchen). The spiced ghee brings deep, authentic flavour.
Ingredient substitutions
- whole black urad → split black urad with slightly reduced cooking time
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Reheating
Reheat on low flame with a splash of water, stirring often.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cooking on high heat, which can burn the dal at the bottom of the pan.
- •Skipping the long simmer, leaving the dal thin with flat flavour.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Maa Ki Dal (Punjabi Langar Dal)?
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