60min 2 ppl
Chana Dal
60 minutes
2 people
Medium
60 min · 11 steps
Medium: 31–60 min or 7–12 steps
340 kcalper person
Protein 16g
Carbs 50g
Fats 10g
About this dish
Split chickpeas slow-cooked until tender then finished with a fragrant tarka of whole spices — chana dal has more body and earthiness than red lentil dal, with a slightly nutty flavour that holds up beautifully against bold spices.
Allergy Info
Dairy
Diet Info
Vegetarian
Ingredients
Fresh Produce
- Onionlarge, finely diced0.5
- Garlic Clovesthinly sliced2
- Fresh Curry Leaves0.5 sprig
- Tomatoesmedium, finely diced1
- Fresh Corianderroughly chopped0.5 small handful
- Lemonjuiced0.25
Dairy & Eggs
- Ghee or Vegetable Oil1.5 tbsp
Dried Goods
- Split Chana Dalrinsed and soaked 1 hour then drained150 g
- Water450 ml
Spices & Seasonings
- Ground Turmeric0.5 tsp
- Salt0.5 tsp
- Cumin Seeds0.5 tsp
- Mustard Seeds0.5 tsp
- Dried Red Chilliesroughly broken1.5
- Ground Coriander0.5 tsp
- Kashmiri Chilli Powder0.25 tsp
- Garam Masala0.25 tsp
Utensils
- large pan with lid
- small frying pan
- wooden spoon
- chef's knife
- chopping board
- measuring spoons
Method
1
Finely dice the onion and tomatoes. Thinly slice the garlic. Roughly break the dried red chillies and chop the fresh coriander.
Approx. 10 minutes
2
Combine the soaked and drained chana dal, 450ml water, turmeric, and salt in a large pan. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.
Approx. 8 minutes
3
Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dal is completely tender but still holding some shape. Mash partially with a spoon and season with more salt if needed.
Approx. 40 minutes
4
Make the tarka: heat the ghee in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds and sizzle until the mustard seeds pop.
Approx. 1 minutes
5
Add the curry leaves (stand back — they will splutter). Cook for 30 seconds.
Approx. 1 minutes
6
Add the sliced garlic and dried red chillies. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic is golden.
Approx. 1 minutes
7
Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until golden.
Approx. 5 minutes
8
Add the diced tomatoes, ground coriander, and Kashmiri chilli powder. Cook for 3 minutes until softened.
Approx. 3 minutes
9
Stir in the garam masala and cook for 30 seconds to release the aroma.
Approx. 1 minutes
10
Pour the tarka over the dal and stir gently to combine.
Approx. 1 minutes
11
Finish with the lemon juice and serve scattered with fresh chopped coriander.
Approx. 1 minutes
