Chana Dal is another name for dried split baby chickpeas. Once soaked and simmered they have the texture of a firm lentil and hold their shape well. I used a blend of spices common to Pakistani cuisine with lots of fresh ginger and garlic, and lamb is often a featured meat of the culture. It is worth a trip to an international grocery store as the variety of spices are vast there, and are generally well priced. So fun to experiment with new flavors and combinations.
1 cup Chana Dal - dried split baby chickpeas
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 large tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 pound ground lamb
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Spice Blend
Combine and set aside:
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds crushed
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
Jasmine rice, cilantro and whole milk yogurt for serving
Measure out the Chana Dal and cover with water and allow to soak for about 2 hours. This is not necessary but the longer it soaks, the shorter the cooking time. Rinse them and place in a 4 quart pot and about 4 cups of water and the bay leaf
Bring to boil, then reduce and simmer until tender, if they have been soaked start checking at about 20-25 minutes
In a large Dutch oven heat the oil to medium high and add the spice blend and stir until fragrant
Add the onions and saute until the onions are starting to brown
Add the lamb and saute until the lamb in no longer pink and starting to brown
Add the crushed tomatoes, garlic and ginger and stir
Simmer until the liquid starts to reduce and the meat is cooked through
Drain the Chana Dal (reserving some of the liquid) and add to the mixture and stir, you can add some of the cooking liquid to loosen it up
Simmer for about another 10 minutes to bring the flavors together
Take off the heat and add the juice of a small lime and the honey and stir well
Serve over jasmine rice and top with cilantro and whole milk yogurt
Comentários