Channa Daal & GT Road

Name: Channa Daal & GT Road
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 cup Channa Daal (Chickpeas Lentil) – (washed and soaked in water overnight); 2 Onions – finely chopped; 3 Tomatoes – medium sized (Pureed with 2 green chilies); 1 Tbsp Ginger/Garlic Paste –; 1 tsp Cumin (zeera) – (Partially crushed in pastel mortar); 2 - 3 Cinnamon – sticks; 2 Cardamom Black –; 2 Chilies (whole) Dried Red –; 6 - 8 4 - 5 Curry Leaves – fresh or dried; ½ Tsp chili Powder Red –; ¼ Tsp Turmeric –; ¾ Tsp Salt – (Adjust more as per taste); ½ tsp Kasuri Methi Dried –; 3 Tbsps Oil –; 500 ml Water –; Butter; Onions; Cumin; mustard seeds; chilies green; curry leaves; Coriander .

Ambreen Malik @cook_7828285

Pakistan

Whoever has traveled on GT Road in Pakistan knows what a driver hotel or a Manji hotel is. Four words: Truck drivers, plenty of Manjis(Punjabi word for beds), karak doodh patti and affordably epic desi food. That’s where all the long haul trucks make stops to eat, drink and rest before heading to another stretch of their tiring trucking journeys. The GT Road or The Grand Truck road is South Asia’s oldest and the longest road originally built to link eastern & western regions of sub-continent. The road was rebuilt by Sher Shah Suri in 16th Century. This road is still an integral part of road network in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.
Before Islamabad – Lahore Motorway was built in 1997; GT Road was the only way to get in to Rawalpindi from any other part of Punjab. My only living grand parents lived in Rawalpindi and regardless of where we were posted in Pakistan due to my father’s job, summer holidays were spent with my grandparents in Rawalpindi meaning traveling on GT Road was a must. At Lala Musa on GT Road (half way between Lahore and Rawalpindi) there was (and still is) a truck restaurant named Mianjee restaurant. The place is known for its Channa Daal(Chickpea Lentil) and parathay. I have never forgotten the taste of that daal/Lentil. It has taken me many attempts in kitchen and a lot of effort to come up with a taste for Channa daal close enough to Mianjee’s daal.
Here is the recipe. This version of daal is served with home made chappati - flat bread or Tandoor...

Ambreen Malik @cook_7828285

Saved

Ingredients

1 cupChanna Daal (Chickpeas Lentil) – (washed and soaked in water overnight)
2Onions – finely chopped
3Tomatoes – medium sized (Pureed with 2 green chilies)
1 TbspGinger/Garlic Paste –
1 tspCumin (zeera) – (Partially crushed in pastel mortar)
2 - 3Cinnamon – sticks
2Cardamom Black –
2Chilies (whole) Dried Red –
6 - 8 4 - 5Curry Leaves – fresh or dried
½ Tspchili Powder Red –
¼ TspTurmeric –
¾ TspSalt – (Adjust more as per taste)
½ tspKasuri Methi Dried –
3 TbspsOil –
500 mlWater –
Butter
Onions
Cumin
mustard seeds
chilies green
curry leaves
Coriander .

Saved

Steps

1

Soak 1 cup of Chickpea Lentil in water over night. It will swell up and become more than 2 ½ cups. Drain the water before cooking.
2

In a pan heat oil. Add onions and let them brown.
3

Now add ginger garlic paste, Cumin, Dried whole chilies, Cinnamon and cardamoms.
4

Fry till ginger garlic paste becomes golden.
5

Now add tomato puree and cook for 3 – 4 mins.
6

Then add salt, chili powder and turmeric and cook for another 2 mins.
7

Add chickpea Lentil and mix.
8

Now add 500 ml of water and half of curry leaves and let the lentils boil on high heat.
9

As soon as it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan for 30-35 mins.
10

Mix from time to time and check the amount of water as well as the tenderness of the Lentil.
11

This lentil takes a long time to cook and soaking it overnight considerably reduces the cooking time. If the lentil still has a bite after 30 mins of cooking then add 200 ml of water. Let it simmer on low flame till it is completely cooked and Lentil is soft.
12

Leave some liquid as the gravy. The Lentil will soak it up later as it cools down.
13

Now sprinkle Dried Kasuri Methi and mix the daal.
14

Dish the daal/Lentil in to a bowl.
15

Do a tarka on daal with the ingredients mentioned earlier. Butter is the magic ingredient here.

Saved

Cooksnaps

Saved

Ambreen Malik @cook_7828285

on February 16, 2013 06:49

Pakistan

I am Ambreen Malik and I am a culinary story teller from Pakistan. This blog is an attempt to preserve, document & share Pakistan's contemporary & traditional culinary heritage. It tells stories and shares recipes from my maternal grandmother, mother and mother-in-law's kitchens along with my own stories and memories of growing up in Pakistan.I am a banker, a social entrepreneur & London School of Economics Alumni. I make my home between Pakistan and Philippines.Contact Me : gawalmandiblog@gmail.com