Sweet Channa Dal

Prep time:  10 minutes    |    Bean Soaking Time: 1 hour    |    Cooking time:  60 minutes    |   Yields:  4 people

Ingredients: 

1 cup channa dal (small, split chickpeas)
6 cups water
1 tablespoon gee or olive oil
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tomatoes cut into wedges
4 tablespoons dry coconut flakes
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt

Directions: 

  1. Bring water and dal to boil.
  2. Lower heat to simmer and cook 45 minutes.
  3. Skim foam off the top as you notice it forming.
  4. Heat olive oil or ghee in a frying pan.
  5. Add cumin seeds and grated ginger and cook 3 minutes and add to dal.
  6. Stir and continue cooking until beans are thoroughly cooked, about 10 more minutes.
  7. Remove dal from pot and add tomatoes, coconut flakes, syrup and salt.
  8. Mix well and serve.

Notes: 

Channa is a variety of chickpea that is small and split in half. Channa dal is a common dish in India, typically made as a thick soup and served with chapattis, which are flat breads, rice and other vegetable dishes. This recipe is one example of the many ways to make channa dal.

Look for organic channa in the bulk section of your health food store, or in a specialty Indian market. If you can’t find it, substitute with yellow split peas.

 

Recipe made available by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.