Chickpea Lentils Cooked in Coconut Milk - Narkol Diye Cholar Dal

Narkol Dudh diye Channa'r Dal

Split chickpea lentils cooked this way evokes memories of Mum who loved to entertain. These were not everyday lentils because back in the day in Darjeeling, it was not easy to separate the fresh coconut meat from the shell. The coconut meat had to be painstakingly sliced and browned before putting them in the lentils. That's how Mum prepared lentils flavoured with coconut on festive occasions or when friends were invited to dine with us. 

This recipe uses coconut milk which makes a very creamy lentil dish especially delicious because of the chauk/phoron/tarka at the very end, of black cardamom seeds, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds and bay leaves. A final garnish of ghee, slit greet chilies and cilantro makes this dish outstanding!

Channa Dal with Hard Boiled Eggs

Chana Dal e Dim Sheddho

This is a quick and easy recipe for channa dal. The addition of hard boiled eggs takes it from a side to a main dish, if need be. 

Channa Dal

Channa Dal

Hulled and split chickpeas or garbanzo beans, chana dal is used extensively in Asia as a source of protein for vegetarians and vegans since it has one of the highest protein levels of all plants. 

Although it is not necessary to do so, these beans soften and cook faster if soaked in warm water for half an hour before cooking.

When cooked in the pressure cooker, add 2-3 times of water and a pinch of turmeric to the beans, cover and bring to a full boil and once the pressure builds up in the cooker, lower the heat to medium and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Leave in pressure cooker until pressure dissipates naturally and completely before opening lid. 

It takes about half an hour for these beans to cook on the stove top. Do not cover while cooking on the stove top or the contents will overflow and cause a big mess.

Avoid adding salt and/or acid such as tomatoes or tomato paste until chana dal is completely cooked.

Channa Dal Preparations:

Channa Dal in Coconut Milk

Channa Dal with Sweet Potatoes & Toasted Coconut

Channa Dal with Hard Boiled Eggs

Narkol Diye Dal - Lentils Cooked in Coconut Milk

Mum used to make delicious lentils with coconut for festive occasions, but she always used pieces of coconut to flavour the dish. This recipe uses coconut milk which makes a very creamy lentil dish which is especially delicious because of the chauk/phoron/tarka at the very end of curry leaves, green chillies and black mustard seeds which makes it simply perfect for this preparation!

Ingredients:
1 cup channa dal 
1 (8 oz.) cup coconut milk
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium (Roma) tomatoes, chopped
3 green chillies, chopped
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2 cups water or vegetable stock

Garnish:
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 green chillies, slit at stem end
7-8 curry leaves, one stem
1 tsp. black mustard seeds
1 tsp. ghee

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients (except Garnish) in a pressure cooker, bring to a boil, cover and cook under pressure on medium heat for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.
2. Allow steam in pressure cooker to dissipate before opening lid.
3. Heat oil over high heat in a small saucepan, fry slit green chillies until skin blisters and turns grey, remove from oil and set aside.
4. Sputter black mustard seeds, add curry leaves and fry for a minute or so.
5. Pour over lentils in pressure cooker, return to a boil and garnish with slit green chillies and ghee.

Serve over steamed Basmati or Jasmine rice or tortillas.

Lentils with Sweet Potatoes & Toasted Coconut

Mum used to make this at home when company was expected. It was part of a feast (nimonthonno ranna in Bengali). Fresh coconuts are readily available in India and Mum would break the coconut shell, slice the meat into strips and slice it into flat disks that would be fried in oil to a nutty brown.  They would then be cooked along with the lentils.

Since fresh coconuts are not as easily available in Michigan, a staple in my refrigerator is unsweetened, grated coconut. I use a dry skillet to toast a quarter cup of grated coconut to a golden brown colour with the help of 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar. The toasted coconut is used as a garnish and stirred into the lentils just prior to serving.

Ingredients:

1 cup channa dal (any lentils will do)
1 medium sweet potato or 1/4 pumpkin, peeled and cut in bite-size pieces
¼ cup grated unsweetened coconut, toasted to a golden brown
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ tsp. shah jeera or cumin seeds
1 tsp. garam masala powder
2 tsp. ginger paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp. ghee or melted butter
2–3 green chilies, left whole

Directions:

1. Wash and soak sweet potatoes in water to prevent discolouring.
2. Wash lentils until water runs clear and soak in hot water for half an hour.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds & garam masala.
4. When cumin seeds start to sizzle, add tomato and ginger pastes along with sweet potatoes and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add lentils, cover and simmer for about half an hour until lentils are tender.
6. Adjust salt to taste, garnish with ghee, toasted coconut and whole green chilies.

7. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with steamed rice or tortillas.

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