Chana Dal

Ingredients

• 1 cup chana dal, soaked 30–60 min
• ½ tsp turmeric
• salt
• For the masala: 2 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 green chili
• 1 tomato
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp garam masala
• For the final tadka: 1 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp cumin
• a pinch hing
• 1 dried red chili (optional)
• finish: lemon or amchur
• coriander
• kasuri methi (optional)

Steps

1. 1.Cook the pulses: pressure-cook the dal with turmeric and salt until soft but still holding its shape.
2. 2.In ghee, bloom the cumin. Add onion; sauté golden. Add ginger-garlic, green chili, tomato, and the ground spices; cook until the oil separates.
3. 3.Add the cooked dal; simmer to a medium consistency, mashing a little. Adjust salt.
4. 4.Second tadka: heat the finishing ghee, sizzle the cumin, hing, and dried red chili, and pour it sizzling over the dal.
5. 5.Finish with garam masala, a little crushed kasuri methi if using, lemon or amchur, and coriander.