Chana Dal

The split desi chickpea of the North Indian kitchen: pressure-cooked until silken, tempered with cumin, mustard seeds, turmeric and dried red chilli in a tarka of hissing clarified butter, the dal that anchors the everyday Indian table from the Gangetic plains to the Deccan

Origin: Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, North India

From the journey of Chickpea.

Chana dal is split and hulled desi chickpea (the small, dark, ancestral variety of Cicer arietinum that has been grown across the Indian subcontinent since the third millennium BCE. When the desi chickpea is split and its skin removed, the result is a golden, slightly biconvex cotyledon of exceptional cooking quality: it holds its shape better than most other dals yet softens completely with enough heat, absorbing the fat-soluble spices of the tarka with a depth that makes it one of the most satisfying preparations in the Indian pulse canon. The dal sits at the absolute centre of North Indian home cooking) made in homes from Punjab to Bihar, from Lucknow to Hyderabad, varying in spice profile and consistency region by region but always featuring the defining technique of the tarka (also called tadka or chaunk): a brief, fierce frying of whole and ground spices in very hot ghee, poured at the table over the cooked dal in a sizzle of aromatic smoke. The sound of the tarka hitting the dal (that sharp, decisive hiss) is one of the most evocative sounds in Indian cooking.

Ingredients

Main

  • 250 g chana dal (split yellow chickpeas), soaked 30 minutes and drained

Liquid

  • 750 ml water

Spice

  • 0.5 tsp turmeric

Seasoning

  • 1 tsp salt

Tarka

  • 3 tbsp ghee or neutral oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 0.5 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 dried red chillies, whole
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

Finish

  • 0.5 tsp garam masala

Garnish

  • 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method

  1. Place the drained chana dal in a pot or pressure cooker with the water, turmeric, and salt. For a pressure cooker: cook on high pressure for 8–10 minutes, then allow to release naturally for 10 minutes. For an open pot: bring to the boil, skim foam, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 45–60 minutes until completely tender but still holding shape.
  2. While the dal cooks, prepare the tarka: heat the ghee in a small, heavy pan over high heat until shimmering and almost smoking. Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds: they will pop and sputter within seconds.
  3. Immediately add the dried red chillies and asafoetida, then the sliced onion. Fry the onion in the spiced ghee over high heat, stirring constantly, for 5–7 minutes until the onion is deep golden-brown and crisp at the edges. Add the garlic and ginger for the final 2 minutes.
  4. Pour the entire tarka (ghee, onions, spices, and all) over the cooked dal in its pot. The dal will hiss and sputter. Stir to incorporate. Finish with garam masala, lemon juice, and fresh coriander.
  5. Serve with basmati rice, roti, or paratha. A spoonful of ghee added at the table is traditional and makes everything better.

Notes

Chana dal must not be confused with yellow split peas (which are a different pulse) or with moong dal (split mung beans). It is specifically split, hulled desi chickpea (available at all Indian grocery stores. The dal can be made the day before and reheated; the tarka should be made fresh immediately before serving, as it loses fragrance quickly. The consistency should be thick) dal is not a soup. If it seems too liquid after cooking, remove the lid and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes to reduce.

The Gastrographer

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