The genuinely delicious split-brown chickpea Chana dal recipe is surprisingly flavoursome and versatile with incredible taste to wow everyone in the party. The punchy flavours of natural herbs and spices bursting with aroma and taste meet the choice of all types of eaters. It's simple but guarantees to impress friends and family at a festive feast.
From Dal Makhani to Panchratna Dal, flavoured lentil and nuts is a versatile staple of Indian cuisine that encompasses a fantastic variety of lentils like masoor, toor, channa, moong and urad, Dal.
Basic information
Split skinned and polished brown chickpeas have a plain earthy nutty taste. It absorbs external flavours and can be cooked distinctly, to get an incredible tangy, satisfying Chana dal recipe that makes a fabulous weekday family meal.
Taste, texture, nutrients and other details
About Chana Dal
Chana Dal or brown chickpeas are split, skinned and polished and a stew or soup made by combining it with herbs and spices. Dal refers to a split version of lentils, peas, chickpeas (chana), kidney beans. There are multiple variants of chickpeas made in Indian cuisine. It can be prepared into a dry curry or stir-fried simply with spices but not much liquid, it's called kathor in Gujarati.
Pulses can be ground into a flour-like besan (garbanzo bean flour) that is used to make a wide variety of foods such as vegetable pakora, khandvi, kadhi, sev, puda and laddoo. Chana dal is used in tempering, chutneys and sauces in the South Indian cuisine. Roasted lentils can be powdered with herbs and coconut to get spicy chutney, often served with South Indian meals. Roasted powdered chana dal or sattu is stuffed in parathas and used to make multiple delicacies in the north Indian cuisine.
Restaurant based Chana Dal
Most roadside eateries and dhabhas serve smoky chana dal recipe with tandoori roti and salad. It is one of the most ordered meal. At restaurants the lentil is cooked to al dente, then flavoured with ingredients like tomato, garlic, ginger and spices and finished off with a toasty tempering of local red whole chilly and cumin seeds.
Homemade Chana Dal
At home, the chana dal curry recipe is prepared by blending tomato, garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, paprika and cayenne and sauté it with boiled lentils.
How to serve?
The chana dal gravy recipe can be served with flatbreads or rice or cooked grains or as a main or side dish. The meal can be complemented with salad, lemon wedges and raita.