Dal Chicken

Name: Dal Chicken
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 750 g/1 lb 10 oz chicken thighs (boneless or on-the-bone); 1 tbsp Kala Masala; 1 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger; ¼ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp salt, or to taste; 700 ml/24 fl oz/3 cups water; 6–8 black peppercorns; 250 g/9 oz onions, finely chopped; 100 g/3½ oz tomatoes, chopped; 1 green chilli, chopped; 100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup rapeseed/canola oil; 1 bay leaf; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 black cardamom pods; 100 g/3½ oz/generous ⅓ cup split red lentils; ½ tsp hot chilli powder; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 dried red chilli; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tbsp rapeseed/canola oil; 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro, to garnish; 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Yatra

By Rohit Ghai

Published 2025

About

Chicken cooked with red lentils is one of the easiest staple curries in Maharashtrian cuisine. With limited ingredients it nevertheless strikes the perfect balance between nutritious and delicious.

Ingredients

100 g/3½ oz/generous ⅓ cup split red lentils
100

Asia
India
Maharashtra
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

Wash the lentils under cold running water several times, then place in a bowl with fresh water and leave to soak for 20–30 minutes. Drain.

Heat the oil in a large, deep pan (that has a lid) over a medium heat. When hot, add the whole spices and let crackle, then add the chopped onions and sauté until golden brown. Add the soaked lentils, tomatoes, green chilli, ginger, turmeric, salt an