This lentil is also commonly known as Chana daal. They are used mostly to make soup or stewed with vegetables. Another common way to use them is to roast and grind them to make powder which is commonly known as basen or chickpea flour .
It is easy to make , super nutritious, super delicious and tastes heaven. This lentil reminds me of Sundays back home when I was a kid. Sunday mornings used to be the time for elaborate breakfast and late lunch. O my , I feel nostalgic . Chana dal and Luchi/ puri ( a type of Indian bread) was and still is one of my fab breakfast from my mothers kitchen.
So Lets get started:
Ingredients:
Bengal gram Lentil
Spices
All set, lets start making
Step 1: Soak the lentils in water for at least 4-5 hours. Boil them till the lentils are cooked. Have a look at the picture below .
This is how the lentils look when boiled.
Tips: Once you think they are boiled press them with your finger tips to make sure that they are soft.
Step2: Once boiled add turmeric, chopped green chili (optional), and salt to taste and stir the mixture.
Step 3: Heat a separate pan and pour oil. When the oil is heated add whole cumin seeds.
Tips: This process is called tempering and is one of the most important part of the Indian Cooking tradition. The taste of the food often depands on the types of tempering used. Here I used whole cumin for tempering. The pot should be heated well and the oil should also be heated when the cumin seeds are added to the pan for the tempering to be perfect.
Step 4: Add ginger paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder and garam masala (optional) to the pan and sprinkle a little water so that they make a paste and stir well till the mixture starts giving out oil.
Step 5: Now add the pre boiled lentils in the pan and stir in a medium high heat so that everything mixes well.
Step 6: Add desiccated coconut to the above and stir well.
Step 7: Pour the mixture in a bowl , smear ghee (clarified butter) or butter and eat it on its own or serve it with rice or any flat bread.
Tips : Tastes bests with Indian breads like Puri or roti and tastes best when served hot.
