Chana ki dal

Dal chawal (lentils and rice) are the corner stone of Indian cuisine, and for me they are not only comfort food but a life saver as in my house they do double duty as both baby and adult food.

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

(For the dal)

2 cups of channa dal (washed and soaked for at least 30 minutes)

1onion

4 large cloves of garlic

1 inch pice of ginger

8 cups of water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

(For the tarka)

1 onion

1 teaspoon of garam masala powder

Salt and chilli powder to taste

2 tablespoons of oil

Chopped corriander for garnish

Method

In a large saucepan or pressure cooker (if you have one) add the channa dal, along with the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, salt and turmeric powder with the water. Cook on a high heat, until the pressure cooker reaches full pressure of the contents of the saucepan come to a boil. reduce the heat and continue cooking for a further 3 whistles or until the dal is cooked through.

At this point, I set aside some dal for my little one, and blend it with some plain rice for a nutritious protein packed meal. 

For the adult version, I prepare the tarka by heating some oil in a fry pan and adding a chopped onion. Fry the onion on high heat, stirring occasionally to stop it from burning. The idea is to fry and brown the onion. Once the onion is golden brown, add the salt, chilli powder and garam masala. Turn off the heat and add the tarka to the cooked lentils. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or flat bread and a simple salad of chopped onion, cucumber and tomato seasoned with salt and lime juice.