Split Lentil (Chana Daal)
Prep:15 mins
Cook:55 mins
Serves:4-6
Description
Chana daal is a vegetarian favourite that is served with rice or nan bread. Add some mango pickle to give a tangy taste to the daal.
Improvise with extra water and a cube of vegetable stock and you will have a lentil soup. Water can be added either at the final stage of cooking or even the following day without compromising the taste of the daal.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized onions, finely chopped.
- 12 tbs sunflower oil (oil is essential to release and carry the flavour of the spices).
- 4 garlic cloves grated, 2.5cm root ginger grated (or 1 tbs of garlic/ginger paste).
- 1 tsp salt (can adjust as required), 2 tsp SPICE-E MIX (8g Approx)
- 1 cup of lentils.
- 2 chopped fresh tomatoes or 1/3 of a 400g tin chopped tomatoes.
- chopped fresh coriander.
Cooking Instructions
- Soak the lentils overnight or boil for 15 mins until lentils become soft.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a large, preferably non-stick pan. Add onions to the hot oil and stir for 10 mins on medium-high heat until the onions become soft.
- Add the ginger, garlic, SPICE-E MIX, tomatoes and fry for 8 mins. Add a 1/4 cup of water and simmer on low heat for 10 mins.
- Remove the froth from the soaked/boiled lentils and drain the lentils (keep a cup of water from the drained lentils).
- Add the lentils to the masala and 1/4 cup of drained lentil water. Stir on high heat for 5 mins.
- Adjust consistency of daal using drained water as required (we used a further 1/4 cup) and simmer on low heat for 10 mins. Garnish with coriander.
