• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Favorites
  • Parties
  • Experiences
  • Shop

Enhance Your Palate

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Favorites
  • Parties
  • Experiences
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Favorites
    • Parties
    • Experiences
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Entrees

    Panchmel Dal - Five Lentil Soup

    Jump to Recipe

    Instant Pot recipe for nutritionally rich Rajasthani Panchmel Dal, using five most common lentils from the Indian kitchen pantry and infused with ginger and cloves. ‘Dal’ means lentil soup and ‘Panchmel’ means a mixture of five, hence Panchmel Dal is a lentil soup made by mixing five different lentils. Relish it just as a soup, or pair it with rice, quinoa, or bread (hot roti).

    Panchmel Dal - five lentil soup

    Panchmel Dal for Dal Bati Churma

    Panchmel Dal is a key component of the popular Dal Bati Churma, wherein Dal is referring to the Rajasthani Panchmel Dal featured here. The traditional way of having dal bati is to crush the bati and then pour Panchmel Dal over it. Some people also sprinkle jaggery on top of it. Panchmel Dal, because of its rich flavor, is treated as a special occasion dal and tastes best when served with unleavened Indian bread such as missi roti, tandoori roti, bati or khoba roti.

    Panchmel Dal served in a Kadai

    Nutritionally Rich Lentils

    Lentils used in Panchmel Dal are the main source of proteins and part of the staple diet in middle eastern countries and the Indian subcontinent, where a significant population is vegetarian. They have a hearty texture and have many other nutrients such as folate, manganese, iron, phosphorus, copper, thiamine, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins to name a few. Due to all these nutrients, lentils are a great source of fiber, good for heart health, improve digestive health, helps manage blood sugar levels and improve body immunity.

    Gather all the ingredients and let's get started...

    Panchmel Dal Ingredients
    Panchmel Dal - five lentil soup
    4.29 from 7 votes

    Panchmel Dal - Five Lentil Soup

    Panchmel Dal recipe uses a combination of five different lentils. This can be had just as a soup, or had with other accompaniments such as rice or bread. Panchmel dal tastes best when served with unleavened Indian breads such as missi roti, tandoori roti, baati or khoba roti.
    Review Print Pin Share
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Hindu, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Lentil Soup, Panchmel Dal
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 215kcal
    Author: Rupali Agarwal

    Equipment

    • Wok
    • Instant Pot or pressure cooker

    Ingredients

    Split Lentils

    • ¼ cup Split Bengal gram lentil
    • ¼ cup Split Urad lentil
    • ¼ cup Split Red lentils
    • ¼ cup Split mung lentil
    • ¼ cup Split Pigeon lentil
    • 400 g Tomato 3 to 4 Finely diced
    • 150 g Onion 1 medium size Finely diced
    • 20 g Ginger 1 inch piece Grated
    • 5 g Dry red chilies 3 to 4
    • 10 g Green chilies 3 to 4 Chopped or slit
    • 10 g Cilantro handful
    • 2 tablespoon Ghee or Ghee preferred  - 2 tbs
    • 1 tablespoon Lime Juice of 1 to 2 limes
    • 4 cup Water can be varied depending on desired consistency

    Spices

    • ½ teaspoon Garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon Dry mango powder
    • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
    • 2 teaspoon Coriander powder
    • 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds Jeera
    • 0.5 g Asafetida hing - generous pinch
    • 5 g Cloves cloves weight6 to 7
    • ½ teaspoon Salt As per taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Stove Top Pressure Cooker Method for Panchmel Dal

    • Wash the lentils three to four times and and drain all water each time.
      ¼ cup Split Bengal gram lentil, ¼ cup Split Urad lentil, ¼ cup Split Red lentils, ¼ cup Split Pigeon lentil, ¼ cup Split mung lentil
      Dals soaked overnight for cooking
    • Pressure cook till dal is al dente. Time and number of whistles vary depending on the type of pressure cooker, heat setting and quantity. I boiled it for 10 minute on medium heat until whistle starts sounding intermittently.
      Panchmel Dal after pressure cooking
    • In a separate pan, heat ghee or oil and add asafoetida (hing), cumin seeds (jeera), cloves and dry whole red chilies. Let it roast for a few seconds.
      2 tablespoon Ghee, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 0.5 g Asafetida, 5 g Cloves, 5 g Dry red chilies
      Whole spices being sauteed in ghee
    • Now add ginger and green chilies. Continue roasting.
      20 g Ginger, 10 g Green chilies
      Ginger, chillies and other spices being sauteed for Panchmel Dal
    • Then add finely chopped onion and saute further until onion is translucent or golden brown.
      150 g Onion
      Chopped onions being added to the Panchmel dal recipe
    • Now add chopped tomatoes and cook further they are mushy and the whole mixture starts separating oil.
      400 g Tomato
      Diced tomatoes added to the Panchmel dal recipe
    • Add spices – turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and salt.
      ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon Red chili powder, ½ teaspoon Salt
      Spices added to sauteed mix
    • Once all spices are mixed and you can smell the flavors, add pressure cooked lentils. Mix well and let it cook more.
      Panchmel dal after pressure cooking
    • Add water (if needed) to get to the desired consistency.
      4 cup Water
      Panchmel Dal Ready to transfer to serving bowl
    • Once it starts boiling, then turn off the heat and add garam masala, dry mango powder, lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Mix well and transfer to a serving bowl.
    • For extra rich look and flavors, like in the picture below, add tamper from the top.

