chana dal

here is a recipe of a dal curry that i make often with chana dal. chana dal is a favorite at home. sometimes i add chana dal to vegetables like in this cabbage upkari and sometimes to rice to make this awesome chana dal biryani…..  and most of the times i make this simple chana dal fry.

chana dal is also known as bengal gram. these lentils have a sweet and nutty taste. chana dal is got from black chickpeas (kala chana). they are spilt and the outer cover is removed. these lentils are also powdered to give besan or gram flour.

the flavors & taste of this chana dal fry is north indian and the preparation is like the way we make in punjabi households.

the chana dal is best served with steamed basmati rice and a side raita, kachumber/salad or a vegetable dish. you could also serve it with rotis or naan along with cucumber raita and some papads.

for faster cooking of the chana dal, its best to soak them in water for an hour. you can cook the dal in a pressure cooker or in a pan. the dal should be cooked soft.

chana dal recipe details below:

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chana dal

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

chana dal fry – bengal gram lentils tempered & flavored with indian spices.

Author: dassana

Recipe type: main

Cuisine: north indian

Serves: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

for cooking the chana dal:

• ¾ cup chana dal
• 2.5 or 3 cups water
• ¼ tsp turmeric

for tempering:

• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
• 4-5 garlic, finely chopped
• 1 green chili, chopped
• ¾ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp dry mango powder/amchur powder
• 1 or 1.5 tsp kasoori methi/dry methi leaves
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• salt as required
• a few coriander/cilantro leaves for garnishing

Instructions

1. pick and rinse the dal well.
2. soak the dal for an hour.
3. drain and pressure cook the dal with water and turmeric powder till they are soft and well cooked.
4. heat oil or ghee.
5. add the cumin first and fry for a few seconds.
6. add the garlic and fry till they become light brown.
7. now add the onions and fry till they get golden.
8. now add the tomatoes, ginger and green chili.
9. stir and add all the dry spice powders.
10. saute till the tomatoes get cooked and the oil starts to leave the side of the mixture.
11. add the kasoori methi and fry for some seconds.
12. pour this tempering mixture on the dal.
13. stir and simmer for 5-7 minutes till you get medium consistency of the dal.
14. the dal is neither thick nor thin.
15. garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve the dal hot with some basmati rice or rotis or bread

Notes

the consistency of the dal can be easily adjusted. if the dal becomes thick, then after adding the tempering, add some water and simmer for some minutes. if the dal become thin, simmer for a longer time so that you get the right consistency.

to make the dal gluten free, omit adding the asafoetida/hing.

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