Chana Daal with Onion-Tomato Masala and Garlic Tarka

Ingredients

• 250 g chana daal (split Bengal gram), rinsed until the water runs mostly clear
• 1 l hot water, plus a little more if needed
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 3 tbsp cooking oil or ghee, divided
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced for the tarka
• 2 whole dried red chillies
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, to finish

Instructions

1. Rinse the chana daal in a sieve, then cover it with hot tap water and leave it to soak for 30 minutes. Drain well.
2. Put the drained daal in the pot with 1 litre of hot water, the turmeric, half the salt and 1 slit green chilli. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam with a spoon.
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 35 minutes, stirring now and then. It is ready when a grain crushes easily between your fingers but the daal still holds its shape. Add a splash of hot water if it looks dry.
4. While the daal cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the chopped onion for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown at the edges.
5. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute until the raw smell goes. Add the tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder and the remaining salt.
6. Cook the tomatoes for about 6 minutes, mashing them with the back of the spoon, until they break down into a thick paste and the oil separates at the edges.
7. Tip the masala into the cooked daal, stir well and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes so the flavours join. The consistency should be thick but pourable; lightly mash a few spoonfuls against the side of the pot for a creamier body.
8. For the tarka, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add half the cumin seeds and the sliced garlic, and cook for about 1 minute until the garlic turns light golden.
9. Add the dried red chillies, the remaining cumin and the second slit green chilli, and let them sizzle for 20 seconds. Pour the hot tarka straight over the daal.
10. Sprinkle in the garam masala, lemon juice and fresh coriander. Cover for 2 minutes, then stir and serve hot.

Tips

• Chana daal takes longer than other daals. If you can soak it for 3 to 4 hours or overnight, the simmering time drops to about 25 minutes.
• Do not add lemon juice or tomatoes before the daal is tender, as acid can keep the grains firm.
• Take the tarka off the heat as soon as the garlic is light golden; it keeps cooking in the hot oil and turns bitter if it darkens.
• Keep the daal a little looser than you want, since it thickens as it stands.