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Servings: 4
| 200g chana (split chickpea) lentils |
| 2 tbsp ghee (use vegetable oil for vegan) |
| 1 small onion, finely chopped |
| 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped |
| 1 thumb of ginger, finely chopped |
| ½ can (110g), chopped tomatoes |
| 100g spinach leaves |
| 1 tsp cumin seeds |
| ½ tsp turmeric powder |
| 1 tsp Mandala king masala |
| ½ tsp Mandala garam masala |
| Salt to taste |
Prepare:
| Put the chana dal into a large mixing bowl and give it a good rinse with clean water. Drain and repeat a few times. |
| Chop the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli as described in the ingredients list. |
Cook:
| Add the chana dal to a large saucepan, add 1.2 litres of water and then bring to a boil. |
| While the dal is heating up, add a drizzle of cooking oil, turmeric powder and 1 tsp of salt. Stir and cook, with the lid on a medium heat, for 45-60 minutes. |
| Chana dal takes much longer to cook than other types of dal, so keep stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary and if any scum rises to the surface you can carefully skim this off and throw away. |
| While the dal is cooking, in a separate non-stick pan, add the ghee (use cooking oil for vegan) and cumin seeds. |
| Once the cumin seeds start to sizzle add the onions and fry for 5 minutes. |
| Once the onions have browned nicely at the edges, add the chopped garlic, ginger, green chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes. |
| Add the Mandala king masala, chopped tomatoes and a splash of water and fry on a high heat until most of the water has evaporated and you are left with a thick paste. If using canned tomatoes rather than fresh, you can optionally add ½ tsp of brown sugar to offset the sharpness in the tomatoes. |
| Now begin to add the spinach in batches, stirring constantly to fold and incorporate everything together. The spinach should wilt quite quickly, making more room to add the next batch. Repeat until all the spinach has been added into the mixture, then take the pan off from the heat and set aside. |
| Check your dal after 45 minutes to see that it is properly cooked. You will know it is ready when the grains can easily be broken with a tablespoon. |
| Next add the spinach and tomato masala you made before into the dal pan. Add more water if you prefer a soupy dal or continue to cook with the lid of if you wish to thicken the consistency. |
| Add the Mandala garam masala. Taste test for salt and add a little more if required. |
| Slowly simmer the dal until it has reached a nice thick soupy consistency and turn off the heat. |
Garnish:
| Season with a splash of fresh lemon or lime and enjoy with Indian bread or rice. |
