Monday, 4 August 2014

Chana Dal


Chana dal - the skinned and split variety of the black chickpea. You could also use yellow split peas which look incredibly similar.

Like most Indian vegetarian food, this particular dish works best when combined with other dishes to create a taste sensation known in India as "thali"- literally, a plate with indentations to hold various combinations of food.

This one's a spicy little number but, as with any recipe, you can cut down on the quantity of chilli to accommodate personal taste.


Serves: 4
Cost per person:

You'll need:

- a few good handfuls of the chana dal
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 2 tsp ginger/ garlic paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 whole tomatoes pureed
- 1 whole green chilli

Let's get cooking!

1. Soak the chana dal for a few hours. Wash the starch out and then boil for around 90 minutes with 1 tsp of turmeric until soft. Take off the heat and set aside.


2. As with a great deal of Indian dishes, start off by throwing 1 tsp cumin seeds into hot oil in a saucepan.


3. Finely chop the onions and get those in. Add a little salt. Cook down till reduced and golden in colour (approx 15 minutes).


4. Just before the onions are done, add the ginger/ garlic paste


5. Ok, now the onions are nicely golden. Add the spices


6. Mix up and get the tomatoes in! Cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes or until the oil separates from the mix.


7. Add the cooked dal. 


8. Slice the whole green chilli into 4 along its length and chuck in. Cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Enjoy with rice!


Delicious and nutritious and, I suspect, cheap too! Let's see the costing:

- chana dal: 1 zl
- tomatoes: 2 zl
- rice for 4 people: 2.40 zl
- onions and spices: 0.60 zl

Total: 6 zl
Serves: 4
Per person: 1.50 zl


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