For this curry, chickpeas are split and polished, resulting in a different texture than whole chickpeas (while maintaining the same health benefits). It makes for the perfect hearty and cozy dish that’s good all week long. Chana dal typically uses a long list of flavorful and authentic spices that can be hard to get in the States. So, I’ve taken that list and simplified it so you don’t need to go to a specialty food store to get the ingredients.
here’s what you’ll need
This chana dal recipe consists of just 9 ingredients, and that includes water, salt, and spices! “Chana” is chickpeas, and “dal” is split peas, lentils, or chickpeas. Therefore, chana dal is split chickpeas in soup or curry form!
Dried Chana Dal: For this recipe, we’ll be using dried chana dal, which are split chickpeas you can buy in the store near the dried beans. Onion and Tomatoes: You can use either white or yellow onion for this recipe. Choose your favorite! Diced tomatoes are used to add some hearty umami to this recipe. Spices: Ginger and garlic will help to season this dish. To give this meal its Indian-inspired flavor, we’ll be using garam masala. (Make your own with this quick Garam Masala recipe!) The Basics: I like to use ¼ tsp of salt and a splash of olive oil for this recipe, but you can use as much or as little as you’d like. For Serving: I love to serve it with rice and a squeeze of lemon. It’s also delicious with a bit of yogurt on top!
let’s make it
This is one of the easiest chana dal recipes ever. Though you’ll need almost 2 hours, most of that is spent letting the chana dal soak!
what to serve it with
And if you’d like a fresh vegetable side dish to pair with your chana dal, choose from these spring roll options:
Vegetable Vietnamese Spring Rolls are refreshing and so simple to make – the perfect compliment to this warm curry. Vegan Rainbow Spring Rolls are not only gorgeous but delicious and quick to put together. Thai Green Curry Spring Rolls take the flavor of curry and package it up into a handheld roll.
