Dal Chicken to me is the perfect balance between getting a healthy dose of fibre-filled, nutritious lentils in, as well as satisfying that desire (need) for a cheeky bit of chicken.
Dal Chicken is the less commonly known brother of the more popular Dal Gosht, which is cooked with red meat. This version is equally as delicious and holds the obvious benefit of cooking quicker AND being cheaper (looking at you right in the eye, Cost of Living Crisis).
Usually when I begin to cook something with the intention of getting a written recipe down for it, I have my notebook out on the counter, jotting down quantities and details. If it's a recipe I've been working on for a while I'll have the full details of my previous attempts alongside notes on what was amiss or too much. When it comes to 'the one', the final recipe, I'll take pictures of the entire process to upload onto the blog & my Instagram. I think this is how most bloggers develop recipes (bloggers, correct me if I'm wrong!).
Anyway, on the fateful day I made this Dal Chicken recipe, it came out PERFECT the first time. I was shook. I totally wasn't expecting it to come out so good the first time because to be totally honest with you all, I've struggling disproportionately at cooking Dal with any meat.
I'll explain why.
My usual method of Dal Chicken/Gosht was previously always a one-pot method.
I'd fry the onions and tomatoes into a masala, then add the lentils and meat and cook it. Now, the problem with this was that more often than not, the lentils would take too long to cook. And in order to get the lentils to be done through, I'd end up with meat that had fallen off the bone, essentially mush. I tried SO many times to get the timing right, and sometimes I would, but most of the times it would be a miserable fail. It was pretty frustrating not being able to develop a fool-proof, no-fail method.
Of course, I had seen other recipes and people cook the lentils separately before adding them in to the masala and meat - but I just felt really bitter and unhappy about having to use two pots (I know, petty, right?!) and wanted to find THE SECRET to making it all in one pot.
The fateful day I made this Dal Chicken curry, I cooked the lentils separately because I just couldn't face another wasted dinner or tough lentils in my mouth.
And...
it was...
PERFECT.
I felt like I had FINALLY found the missing piece of this elusive puzzle that I had been keeping from my own self.
Now, I don't fully understand the complete logistics of why the one-pot method didn't work for me. I feel like it may be due to the fact that lentils have variable timings of how long it takes to cook which can depend on soak time, temperature, age of lentils to name some reasons.
To be honest, I don't think I ever will know the reason fully. I know LOTS of people make it all in one pot.
But ya know what? Lots of people make it in two pots. And now, I'm one of them. And whatever works for me, I will not question!
This method basically involves boiling the chana dal separately until it is just done, but not disintegrating into a soup. In another pot, you cook your chicken just like you would for a regular chicken curry. Once the chicken is half way done, you add in the chana dal alongside the water which you boiled the dal in, cooking everything together until the chicken is done. Finally, we'll add a tadka - a tempering - of beautiful slivers of onions, cumin seeds and dried red chillies. Honestly guys, this is a curry to die for!
The day I cooked this up, my husband enjoyed it SO much he went in to ask me exactly what I did, particular in the tadka, because it was so rich and flavoursome and he wanted to replicate it. A good tadka goes a looooong way, folks.
Tips for Your Dal Chicken
- You can boil the chana dal in advance and store in the fridge, to use when you're ready. It would be a good idea to reserve the water too, as it contains a lot of flavour that we'll be using in the curry.
- You will need to add back quite a lot of water into the curry. Lentils have a tendency to absorb a lot of moisture, therefore be prepared to add back a lot of the chana dal water. In fact, even after you finish cooking the curry the lentils will continue to absorb moisture therefore you may feel the need to add additional water if you plan on eating it later.
- For the best tadka, you need to stay close by and stir constantly on a medium heat. It's very tempting to cook the tadka on a high heat, however this will result in your onions not browning evenly and maybe even burning, which will ruin the flavour of the curry.
- You can slice a few cloves of garlic too, if you like a prominent garlicky taste, to add to the tadka. Add them in a few moments before you add the cumin seeds.
- If you won't be serving this immediately, don't add the tadka. Save the tadka for just before serving.
On to the recipe! Unfortunately I wasn't able to take process pictures of this because I wasn't expecting it turn out so good on the first try. I'll add process pictures the next time I make this - which should be soon given how tasty this was!
Enjoy, with love x
📋 Recipe
Dal Chicken Recipe - Chicken & Lentil Curry - Daal Murgh
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 tablespoon (45 ml) oil
- 2 (220 g) onions chopped
- ½ bulb garlic minced (about 1,5 tbsp)
- 1 medium sized chicken, bone in, curry cut (1 medium chicken = about 700g-1kg or 1.5-2.2lbs)
- 3 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 0.5 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 4 small tomatoes chopped
For the Chana Dal
- 1 cup (190 g) chana dal (split chickpeas) (washed and soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before using)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Tadka
- ½ cup oil
- 1 ½ (165 g) medium onions, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 4 dried red chillies
Instructions
- Start by putting all the chana dal ingredients to boil on a medium high heat with lots of water. Cook these until they are just cooked through, but still holding their shape. Reserve the cooking water.
