The Best Restaurant Style Dal You’ll Ever Make

Looking for the ultimate comfort food? This Dal recipe is the one you’ll keep making again and again! Light, flavorful, and soul-warming, Patla Dal is a Bengali favorite that you’ll often find served in restaurants across Dhaka, Bangladesh. In this recipe, we combine masoor dal and moong dal, cook them until creamy, then finish with a golden garlic tempering that takes it to the next level. It’s simple, delicious, and perfect with steamed rice or roti.

A steaming bowl of richly spiced Indian dal, garnished with fresh cilantro and a slice of lime, served on a rustic wooden table.

Ingredients

• 1 cup masoor dal (red lentils)

• 1 cup moong dal (yellow lentils)

• ½ tsp ginger paste

• 1 tsp garlic paste

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• ¼ tsp red chili powder

• 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

• 3 green cardamoms

• 1 small stick cinnamon

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• 6 cups water (plus more if needed)

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• ½ tsp roasted cumin powder

• 4 tbsp cooking oil (for tempering)

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced (for tempering)

• 5–6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• ½ tsp chili flakes

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• 4–5 green chilies, cut in half

• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

• 1 tbsp ghee (optional, for finishing)

• Lime juice to taste

Method

1. In a bowl, combine masoor dal and moong dal. Wash thoroughly and soak for 30 minutes.

2. Drain the lentils and add to a large pan. Mix in ginger paste, garlic paste, sliced onion, tomato, turmeric, red chili powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, and 2 tbsp oil. Stir everything well with your hand or a spatula.

3. Add 6 cups water and cook on medium heat until the dal is tender (about 20–25 minutes).

4. Once soft, whisk the dal until it blends together. The more you whisk, the tastier and creamier it gets. Adjust water for your preferred consistency.

5. Stir in coriander powder and roasted cumin powder. Let the dal simmer on low heat.

   
   

Tempering (Tadka):6. In a separate pan, heat 4 tbsp oil. Add sliced onion and cook until soft.7. Add the sliced garlic and cook until it starts to change color.8. Add chili flakes and cumin seeds, then continue cooking on low heat until golden brown.9. Pour this hot tempering into the dal. You can also ladle some dal into the tempering pan, mix, then pour it back.

Finishing Touch:10. Add green chilies and fresh coriander. Taste and adjust salt.11. For extra flavor, drizzle 1 tbsp ghee and a squeeze of lime juice right before serving.

Serve hot with rice or roti. A simple, soul-warming dal that tastes like pure comfort!