Chana Dal Fry Recipe
Chana Dal Fry
Spiced Yellow Lentils
Submitted By: Taz

Ingredients:

Dal:
1 Cup Large Split Yellow Lentils (Chana Dal) - picked and rinsed
3 cups Water
½ tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 tsp Kosher Salt (Namak) or to taste

Dal Fry:
1 ½ Tbs Ghee
2 cloves Fresh Garlic (Leh-sun) - grated into a paste
½ inch piece Fresh Ginger (Adrak) - grated into a paste
2 Fresh Green Chiles (Hari Mirch) - seeded and minced
1 Medium White Onion (Pyaz) - diced
7 Roma Tomatoes (Tamatar) - small chopped
1 tsp Chana Masala - amount to taste
1 tsp Red Chile Powder (Lal Mirchi) - amount to taste
1 ½ tsp Coriander Powder (Dhania)
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)

Tadka (Tempering):
2 Tbs Ghee
1 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
1 tsp Black Mustard Seeds (Rai)
6 - 10 Dried Curry Leaves (Kaddi Patta)
1 Dried Red Chile (Lal Mirch) - seeded

Preparation:
Dal:
  1. Soak picked and rinsed lentils in twice their volume of water for a minimum of 4 hours
  2. Once lentils have soaked, drain, rinse, and place in a 2-6 quart pressure cooker along with the remaining 'Dal' ingredients - Seal pressure cooker (leave weight off) and place over medium-high heat - Once a steady escape of steam is produced, add pressure cooker weight and allow to cook for 20 minutes
  3. After 20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool until lid can be safely removed (do not speed cooling process) - Once pressure has subsided and lid can be safely removed, open pressure cooker and set aside (DO NOT DRAIN)
Dal Fry:
  1. Heat ghee in a medium/large pan, wok, or kadahi over medium heat until shimmering - Once ghee is hot, add garlic, ginger, and green chiles - Sauté for 30 seconds - Add onion and continue to sauté until onions soften and begin to color (apx 3-5 minutes)
  2. Add tomatoes to pan and continue to sauté until tomatoes soften (apx 3 minutes)
  3. Add all of the 'For Dal' dried spices, thoroughly combine, and sauté for an additional minute
  4. Add the cooked lentils (along with the remaining liquid) to pan and bring to a boil - Reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer until consistency of your liking is achieved (add additional water if desired) - Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish
Tadka:
  1. Heat ghee in a small skillet over medium heat until shimmering - Once ghee is hot, add mustard seeds and allow to cook until they pop (apx 30 seconds) - Add cumin seeds and allow to cook for 30 seconds - Add curry leaves - Crush up the dried red chile and add to the tadka - Allow to cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute (chile pieces should darken but not burn)
  2. Immediately add to dal and stir to combine
  3. Adjust seasoning - Garnish as desired - Serve hot
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