Chana dal was always special in our house, reserved for those occasions when reliable old masoor dal (red lentils) wouldn’t do. Also known as the Bengal gram, chana is a type of chickpea that gives dal a pleasing, nutty richness. I’ve used coconut milk to enrich this, but if you’d like a lighter version, substitute it with 400ml water. If you struggle to find mustard oil, use vegetable oil instead, and stir a spoonful or two of English mustard into the final dal.
Chana dal
Prep 10 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 4
250g dried chana dal (split yellow chickpeas)
½ tsp ground turmeric
400g coconut milk
50g dried coconut flakes
1 tbsp mustard oil
350g brown onions, peeled and finely sliced
2½cm cube ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2-3 green bird’s eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or minced
For the seasoning
2 tbsp mustard oil
6 bay leaves
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp onion seeds
1 small bunch coriander leaves, leaves picked and chopped, to serve
Tip the dried chana dal into a large saucepan and add the turmeric, coconut milk and 600ml water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the dal is cooked – this will take roughly 45 minutes, so the chana are tender but still have some bite. (You could also soak the chana overnight, which would cut down on the cooking time).
While the dal cooks, warm a frying pan over a medium heat, then add the coconut flakes and stir for a couple of minutes until toasted and browned. Set aside in a bowl, then return the pan to the heat with a tablespoon of mustard oil. Add the onions and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for six to eight minutes, until the onions have browned a little at the edges and softened. Add the chilli and garlic, cook for another minute, then turn off the heat.
When the dal has been cooking for 35 minutes, stir through the onion mixture and continue to simmer.
Once the dal is cooked, prepare the seasoning. Put two tablespoons of mustard oil in a small pan over a low-medium heat, then warm the bay leaves, fenugreek, mustard and onion seeds in the oil for two to three minutes, until the mustard seeds start to pop. Pour the spicy oil into the dal and stir well.
Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the dal, top with the coriander and serve with warm flatbreads or rice.
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