    Instant Pot Recipe Method for Panchmel Dal

    • Start the instant pot on SAUTE mode and heat ghee/oil in it.
      2 tablespoon Ghee
    • Add asafoetida (hing), cumin seeds (jeera), cloves and dry whole red chilies. Let it roast for a few seconds.
      1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 0.5 g Asafetida, 5 g Cloves, 5 g Dry red chilies
    • Then add green chili, ginger and saute for 30 seconds
      10 g Green chilies
    • Then add diced onion. Saute until onions are translucent.
      150 g Onion
    • Now add tomatoes and saute until soft and mushy.
      400 g Tomato
    • Add all the spices except garam masala and lemon juice and mix them.
      ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
    • Wash the lentils for 3-4 extracts of water and then add them to the instant pot.
      4 cup Water
    • Add water equal to three times the dry lentil volume
    • Press CANCEL and close the instant pot lid with vent in sealing position.
    • Press MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK mode for 0 minutes and let the pressure release naturally (NR)
    • When float valves pops down, open the lid, add garam masala and lemon juice.
      ½ teaspoon Garam masala, 1 teaspoon Dry mango powder, 1 tablespoon Lime
    • For extra rich look and flavors, add tamper from the top.
      Panchmel Dal with tampering on top

    Notes

    Serve with famous Rajasthani bread – Baati.
    Nutrition Facts
    Panchmel Dal - Five Lentil Soup
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 215 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 3g19%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 2g
    Cholesterol 13mg4%
    Sodium 31mg1%
    Potassium 485mg14%
    Carbohydrates 31g10%
    Fiber 13g54%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 11g22%
    Vitamin A 1006IU20%
    Vitamin C 14mg17%
    Calcium 53mg5%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @enhanceyourpalate on Instagram and hashtag it #enhanceyourpalate

    For a complete festive occasion, serve with other Rajasthani recipes as shown in the place setting below:

    2016-9-30-rajasthani-thaali-picture
    Share
    Share14
    Tweet
    Pin292
    Yum
    WhatsApp
    306 Shares

    More Healthy Vegetarian Entree Recipes

    • Navratan Pulao Delightful and Delectable Rice Recipe
      Navratan Pulao: Delightful and Delectable Rice Recipe
    • Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole) Recipe – No Onion No Garlic
      Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole) - No Onion No Garlic
    • Aloo-Gobi (Spicy Cauliflower Potato Curry)
      Aloo Gobi Masala (Spicy Cauliflower Potato Curry)
    • Rajasthani Bati unleavened bread
      Rajasthani Bati (Unleavened Bread)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Xavier says

      December 17, 2020 at 1:06 am

      If cooking without a pressure cooker, how long should you soak/boil the lentils?

      Reply
      • Rupali Agarwal says

        December 17, 2020 at 9:06 am

        Hello Xavier, I have not cooked it without pressure cooker so can’t tell exactly how long it will take, but to my best assumption it should be done in 35-40 minutes.

        Thank you
        Rupali

        Reply
    2. Good2bnani says

      August 06, 2020 at 7:03 am

      5 stars
      For the instant pot method, you are saying 0 mins on manual mode. Is that a typo? Thanks for clarifying.

      Reply
      • Rupali Agarwal says

        August 06, 2020 at 8:17 am

        No, it’s not typo. It is supposed to be 0 minutes. In 10 minutes it will become paste ?
        Most of the folks think how can lentils be cooked in 0 minutes? But if you see lentils start cooking when pressure is building up and then which is 15-20( depending on how much water you have added) and then continue to cook while pressure is releasing. So they get sufficiently cooked in pressure building up and in releasing time. Which can be anywhere from 30-40 minutes.

        Hope this makes sense! Let me know if you have any other question.
        Thank you-Rupali

        Reply
    3. Deb says

      January 20, 2017 at 11:31 pm

      Hi! Thanks for this recipe! Is 1 min manual really sufficient for the dals?

      Reply
      • Rupali Agarwal says

        January 20, 2017 at 11:41 pm

        Yes, it is since it needs to be al dente not mushy.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Rupali profile photo

    Hi, I'm Rupali! Welcome to my food blog where I love to share healthy vegetarian recipes from my North Indian roots and present day. My recipes range from simple to elaborate showstoppers.

    More about Rupali →

    Tranding Posts

    • Vegetable Pearl Millet Recipe – Bajra Khichdi (One Pot Meal)
      Vegetable Pearl Millet Recipe - Bajra Khichdi (One Pot Meal)
    • Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole) Recipe – No Onion No Garlic
      Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole) - No Onion No Garlic
    • Makhana Bhel – Gluten & Soy Free Vegan Foxnut Indian Salad
      Makhana Bhel - Gluten, Soy Free, and Vegan Foxnut Indian Salad
    • Peanut Satay Sauce Made from Whole Peanuts and Sesame Seeds
      Peanut Satay Sauce: Made from Whole Peanuts and Sesame Seeds

    March Highlights

    • Holi Celebration with a Bollywood Splash!
      Holi Celebration with a Bollywood Splash!
    • Outdoor Birthday Party – Creative, Elegant and Memorable
      Outdoor Birthday Party – Creative, Elegant and Memorable
    • Homemade trail mix - oven roasted oats and nuts
      Oats Chivda, Oven Roasted Spicy Indian Snack Mix
    • Baked ShakarPara – Sweet and Flaky
      Baked ShakarPara - Sweet and Flaky

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Shop
    • Cart

    Newsletter

    • Subscribe for my latest recipes in your inbox

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
    Copyright © 2023 Enhance Your Palate

    Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions