Make Anjula Devi’s Chana Daal

PREP: 30 Minutes

COOK: 2 Hours

SERVES: 4

Crispy and golden pakora teamed up with hot ‘masala cha’ is a great combination. Enjoy the mouth-watering pakora along with your family or friends. The taste and aroma of the pakora will make your get-together a memorable occasion.

Note – no water is added to create these pakoras, only the water naturally drawn from all of the fresh ingredients.

Ingredients
250g chana daal
900 ml water

Key spices
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 cm piece of cassia bark
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1/4 tsp crushed black peppercorns
1 Indian bay leaf Other Spices
1 tsp asafoetida
2 tbs tamarind pulp

Warming Spices
1 heaped teaspoon of fenugreek leaves, soaked in 2 tbs of hot water

Wet Ingredients
2 tbs clarified butter (or vegetable oil)
2 tsp pulped garlic
2 tsp pulped ginger
4 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp grated jaggery
1 tbs natural yogurt
3 whole green chillies, pierced on both sides
1 tsp sea salt or rock salt
One small bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Zest and juice of a small lime

Tempering (optional)
2 tsp groundnut oil
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
6 curry leaves
1 dry Kashmiri red chilli

Method:

Wash and add the lentils to a large pan containing 900ml of water, and bring to the boil. Reduce to simmer and skim off any starch or froth that appears on the surface with a spoon.

Add ½ tsp of asafoetida, place the lid on the pan and simmer, stirring regularly, for 45 -50 minutes.

Remove the lentils from the heat and gently give them a light mash. If the lentils seem a little dry, add some more water, and then set aside.

Place the clarified butter in a cold saucepan, and gently heat on a low heat. Then add all of the key spices and the remaining ½ tsp of asafoetida. Warm through for 50 seconds.

Add the garlic and ginger, saute for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, tomato puree and jaggery.

Cook and reduce down for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for one minute.

Stir in the yogurt really well, add the green chillies, and bring the pan back to the boil. Then, immediately reduce to a low heat, cooking out the yogurt for 5 minutes

Add the soaked fenugreek leaves and stir. Take the saucepan and add the contents to the lentils, stirring really well. Add the tamarind pulp, and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on. If the lentils become quite thick you can just add a little more water to loosen them up.

 Remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and add the fresh coriander, lime zest and lime juice.

 If it’s a special occasion, why not temper the dal just before taking it to the table. To do this, simply heat the groundnut oil, in a small pan, on a medium heat. Add the brown mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Then add the cumin seeds allowing them to sizzle, pop in the curry leaves and red chillies. Once the curry leaves start to splutter, pour the whole mixture over the lentils.

For more authentic Indian recipes, Anjula Devi’s fantastic ‘how to’ recipe book comes with  top tips and a glossary of spices, it includes step-by-step instructions for Anjula’s masala base, as well as easy-to-follow recipes for chicken curry, chicken biriyani, stunning samosas and perfect pakoras plus lamb, prawn, vegetarian and vegan dishes, starters, rice, breads and chutneys.  Find out more and buy the book for £5.99 here.

And if you’re looking for the right kit to help you make them, Lakeland have worked with Anjula to create the Authentic India range of products. From flavouring curries to fluffing chapatis, every one is designed specifically for the job in hand.