Padma's Chana Dal

with Spinach

Description:

"I have few recipes that I like with chana dal," writes Padma. "Here is one simple and healthy recipe that I really like."

Ingredients:

3 cups water
1/3 cup chana dal
4 cups clean raw spinach chopped into small pieces.
Chopped onion (about 1/4) cup
About a teaspoon chopped garlic
Red chili powder or curry powder to taste (use very little, like a pinch or 1/8 teaspoon, if you are not used to spicy food)
1 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Soak the chana dal in the water for 3 to 5 hours. (If the room temperature is too cold, you may want to use hot water or soak them a little longer.)
Put oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot, put in the onions and the garlic and fry until translucent. Add about a pinch of salt. Since spinach has lot of sodium in it, you may not have to add much salt.
Turn to low heat, put the chana dal, add one or two tablespoons water. Cover and let it cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. If all the water evaporates, keep adding a little bit at a time.
Add chopped spinach. Let it cook covered for five minutes. Remove the cover and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

Serving Suggestion:

We eat this with rice or chapati (whole wheat tortillas).

Source:

Contributed by Padma.

Go back to the chana dal page.

mendosa@mendosa.com
Last modified: January 2, 2005