- Separately, heat oil in a deep pot and add the chopped onions. Fry till these are translucent and lightly turning gold.
- Add the garlic, all the spices and the chicken. Fry this all well until the chicken begins to brown.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Once the simmer time is up, uncover and add in the chana dal, as well as about one cup of the reserved water.
- Bring it all to a boil, then cover and simmer again on low for 20 minutes. You will likely need to add more water, so keep checking and topping up the water if necessary. Remember, this curry has a tendency to absorb a lot of water, therefore keep the curry a bit more liquid-y than appears to be enough.
- Once the the curry is ready, start on the tadka. Heat up the tadka oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat and add the onions. Stir the onions constantly, allowing them to become a golden colour. Once you're at a light golden shade, add the cumin and dried red chillies. Continue to fry and stir until the onions become a dark golden. Immediately take off the heat and pour the oil over the Chicken Dal.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
📩 Want me to email this recipe to you?
Enter your email & I'll send it right over.
Plus, you'll get bonus Pakistani food-goodness from Fatima Cooks, like new recipe alerts, exclusive email-only recipes + more!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from me. Your details are secure. Opt-out any time.
Amna
Hi Fatima
Can I make the Tadka with butter and Garlic only? I remember my mother's dhaal having that taste but she past away a while ago and I can't remember how she made her tadka. But it was so tasty.
I do like your version too, but it would be nice to know both.
Please let me know.
Amna
anon
Do you not marinate the chicken?
Rick
Thank you, I am going to try this for tonights dinner.
Giraud
Wonderful recipe, Fatima. Thanks for sharing. You are right about not rushing the cooking process of the tadka. I bit the bullet and increased the heat to high to finish early but then I read your last comment before the recipe sequence and glad it was in high for less than a minute. It adds another level to the curry.
Btw, had to discard the first boil of chana dal to get rid of excess scum as it is done in Med. cuisine to cook legumes. Rinse, bring to a boil and the water comes clean.
Finger-lickin' good!
Paul Flecken
Hi Fatima,
Why do you use dried chillies as opposed to fresh, is there a benefit ?
Going to try this recipe this week - fingers crossed !
Many thanks
Paul
Araas
I look Forward to trying this! Would the taste decrease if I use boneless chicken breasts in place of whole chicken?
Narayan
Too good
Carla
Loved it
Anna
This was a huge hit! I can’t believe how delicious it was - will be making again and again and again!
Fatima Cooks
Thank you so much, so happy to hear!
julia
It looks like a lovely recipe; I'm assuming 'chickpeas' called for in the recipe (Chana Dal) are meant to be lentils here, yes? Or is it lentils (not mentioned) and chickpeas, (which also look to be in the photo?). Hope so, making it tomorrow eve! - J
Fatima Cooks
Hi! Split chickpeas is the English word for chana dal 🙂 And thank you - I hope you enjoy!
Heidi McKelvie
Hi Fatima, Thank you for the wonderful recipes - I am gradually working my way through. Everything has worked well and tasted so good. I made this recipe on the weekend and it was so delicious - wow! I had to cook for a bit longer with the lid off at the end to dry it out a bit more, but that was no problem. Delicious and not too spicy - I will be trying this out on my gluten-free family members.
Lyn
Sounds good and healthy, and would like to try it out. Can I use red lentils ( masoor dal) for this recipe? Can I use skinless chicken? If I leave out the red chilly in the tadka, would that be ok? Thank you
Fatima Cooks
Yes, absolutely - you can do all those things and it would come out good! Hope you get to try it out x
Lyn
Thanks Fatima. My curry turned out a bit watery so had to add yoghurt to thicken it. Should it be a dry curry or liquidy? I must confess that I didnt have enough chicken, so added carrots and sweet potatoes to bulk it up. I wonder if that could be the problem? However, it is very tasty and we love it so much. Will certainly be trying out your other recipes.
Lyn
Thank you for your reply. IHope I’m not posting this twice as I had problem loading the website. This curry is so tasty and my family loves it. However, it was a bit watery, and I had to add yoghurt to thicken it. I wonder where I went wrong. I must confess that I didn’t have enough chicken, so had added carrots and sweet potatoes to bulk it up. Wonder if that’s the problem. Will certainly be trying out your other recipes as this one is so good.
