When you think about Indian comfort food, dal is the first thing that comes to mind and this mashed dal recipe will become your next favorite comfort meal for sure.
It is super easy to put together, incredibly versatile and has a lot of flavor and texture- unlike most other dal recipes you’ll ever find.
Best of all you can bring lots of different variations into the recipe as well. It is also a wonderful way to use up some of your leftover boiled dal and put it to use in a unique, tasty way.
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Ingredients For the Mashed Dal Recipe
To make the mashed dal, here is what you will need.
- Split chickpeas / Chana dal (cooked): 1 cup
- Onions (finely chopped): ½ cup
- Green chilies (finely chopped): 2 tbsp
- Tomatoes (finely chopped): ¼ cup
- Mustard oil: 1 tbsp
- Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
- Salt: ½ tbsp
- Red chili powder: ½ tsp
- Mint leaves (chopped): 2 tbsp
How to Make the Mashed Dal
Once you have all the ingredients ready, here is what you will need to do to make the mashed dal.
Take a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients one by one. Mix everything together.
Mash the split chickpeas (chana dal) as much as possible.
Make oval shaped pieces and serve as a side with your regular Indian meals.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve kept it simple with some onion and tomatoes added in, but you can also add other veggies of your choice. Finely chopped bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli are all good choices.
You can also add some green beans or green peas into the mix to make the dal healthier. 
Your leftover mashed dal can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. I would recommend reheating it in the microwave with a little sprinkle of water to give it a bit of moisture. You can heat it on the stove top too- just remember to use a good quality, nonstick pan and keep the heat low while reheating it.
Tips & Tricks to Make the Mashed Dal
Ready to try this mashed dal recipe? Here are some more tips and tricks you might want to take note of.
- I used Chana dal for the recipe, but you can also use any other kind of dal to bring in a bit of variation
- Moong dal and tur dal or all good choices. You can also try a mix of two or more dals if you want to.
- To get a uniform texture, I mashed the dal completely, but if you prefer a more coarse and chunky texture, you can smash the dal a little bit using a fork and deliberately leave it a little chunky.
- To add a bit of extra flavor to the smash dal, you can also sauté some finely chopped garlic until golden brown and then add it into the mix
- Mustard oil brings a beautiful smoky flavor to the mashed dal. If you don’t have it, you can skip it and use any other cooking oil of your choice.
- To bring that iconic golden hue into the dal, you can add a pinch of turmeric powder as well
- Another great idea is to add a pinch of roasted cumin powder to bring some earthy and aromatic flavors into the dal.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This flavorful mashed dal can be enjoyed with any of your meals, but I would recommend having it as a side dish to your main Indian meals like curries and rice. You can also serve it as a simple meal, teaming it up with some chapatis or parathas and a nice salad on the side.
Love this easy dal recipe? Want to try some more interesting ways to use dal? Here are a few good and easy recipes you might want to check out.
📖 Recipe
Mashed Dal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Split Chickpeas / Chana Dal , (cooked)
- ½ cup Onions , (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Green Chilies , (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup Tomatoes , (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Mustard Oil
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ½ tablespoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoon Mint Leaves , (chopped)
Instructions
- Take a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients one by one. Mix everything together.
- Mash the split chickpeas (chana dal) as much as possible.
- Make oval shaped pieces and serve as a side with your regular Indian meals.
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