Spiced chana dhal

Super easy, super tasty and bursting with fibre, a bowl of this will warm you on a chilly day.

Method:

1. Wash the chana dhal under cold running water and drain through a sieve, then soak in 400ml cold water for 2 hours.
2. In a medium saucepan, place the drained lentils, 250ml boiling water, turmeric and green chilli.
3. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Discard the green chilli and purée half the lentils in a blender until smooth.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the bay leaf, asafoetida, cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, onion seeds, whole red chillies and cumin and stir until aromas are released.
5. Add the lentils, stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve warm in bowls and tuck in. Enjoy alongside rice or roti.

Tips

If you can’t find chana dhal, use Bengal gram instead.