Channa Dal

Total cost: $2.43  Cost per serving: approx. 60 cents

This is a slightly modified version of a recipe I got from a guy named Manu back in my tribe.net days (oh tribe, may you rest in peace). He is a follower of the Ayurvedic lifestyle & does not consume garlic or onions. At first I thought any recipe without garlic or onions had to be bland & awful, but I discovered that the substitute (asafotida) is one of the most amazing flavors on earth. Some of these ingredients will not be available outside of Indian grocery stores.

Ingredients

1 cup channa dal*

6 cups water

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp ghee or olive oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

2 seeded green chilis, chopped

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp hing/asafotida**

1 1/4 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut

chopped fresh cilantro

Bring the channa dal to a boil in 6 cups of water & cook for about 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat & add turmeric.

In Indian cuisine the idea of tempering spices in oil seems important, and it makes sense because everything gets a chance to "marry" before it's even added to the pot. This is especially important for the asafotida, as it is a resin & it needs to break down a bit over heat. Heat 2 tbsp ghee or oil in a pan & when hot add mustard seeds, chilis & fennel seeds. Cook for a minute or so & add ginger, asafotida & brown sugar. Mix for a minute & then pour into the dal. Add salt.

The tempered spices. 

In another small pan roast the grated coconut until browned & add to the dal.

The toasted coconut

 Garnish with cilantro & serve with basmati rice.

The channa dal begins as pretty much a soup, and any leftovers end up as more of a stew texture as the beans & coconut continue to absorb water. Both ways I put a scoop of rice underneath.

Notes

* In a pinch, you could substitute yellow split peas, but the texture will be different & the cooking time much less.

** Asafotida (also known as hing) is pretty much exclusively available at Indian stores. I've never seen it elsewhere. A note to the gluten-free people: Asafotida is available in two forms. There is a powdered form, which usually contains a bit of wheat flour, and a resin form, which does not. If you use the resin kind you will need to use 70% less.