Ingredients

• ¼ cup toor dal
• ¼ cup chana dal
• ¼ cup moong dal
• ¼ cup masoor dal
• ¼ cup urad dal (split)

• 4 cups water
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

1. Wash Lentils: Wash all five dals together thoroughly and soak for 20 minutes.
2. Pressure Cook: Add soaked dals, water, turmeric, and salt to a pressure cooker. Cook until soft.
3. Mash Dal: Lightly mash the cooked dal to combine textures.
4. Heat Ghee: Heat ghee in a pan on medium flame.
5. Add Whole Spices: Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, and dried red chillies. Let them crackle.
6. Add Aromatics: Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté till fragrant.
7. Combine Dal: Add cooked dal, red chilli powder, and garam masala. Simmer for 5–7 minutes.
8. Serve: Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Rich in plant protein
• Authentic Rajasthani flavour
• Comforting and filling
• Perfect with baati or rice
• Made with simple spices

Common Mistakes

• Skipping soaking step
• Using too much water initially
• Overcooking tempering spices
• Adding garam masala too early

Variations

Garlic Panchmel Dal: Add extra garlic in tempering.
No Onion-Garlic: Skip ginger-garlic for satvik version.
Smoky: Give dhungar with coal and ghee.

Personal Note

Panchmel dal always reminds me of traditional Rajasthani meals served with ghee-soaked baati. The depth of flavour from multiple lentils makes it truly special. It’s one of those dals that feels festive even on a simple day.