SERVES 4
In this recipe, the channa dhal is cooked with turmeric until soft,
then submerged in a spiced, fragrant sauce. Buttery-soft onions,
fresh ginger, garlic, green chilli and a blend of aromatic spices and
tomatoes are simmered down together to give the perfect balance
of spice, sweet and sourness then topped with charred marinated
sticky tofu.
Channa Dhal With Charred Sticky Tofu
For the chaana dhal base
- 150 g (2oz) channa dhal
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 litre boiling water
For the tadka
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 25g (1oz) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 green chilli halved lengthways
- 10–12 fresh curry leaves
- Pinch of asafoetida powder
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
To finish
- 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp palm sugar/jaggery
- Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
- 5–6 fresh coriander/cilantro stems, plus extra to garnish
(optional)
To serve
- Charred Sticky Tofu (see recipe below)
You will also need
- Pressure cooker (optional)
1. For the channa dhal base, pick through the dhal to remove any
stones. Place it in a colander and rinse under cold running water
until the water runs clear.
2. Place the washed dhal in a pressure cooker along with the salt,
turmeric and boiling water. Close the pressure cooker and place
over a medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes. (If you don’t
have a pressure cooker, you will first need to soak the picked
and rinsed lentils in 1 litre of boiling water for 3–4 hours. Drain,
then transfer the lentils to a large saucepan with 1 litre of fresh
boiling water, the salt and turmeric. Cover with a lid, bring to
the boil and then simmer over a medium heat for 45 minutes,
topping up with more boiling water as needed.)
3. When cooked, the lentils should be soft but should still hold
their round disc-like shape. Release the steam from the pressure
cooker slowly (or remove the pan from the heat). Remove the
lentils, and drain and reserve the cooking water. Set both aside
until needed.
4. Next, prepare the tadka. Put the vegetable oil into a saucepan
over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to
sizzle and crackle in the hot oil for 1 minute. Add the garlic,
ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. Gently shake the pan, so
that all of the ingredients are coated in the oil and fry for 30
seconds. Add the asafoetida and shake the pan once more.
Add the onion and salt and fry for 10 minutes until the onion is
softened and lightly browned.
5. Add the cumin, coriander and turmeric. Stir well to coat the
onion in the spices and fry for 30 seconds. If the pan dries out,
add a splash of the reserved lentil cooking water to loosen
the ingredients and stop them from sticking to the bottom of
the pan.
6. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, then reduce the heat to low
and allow the tomatoes to soften and completely melt for 5–6
minutes. Keep stirring to ensure the tomatoes do not stick to
the pan.
7. Once the tomatoes have completely melted down to form
a sauce base, add the palm sugar, the cooked channa dhal
and the lemon juice. Mix well and simmer gently for a further
6–7 minutes.
8. Add the coriander to finish and mix in well. Remove from
the heat and divide the channa dhal between serving bowls.
Top with the charred sticky chunks of tofu, as you prefer, and
garnish with extra coriander to serve, if liked.om lifestyle
SERVES 4 (AS A TOPPING)CHARRED STICKY TOFU- 200g (7oz) diced firm tofu
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp palm sugar/ jiggery
- Baking sheet, lined with baking parchment
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
2. Place the diced tofu in a mixing bowl and add the vegetable
oil, tamarind paste and palm sugar. Mix well to evenly coat
the tofu in the marinade. Space out the tofu on the prepared
baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 12 minutes
until slightly charred and crisp. Keep warm until needed.