All recipes

Dal Chakolya

Dal Chakolya is a cozy Maharashtrian dish where spiced, tempered toor dal simmers into a mellow, warming gravy and is finished with tender, diamond-cut chakolya pieces made from chapati-style dough. The cumin, turmeric, and chili build gentle heat and aroma, while the chakolya soak up the flavors for a hearty, satisfying bite. Ideal for a comforting lunch or a simple weeknight dinner.

  • Prep25 mins
  • Cook20 mins
  • Serves4
  • DifficultyMedium
Dal Chakolya
  1. 1

    Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the cumin seeds and coconut garlic paste, then add the tomato. Mix in the turmeric and chili powder until well combined.

  2. 2

    Add the pigeon peas and water. Mix well and season with salt. Cook over low heat until a slightly thickened gravy forms over the dal, 10 to 15 minutes.

  3. 3

    Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour with a pinch of salt. Add a little water at a time, just enough for it to hold together. Knead until smooth, then shape into balls. Flatten the balls with a rolling pin, then cut vertically and horizontally into small squares or diamond shapes; these are the chakolya.

  4. 4

    Add the chakolya to the dal in a single layer and drizzle with a little oil. Cover and simmer for 5 to 8 more minutes.

About This Recipe

Dal Chakolya is an Indian side dish recipe made with 10 ingredients. It takes about 45 mins, serves 4, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include All Purpose Flour, Chili Powder, Diced Tomatoes, and Garlic Paste. Each serving provides about 252.85 kcal.

Recipe Questions

What is Dal Chakolya?
It is an Indian recipe made with 10 ingredients, usually served for side dish or dinner or lunch.
What is Dal Chakolya made of?
The main ingredients are All-Purpose Flour, Chili Powder, Diced Tomatoes, Garlic Paste, Ground Turmeric. The full list of 10 is above.
How long does it take to make Dal Chakolya?
About 45 mins in total: 25 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 252.85 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Dal Chakolya easy to make?
This recipe is rated medium, with 10 ingredients and 4 steps.

How easyChef Pro Scores This Recipe

easyChef Pro gives every recipe a health score from 0 to 100, built from more than 30 nutritional parameters including nutrient density, energy density and glycemic impact. It calculates rather than estimates, so the same recipe returns the same score every time.

The number is traceable. You can see exactly which nutrient moved it, so a dish scoring 78 might show fiber pushing it up while sodium pulls it down, alongside the NOVA processing level of each ingredient.

Your health goal changes the calculation itself, not just a filter. easyChef Pro applies clinically derived weighting across six health dimensions, which is why the same dish can score well for one goal and poorly for another.

Swap an ingredient or change the serving size and that math changes with it. Scoring your own version is the only way to see what your kitchen actually produces.

Modified this recipe?

Changing ingredients or serving sizes changes the nutrition profile. Score your own version with easyChef Pro to see how it compares.

Learn More