Fatima Cooks
Hi Lyn! If you find the cook times don't work for you and you'd like the curry to thicken up, you can totally cook it for a bit longer to thicken it. That would definitely be the better option. Adding carrots and potatoes would definitely add extra water to the recipe (because the veggies release their own moisture), and so it makes sense that it would have been a bit watery. No worries though, cooking it for perhaps 10-15 more mins until it's as thick as you'd like would fix it!
Nik
Hi Fatima, this is my go to chicken and lentil curry recipe. I nearly always cook plenty and put what is left in the freezer unfortunately
there is never any leftovers!
Fatima Cooks
Hi Nik! That's put a huge smile on my face 😁 So glad you enjoy it x
Fatema Motala
Thank you for the recipe
I do.make chana Dal and chicken or meat very similar to this recipe but I followed your recipe step by step and it turned out really well
It looked good and was very tasty
I don't have Instagram otherwise I would've posted on there and put pic up so you could've saw how good the chana Dal and chicken looked .. for this and your other recipe ..I can't wait to try more
Jazakhallah
Fatima
You're so welcome, Fatema! I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind words 💖
Emily
Fatima, now that I've made this recipe I would trust you with my life. DELICIOUS and will become a staple!
Fatima
I am truly HONOURED! Thank you - may I never ever let you down and may you always return from my blog with a tasty Pakistani meal!
jon gazzard
very nice , family loved it...one question thou, can i freeze the leftovers?
Queala Chappell
I've never had dal before but have heard great things, and since I love lentils I figured I'd give it a try. All I can say is -Mind Blown! I only had chicken breast but I used baking soda to tenderize so it wouldn't dry out. I definitely recommend! Thank you for this recipe! I will definitely be keeping it and also using it as a base to play with different varieties. Your tadka made this dish soar.
Fatima
Thank you so much - I’m so glad you tried and enjoyed my recipe! ♥️
Attia Khan
I tried this recipe today, it was a hit in my house.Thank you
Fatima
So glad to hear that!
sakina jiwa
tried this last night and we absolutely loved it! so nourish and wholesome! perfect for this weather! thank you
Fatima
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment 🙂
Paul Fernandes
This is the 1st time I'm visiting your site to try dal chicken n I love the way it's presented easy to understand n wow I'm half the way n done. Thank you dear.
Fatima
Thank you!
Dee
Lentils wont soften when cooked with tomatoes. I learnt that from
The Bean Book- Rose Elliot.
Always add tomatoes afterwards.
Fatima
Great tip, thank you for sharing!
Mayanka Khetarpal
HI Fatima,
Chana Dal doesn't suit me. Can I replace it with some other dal.
Please let me know.
Thanks,
Mayanka
j_i_s
Can I use moong daal instead. I'm allergic to channa daal so need to find a substitute
Jenn
I first cooked this recipe last winter and I was hooked. I really had been craving this dish again but I couldn’t find it (silly me DIDNT save this recipe!)
I’m so happy that I have come across it again and cannot recommend it enough to everyone!
Fatima
Thank you so much, Jenn!
Mk
This was absolutely delicious! I didn’t have bone-in chicken at home, so made it with boneless chicken. Followed the rest of the recipe as it is. Came out so, so good, even my 8 month old enjoyed it❤️
René
Third time using your recipe. It's become our favourite dish! So delicious. I've made dhal before but the Tadka just finishes it off brilliantly and now we can't get enough. Going to try it with lamb next.
Anusha
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. My first attempt at such a meal and it was a smashing success 👌
Fatima
Brilliant, so glad to hear that!
Valaray j
This is absolutely amazing!! Made it for my husband (hes pakistani) n he loved it! U made it very easy to follow.
Fatima
Thank you!
Anna
Hi, I want to try this recipe and wanted to ask you if you could tell me measurements for the onion and tomatoes, since they can vary in size and variety. Also you use yellow onions correct?
Fatima
Hi Anna. Onions and tomatoes I use are generally medium sized, I wouldn't be able to measure them I'm afraid! And yellow onions are best for this, but red can be used too.
Venus Ahmed
Chana and chicken is my fave thing to eat and my Mum used to make it for me at least once a week, but having moved out a few years ago, I've always craved it and never been able to satisfy that craving. Thank you for uploading this! I made it two days ago (and made a few extra portions so I can eat it for the next few days) and it was GLORIOUS OH MY GOD! Reminded me of home and you made it so easyyyyy in your instructions that even someone hopeless at cooking like me was able to make it and it was like HEAVEN! Now I can make this when I miss home at any time! Thanks Fatima <3333
Fatima
That is the most wonderful comment I have read today! Thank you so much, SO glad I was able to get that taste of home for you!
Fatima
How would you suggest cooking this with lamb if possible?
Fatima
Increase the cooking time of the meat to about an hour and add another cup or so of water to allow it to cook without drying out
Masood Ahmed
Alhamdulillah, it came out really nice. 💯
Fatima
Lovely to hear!