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Brussels Sprouts Chana Dal Stir fry

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Stir fry, Poriyal, Thoran, Kobbari koora, vepudu, whatever you call it, Its one delicious side dish you need to try. Its a dry sabzi or curry and goes really well with rice or roti. This traditional recipe gets a makeover by adding Brussels sprouts to the Chana dal or Split chickpeas and pressure cooked in Instant pot for a quick weeknight meal.

Brussels sprouts curry in a wooden spoon in close shot.

What are brussels sprouts?

Brussels sprouts, or tiny Cabbages as my kids call it, belong to the same cruciferous family as cabbage, broccoli, kale and collard greens. They grow as small buds or sprouts on a stalk, the stalk is discarded and the buds are roasted till crispy. Brussels sprouts are extremely nutritious because of their high fiber content which lowers the cholesterol levels. They are high in nutrients and rich in antioxidants, I believe vegetables should be an important part of your diet and this is one extraordinary vegetable to add to your meals.

Chopping brussels sprouts on a chopping board.

What ingredients are we using in this recipe?

This recipe imitates the traditional recipe of Cabbage Chana dal, we add Chana dal and coconut to compensate for the unusual taste of brussels sprouts. Brussel sprouts have hydrogen sulfide gas, which makes them stink when heated. The trick is to cook the brussels sprouts for very less time. They do have a nutty taste which goes great with the split chickpeas and the coconut adds an extra level of flavor to the fry. Coconut is optional and can be avoided too. This recipe uses very few ingredients and gets done in a jiffy.

For tempering:

Chopped Brussels sprouts in a white bowl.

How to make the Brussel sprouts Chana dal Stir fry?

This stir fry is awesome and gets done so quick. Instant pot makes the job even easier, I don’t have to baby sit and get to make roti or rice in the meantime.

  • We start by rinsing and soaking the Chana dal for 10-15 minutes while we chop the brussels sprouts. You can use a food processor to pulse the brussels sprouts for easier chopping.
  • Turn on sauté mode on High on your Instant pot and add oil. Add dried red chili, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, split urad dal and sauté till the mustard seeds are popping.
  • Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the drained chana dal and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
Brussels sprouts stir fry process: Soak dal, chop brussels sprouts, sauté in Instant pot.
  • Add salt, turmeric, curry leaves and chopped brussels sprouts and sauté for a minute.
  • Add red chili powder and mix everything. Next, add fresh grated coconut (or frozen coconut) and mix once.
Brussels sprouts curry in Instant pot.
  • Add 3 tablespoons water and give it a stir. Close the lid and turn off sauté mode.
  • Turn on Pressure cook mode and set the time for 3 minutes, vent in sealing position.
  • Let the pressure release naturally and give a quick stir before serving.
Brussels sprouts chana dal stir fry in Instant pot.

What other dals or lentils can be used in this stir fry?

Split chickpeas or Chana dal have the perfect bite that goes great in this recipe. But, the chana dal can be replaced with moong dal or canned/boiled chickpeas.

How to serve this Brussel sprouts Chana dal Stir fry?

The chana dal stir fry tastes amazing with rice or roti. It gets done super quick, is so nutritious and delicious! We generally serve it as a side dish to rice with some dal and rice crisps.

Can the Brussel Sprouts Chana dal Stir fry be made on stove top?

Absolutely! I boil the chana dal separately on stove top and add it to sautéed brussels sprouts. Its so easy to make but you need to keep stirring quite often. If you using a pressure cooker, follow the process exactly like the below recipe and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

Brussels Sprouts Chana Dal Stir fry

Brussels sprouts curry in a red bowl with curry leaves on top.

A quick stir fry made in Instant pot with Brussels sprouts and Split Chickpeas

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
NPR time 5 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients for Tempering:

Ingredients for the Stir Fry:

Instructions

  1. Rinse and soak the Chana dal for 10-15 minutes while we chop the brussels sprouts.
  2. Turn on sauté mode on High on your Instant pot and add oil. Add dried red chili, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, split urad dal and sauté till the mustard seeds are popping.
  3. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the drained Chana dal and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
  4. Add salt, turmeric, curry leaves and chopped brussels sprouts and sauté for a minute.
  5. Add red chili powder and fresh grated coconut (or frozen coconut) and mix everything.
  6. Add 3 tablespoons water and stir. Close the lid and turn off sauté mode.
  7. Turn on Pressure cook mode and set the time for 3 minutes, vent in sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally and give a quick stir before serving.

Notes

  • You can use a food processor to chop the brussels sprouts.
  • The stir fry will burn if there is no water, make sure to add a little water to avoid the burn signal on your instant pot.
  • Chana dal can be replaced with moong dal or canned/boiled chickpeas

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2 Comments

  1. Hi Tay,
    I just discovered your site and love it! I’m in the US, though, and don’t have access to an Indian market, although I did buy chana dal online and have spices. I would love to make this dish, it looks delicious, but I have a few questions…
    1. In the instructions you mention turmeric but it’s not in the ingredients list. Could you tell us how much, please?
    2. What is the best substitute for urad dal, or could we just leave it out?
    3. As a substitute for curry leaves, do you think a combination of fresh basil leaves, lime zest, and a bay leaf would work well?
    4. When sautéing the chana dal, you say for 3-5 minutes—until what result?
    5. Does stirring once instead of stirring everything make a difference?

    One last comment… I thought you’d want to know that some of the instructions in the bottom card don’t match the instructions in the main content. Specifically:
    #4 Main: Add salt, turmeric, curry leaves and chopped brussels sprouts and sauté for a minute.
    #4 Card: Add salt, turmeric and chopped brussels sprouts and sauté for a minute.

    #5 Main: Add red chili powder and mix everything. Next, add fresh grated coconut (or frozen coconut) and mix once.
    #5 Card: Add red chili powder and mix onceal. Add fresh grated coconut (or frozen coconut) and mix everything.

    #6 Main: Add 3 tablespoons water and give it a stir.
    #6 Card: Add 3 tablespoons water and stir once.

    Sorry for the lengthy comments, but thank you so much! I love Indian food, love your site, have subscribed.

    1. Hi Christine,
      Thanks so much for loving the website and liking this recipe, I am super thankful! I can’t believe I missed all these no matter how many times I proofread the recipe. Thanks so much for pointing them out, I am gonna make the changes.
      1. I added turmeric now, oops!
      2. You can leave it out, it doesn’t change the taste.
      3. Leave the curry leaves, curry leaves add freshness to the brussels but totally avoidable.
      4. Sauté for 5 minutes. Sauté till the chana dal starts cooking and starts changing color.
      5. No, stirring everything doesn’t make any difference. I guess that’s how I talk in general 🙂 Sorry to confuse you!

      I got everything changed now. Thanks so much again, really appreciate it! Please let me know if you have any other questions.

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