Allergens in Chana Dal Dham: milk.
Ingredients
Quantities for 6.
- 250g, soaked 3 hours Chana Dal
- 3 tbsp Gheethe botis of Himachal cook dham entirely in ghee
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetidause compounded-free hing to keep this gluten-free
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Dry Ginger Powdersaunth, the dham cook's stand-in for fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp thick pulp Tamarind
- 3 tbsp, grated Jaggery
- 1 tsp, coarsely crushed Anardanaextra sourness if the tamarind is mildoptional
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masalaoptional
- 750ml Water
- to taste Salt
- 2 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
Cookware
stovetop, pressure cooker
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the chana dal 3 hours. Unsoaked dal softens unevenly, and dham dal has to hold its shape rather than collapse.
- Soak 20g tamarind in 100ml hot water for 20 minutes, then squeeze and strain to get the 2 tbsp of pulp.
- Dham is cooked without onion or garlic by tradition, so all the depth has to come from the ghee, the hing and the long tempering. Do not shortcut those.
Method
- Pressure cook the drained dal with 750ml water, the turmeric and 1 tsp salt for 2 whistles, then lower the flame and give it 6 minutes more.You want grains that yield when pressed but still look like grains.
- Heat the ghee in a heavy pan until it thins and shimmers, then add the cumin. It should crackle within 3 seconds.
- Drop in the hing and count to five. It will foam and smell nutty, not acrid.If it darkens past pale gold the whole pot turns bitter. Pull the pan off the heat if it moves fast.
- Stir in the coriander powder, chilli powder and dry ginger powder off the heat for 20 seconds so they bloom without burning.
- Pour in the cooked dal with its liquid and bring to a simmer, 5 minutes.
- Add the tamarind pulp and the jaggery and simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon.Taste at 10 minutes. It should land sour first, sweet second. Add jaggery a teaspoon at a time.
- Crush in the anardana and the garam masala, simmer 3 minutes more, then check the salt.
- Rest the pot off the heat for 10 minutes before serving. Scatter the coriander leaves and serve with plain rice.
Storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated and tastes better on day two. Reheat gently with 3-4 tbsp water. It thickens hard as it cools.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Chana Dal Dham (189 g) is about 266 calories, or 141 calories per 100 g.
Low protein: 9 g a serving, 14% of the calories
| Per serving189 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 266 kcal | 141 kcal |
| Protein | 9.2 g | 5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 38.8 g | 20 g |
| of which sugars | 14.1 g | 8 g |
| Fibre | 6.2 g | 3 g |
| Fat | 9.4 g | 5 g |
| of which saturated | 4.3 g | 2 g |
| of which unsaturated | 4.2 g | 2 g |
Nearest database match used for asafoetida, garam masala, jaggery. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Pahari recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.