Sookhi Chana Dal Curry, a semi-dry split pea curry with tomatoes and some simple Indian spices. Dunk your flat bread like roti, paratha or naan in it or enjoy it as a side dish with rice and any vegetable stir fry.
My inspiration for this simple yet absolutely delicious lentil curry came from a cooking video that I was watching, which is my favorite pastime besides cooking and updating my food blog! Sookhi chana dal was one of three dishes that made for a lip-smacking, spicy, tangy, crunchy taco-like Indian street food! Be on the lookout for it soon on my blog!
The lovely yellow, turmeric infused chana dal/split Bengal gram curry where each grain of chana dal is still whole yet oh-so tender (no mushy here!) is actually part of a lovely and mouthwatering street food like dish which I will share soon.
This amazingly easy to make semi-dry curry is perfect to scoop up with a piece of roti or paratha or enjoy with rice too!
Rustling this up is a breeze in a pressure cooker. If you pre soak the dal for about 20 to 30 minutes, it is even faster.
Once cooked, just simmer the cooked but still tender and whole dal in a spicy, tangy tomato based masala with some aromatics like ginger, cumin, fennel etc., . Bump up the flavors with some chaat masala for the slightly sour twist or maybe some tamarind paste. To add some sweet element which gives the dish a lovely balance of sweet, sour and savory, stir in a wee bit of jaggery (unrefined cane sugar).
As soon as it is thick and ready, sop it up with some hot puris (whole wheat deep fried unleavened Indian bread), parathas, chapatis etc. or enjoy with some hot steamed Basmati rice!
Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
Love Indian curries? Then check out these other curries you can make and enjoy with any Indian flatbread or even rice:
Step-by-step method to make Sookhi Chana Dal Curry:
Wash the chana dal well and soak in water for about 20 minutes.
Drain and transfer to a pressure cooker with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp turmeric powder. Cook on medium heat with ¾ to 1 cup of water for 3 to 4 whistles until soft and just cooked. We need the chana dal to be whole and not mushy. Press it between your fingers; it should be easy to mash it but with still a bite in it.
Heat oil in a saucepan or kadai, add jeera, hing and methi seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.
Add green chillies and sauté again until slightly charred.
Stir in the finely chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes on medium till it starts to soften.
Sprinkle the spices powders along with grated ginger and sauté for another 30 seconds.
Tip in the cooked chana dal along with ¾ to 1 cup water and give it a good mix.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Stir in jaggery and chaat masala powder, mix well. Adjust consistency of curry to your liking.
Taste and adjust seasonings to get a well balanced taste of sweet, spicy, savory and tangy.
Once the mixture is hot and simmering, remove from heat and serve hot with puffed puris, pav, toast, rotis etc.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking!!
Sookhi Chana Dal Curry, a semi-dry split pea curry with tomatoes and some simple Indian spices.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chana dal/Split lentils
- ½ tsp jeera/cumin seeds
- ½ tsp hing/asafetida powder
- 2 to 4 methi seeds/fenugreek seeds
- 1 large tomato, finely chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder/cayenne powder
- 1 large green chilli sliced
- ½ inch piece ginger, grated
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp Kitchen King Masala Powder (or any garam masala powder)
- ½ tsp kasoori methi/dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
- 1 to 2 tsp powdered jaggery/unrefined cane sugar
- ½ tsp chaat masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp oil
- Finely chopped coriander leaves or cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
- Wash the chana dal well and soak in water for about 20 minutes.
- Drain and transfer to a pressure cooker with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp turmeric powder. Cook on medium heat with ¾ cup of water for 3 to 4 whistles until soft and just cooked. We need the chana dal to be whole and not mushy.
- Heat oil in a saucepan or kadai, add jeera, hing and methi seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.
- Add green chillies and sauté again until slightly charred.
- Stir in the finely chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes on medium till it starts to soften.
- Sprinkle the spices powders along with grated ginger and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Tip in the cooked chana dal along with ¾ to 1 cup water and give it a good mix.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Stir in jaggery and chaat masala powder, mix well.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to get a well balanced taste of sweet, spicy, savory and tangy.
- Once the mixture is hot and simmering, remove from heat and serve hot with puffed puris, pav, toast, rotis etc.
Do try this today or PIN it for later:
This Chana Dal Curry is a main component in Puris and Jeera Aloo, a lip smacking street food like snack. Try making it today!
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