Homemade Dal Namkeen is a delicious multi-lentil namkeen or farsan made from scratch at home. It is truly simple and easy to come together. All you need is a few lentils which you cook at home. This namkeen is crispy with just the right amount of spices and salt.
Many options for homemade snacks like Mathri, Raw Banana Kachri, and Homemade Crispy Potato Chips made from scratch are on the blog.
Till I shifted to Pune a few years ago, I had no idea that certain things could be made easily at home. Seriously!! I never imagined dal kachori being made at home and that too extremely tasty. And then there are various namkeens one can make, which have been a revelation to me as well.
I never realized that one can easily make them at home. Last Diwali, a friend treated me to some homemade namkeen of various lentils. I enjoy the namkeen, and so wanted to make it myself. I finally had the opportunity when I was visiting my mom a few months back.
I was happy to make the namkeen and shoot it, while my mom was most happy to have me make something and leave it behind for her to enjoy for a good few weeks.
The namkeen is simple to put together but does require the frying of lentils and poha (flattened rice). The taste can be easily adjusted by adding or reducing any spice that you wish. I prefer the namkeens to be just mildly flavored, neither too spicy nor too sweet.
My mother, sisters, and even my daughter loved it. It is very difficult to impress so many, what more can I say?
Homemade Dal Namkeen
Ingredients
- ½ cup split green gram moong dhuli dal
- ½ cup split bengal gram chana dal
- ½ cup red lentil masoor dal
- ½ cup peanuts
- 1 cup thick rice flakes poha
- ½ cup thin sev or bhujia
- ½ cup thick bengal gram namkeen big size papdi
- 1 cup thin potato namkeen aloo lachcha
- 50 gram raisin kismis
- 50 gram split cashew nut kaju
- 3-4 bayleaf tejpat
- 1 tbsp black peppercorn kali mirch
- 1 tbsp roasted cumin powder
- ⅛ cup sugar granulated
- ⅛ tsp tartaric acid nimbu satv, tatri
- to taste black salt kala namak
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Soak moong dal, chana dal and masoor dal in separate bowls overnight. Wash and drain each of one the next morning. Place them separately on paper towels to allow the water to be absorbed. You may need to rub them with a kitchen towel as well, depending upon the weather in your area.
- When the lentils are slightly moist but not wet, deep fry each one by one. To check the doneness of the lentils, take little dal and drop on a platter from a bit of height, if the dal bead makes solid sound when dropped, then the dal is perfectly cooked from inside.
- Deep fry poha and set aside. Then deep fry peanuts and set aside.
- Grind together sugar, salt and tartaric acid. Set aside. Do not skip this step. It is essential for even mixing of salt and sugar to stick to each grain of namkeen. If you skip this step then, the salt tends to settle down at the bottom, leaving the end portion of namkeen very salty.
- In a wok heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add bay leaves, black pepper, cashews and raisins. Gently roast them for 1-2 minutes. Remove them and set aside.
- In a large vessel or wide spread container, add all the ingredients along with sev, papdi and aloo lachcha.
- Add salt-sugar mix and roasted cumin seeds as well. Mix well. Allow the namkeen to cool completely.
- Store in an air-tight container and enjoy with a cuppa.
Notes
- I used ready-made sev, papdi & aloo lachcha, however, if you know how to make all these at home, then please go ahead and make them in the specified proportion.
- You can use any other thin namkeen of your choice.
- If you add very little piece of fitkari (alum) while soaking dals overnight then, they are more flaky and use less oil.
- To check the doneness of the lentils, take a little dal and drop it on a platter from a bit of height. If the dal bead makes a solid sound when dropped, then the dal is perfectly cooked from inside.
- Do not wash poha before frying.
- You can cool the mixture in a closed room as well if there is rains or wind in your area.
- Do not skip grinding salt, sugar and tartaric acid. It is essential for even mixing of salt and sugar to stick to each grain of namkeen. If you skip this step then, the salt tends to settle down at the bottom, leaving the end portion of namkeen very salty.
- Namkeen stays fresh for 2-3 weeks in an air-tight container.
- It is tasty lentil mix for kids to munch on as a snack.
Hey wow this sounds delicious.
Hearing from you after a long time!! How have you been?