Coconut Channa Dal Food

COCONUT CHANNA DAL

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils well in cold water, then drain.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based, preferably non-stick, saucepan and saute the onion and garlic with the curry leaves, chili and mustard seeds, until golden and fragrant.
• Add the drained lentils, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods, fenugreek, asafetida powder and coconut milk.
• Mix well, then add the water.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 40 minutes, or longer if necessary. Stir occasionally to ensure the dal does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• You may choose to increase the cooking temperature, and/or partially uncover the dal towards the end of the cooking time, if you prefer your dal with less fluid (as I do), rather than 'soupy'.
• When the dal is soft, season to taste with sea salt. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with curry dishes and rice or parathas.

CHANA DAL SUNDAL

Steps:

• Simmer chana dal in a soup pot in abundant lightly salted water until soft but not mushy, about 15 minutes. (If using whole chickpeas, cook for 45 minutes.) Drain and spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
• In a large wide skillet, heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Add urad dal, chiles, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let sizzle for a minute until seeds begin to pop, then add asafetida if using. Turn flame to low and add cooked chana dal and gently stir to coat. Add coconut and continue to stir until spices are well distributed. Check seasoning, adding salt and cayenne as desired.
• Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with cilantro sprigs. Serve warm.

ONE-PAN COCONUT DHAL

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear, then drain. Heat the oil in a large, shallow pan and cook the onions over a low heat for 10 mins until starting to brown, adding more oil if the pan looks dry. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another 30 seconds. Scatter in the curry leaves, if using, and all the spices and cook for a few minutes more, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for a minute longer.
• Stir in the lentils, ensuring they're well coated in the spices, then pour over the coconut milk and 850ml water. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then simmer for about 30 mins until the lentils are soft and soupy. Scoop out the whole chilli and discard, then season generously with salt. The dhal can now be left to cool, then frozen in portions, or as one batch in a large plastic container. Defrost completely before reheating in a pan over a low heat, adding more water to loosen if needed.
• Serve with a sprinkling of the coriander, sliced ginger and chilli, and drizzle with a bit more oil.

CHANNA DAL (CURRIED CHICKPEAS)

Steps:

• Put chickpeas in a bowl. Add enough cold water to cover and soak overnight.
• To cook, drain chickpeas. Place chickpeas, water, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and simmer for about 1 hour.
• In a large saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Add cumin seed and cook for 1 minute. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onion turns golden brown.
• Add chickpeas and cooking liquid to onion mixture. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until chickpeas are tender but not mushy. Mix well.
• Place chickpeas in a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.