Chicken Dal Chawal is a comforting dish that is a quicker, cheaper alternative to this Dal Chawal recipe made with Lamb. In this recipe, tender Chicken is combined with Dal for a truly delicious meal.
Chicken Dal Chawal
Dal Chawal is very flavourful and comforting.
It is served with papad, kachumber salad, and pickles.
In this recipe, unlike the one made with red meat, the lentils are cooked separately to the Chicken because the Chicken would fall apart if it was cooked with the Dal which can take much longer to cook
Ingredients
There is an extensive list of ingredients here which makes this feel like more of a labour of love then it actually is..but I promise it is easy. Dal Chawal was one of the first dishes I learnt how to cook.
Fat - Oil and Ghee (Or add more Oil)
Whole Dry Spices - Cumin Seeds, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Stick, Cloves, Black Peppercorns, Green Cardamoms, Star Anise, Dry Red Chillies, Dagar na Phool, Fenugreek, Mace .
Rice - Long grain
Ground Dry Spices - Salt, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Cardamom Powder, Garam Masala Powder
Chicken - Bone in
Veg - Onions, Ginger, Garlic, Green Chillies
Dal - Oily Toor Daal
Plum Tomatoes - Pureed
How to make it
For the Rice
Add oil and ghee to a pan over medium heat.
Add cumin seeds, bay leaf and cinnamon stick and once fragrant and spluttering stir in the rice.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add toor dal and rice.
Add water.
Bring to a quick boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cover and cook for approximately 5 - 15 minutes (this time really depends on the rice you are using), till all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked through.
Top with chopped coriander and serve hot.
For the Dal
Add Dal to a pot with Salt.
Cover with enough water to fully cover the Dal.
You can add whole spices, onions and ginger and garlic at this stage if you like. I did that here but it is not necessary. I often skip this as there are whole spices in the masala. You can always make a separate tadka to pour on the top.
Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 40 - 45 minutes.
Masala
Heat oil/ghee in a pot over high heat.
Add whole spices - star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, black and green cardamom, cloves and peppercorns.
Add the chopped onions and a handful of Dagar na pool.
Turn the heat down to medium/low.
Once the onions have browned (about 20 minutes over medium/low), add fenugreek, ginger, garlic and green chilli. Cook for a couple of minutes on medium low.
Add pureed tomato, 1.5 teaspoon cumin powder, 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, red chilli, mace (optional), ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (optional).
Simmer on low until the oil separates from the tomato. (The best way to do this is by covering and cooking on low for 15 - 20 minutes).
Add Chicken and cook for an additional 20 minutes on low.
Add the Dal and turn the heat down.
Add ½ cup water and cook for 15 - 20 more minutes.
Stir in the masala and cook on high for 4 - 5 minutes.
Tips for making Chicken Dal Chawal
Dagar na pool - Can be found in South Asian supermarkets. This is a key ingredient.
You can skip cardamom powder and mace powder.
Oily Toor Dal and Toor Dal are 2 different Dals and can't be used interchangeably.
Using a pressure cooker to cook the Dal, will reduce the time to cook significantly. 20 minutes is enough in the pressure cooker.
Dal - If you prefer the Dal completely smooth, you can remove the meat from the pot and blend using a stick blender.
Check the Dal regularly and top up with water to stop it from drying out.
You can add whole spices, onions and ginger and garlic when boiling the Dal.
I often skip this as there are whole spices in the masala.
You can always make a separate tadka to pour on the top to flavour the Dal some more. I have a version of a Dal with tadka here.
Storage
Dal Chawal keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
It freezes well for up to 2 months.
For sides, try:
Papadums
Achaars/Indian Pickles
MORE RICE RECIPES:
Chicken Akni, One Pot Chicken and Rice
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Chicken Dal Chawal
Ingredients
Rice
- ¼ cup Toor Dal
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2.5 cups Rice Long grain, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes
- 5 cups Water Boiled
- 2.5 teaspoon Salt
Dal
- 2 cups Oily Toor Daal
- Pinch Salt
Masala
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 Star Anise
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 2 Black Cardamoms
- 6 Green Cardamom Pods slightly cracked
- 6 Cloves
- 6 Black Peppercorns
- 2 large Onions finely chopped
- Handful Dagar na Phool
- 2 tablespoon Dry Fenugreek leaves
- 2 inch Ginger crushed
- 4 - 8 Garlic Cloves Crushed
- 2 Green Chillies slit down the middle
- 250 ml Plum Tomato Tin Pureed
- 1 ½ Cumin Powder
- 1 ½ Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ - 1 Red Chilli Powder
- 1 piece Mace Or ¼ teaspoon Ground Mace
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- Salt
- 2 lb Chicken skinless, bone in
Instructions
Rice
- Add oil and ghee to a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf and cinnamon stick and once fragrant and spluttering stir in the rice.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add toor dal and rice. Add water. Bring to a quick boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for approximately 10 - 15 minutes (this time really depends on the rice you are using), till all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked through.
Dal
- Add Dal to a pot with Salt. Cover with enough water to fully cover the Dal. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 40 - 45 minutes.
Masala
- Heat oil/ghee in a pot over high heat. Add whole spices - star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, black and green cardamom, cloves and peppercorns.
- Add the chopped onions and a handful of Dagar na pool. Turn the heat down to medium/low. Once the onions have browned (about 20 minutes over medium/low), add fenugreek, ginger, garlic and green chilli. Cook for a couple of minutes on medium low.
- Add pureed tomato, 1.5 teaspoon cumin powder, 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, red chilli, mace (optional), ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (optional).
- Simmer on low until the oil separates from the tomato. (The best way to do this is by covering and cooking on low for 15 - 20 minutes).
- Add Chicken and cook for an additional 20 minutes on low.
- Add the Dal and turn the heat down. Add ½ cup water and cook for 15 - 20 more minutes.
- Stir in the masala and cook on high for 4 - 5 minutes.
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