Chana Daal

Now this isn't my recipe, it actually came from a lovely lady who I follow on Instagram. Her account is a_foodys_kitchen, please do check her out. But I love chana daal, especially at weddings and whilst checking out her recipe, I started drooling, which meant I had to cook it! I did tweak it a little just by adding a little more water, as I wanted it slightly mushier. It turned out delicious, ma sha allah. This is her recipe:

1 cup chana daal (split pea lentils), rinsed and soaked for at least 2 hours (I left it overnight)
1 litre of boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
1/4 tsp. nigella seeds/ kalonji seeds/ onion seeds
1 tbsp. oil
1 crushed garlic glove

In a saucepan, add all the above ingredients and cook on a high heat for about 20-25 minutes. Do not stir the lentils until 25 minutes has passed and all the water has evaporated, and then stir gently to distribute the ingredients evenly. Add about 100ml more water and leave on the lowest heat while you cook the tempering ingredients or tadka.

2 tbsp. butter (I used ghee)
2 small cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 small onion, finely sliced (her recipe uses shallots, I didn't have any)
1/3 tsp. cumin seeds
6 whole dry red chillies
Pinch of garam masala
Coriander for garnishing

In a small pan, add your butter and once melted, add your cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, garlic and onions. Fry until onions have gone golden brown, then add your cumin seeds. fry for another 30 seconds, then add the tadka to your daal.

Mix well, then turn off heat. Add a pinch of garam masala and garnish with fresh coriander.

And that's it! I am writing this just as I have finished cooking, and the smell of chana daal has permeated throughout the house. It's only 12pm, shall I eat it??

Hope you enjoy!

Yaz