- 1 and 1/4 cup split peas (Chana Daal)
- 3 cloves
- 3 green Cardamon pods
- 1 black Cardamon pod
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2tsp salt
- 900ml of water (Approx. 3 and 3/4 cups)
METHOD
- Wrap all the spices in a 15cm x 15cm cheesecloth, and make a small bundle.
- Add the Chana Daal, water, salt, and the bundle of spices in a pressure cooker and cook for about 12 minutes on medium heat. (5 whistles of a pressure cooker)
- Let the pressure cooker cool down before you open as it has built up steam. This also helps cook the lentils further.
- If you don’t have a pressure cooker add all the above ingredients to a saucepan and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 45-60 min. Once the time is up, test the softness of Daal. You should be able to easily squish the lentils between your fingers.
- Take out and throw away the Spice Bundle.
- Keep them aside.
FOR TADKA
- 3-4 tbsp vegan butter/margarine
- 1/4 onion/Approx. 25-30gms (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tbsp finely chopped Ginger (Approx. 1/2 thumb)
- 1/2 tbsp finely chopped garlic (Approx. 2 cloves)
- 1/2-1 tsp red chilli powder (use as per taste)
- 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 bay leaves (I used fresh, but dry are fine too)
METHOD
- Heat up the butter in a large and deep non-stick pan.
- Add bay leaves, coriander and cumin seeds and fry on high heat for about 1-2 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. The spices should be golden but not burnt.
- Turn the heat to medium, add onions, ginger, and garlic and cook on for 2-4 minutes or until onions are golden brown.
- Add Chillies and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the Daal from earlier, mix well and bring to boil. (At this stage, add a splash of water if Daal is too thick for your liking)
- Enjoy with rice or Roti.
* Depending upon the type of pressure cooker, times may vary it can vary between 10-15 min.
*You can also use slow cooker*