Plant-based· VG · GF · DF

Chana Dal

Name: Chana Dal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 300g yellow split peas (dry), rinsed; 150g onion, chopped; 30g tomato purée; 35g (8–9 cloves) garlic, crushed; 25g ginger, grated; 8g (1 tbsp) veg bouillon powder; 4g ground cumin; 3g turmeric; 1g chilli flakes + pinch asafoetida; 10g fresh coriander; 8ml rapeseed oil; 1.1L water

Low-fat yellow split pea dal with lots of garlic and ginger.

makes 17 blocks, about 11p each

Jump to recipe

BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/chana-dal/

Time: 1 hr 15 min10 min prep · 1 hr 5 min cook
Makes: 17 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 11p
Calories per blockCalories: 69 kcal
Spice: 2 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

300gyellow split peas (dry), rinsed
150gonion, chopped
30gtomato purée
35g (8–9 cloves)garlic, crushed
25gginger, grated
8g (1 tbsp)veg bouillon powder
4gground cumin
3gturmeric
1gchilli flakes + pinch asafoetida
10gfresh coriander
8mlrapeseed oil
1.1Lwater

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Rice and lime pickle · Thinned as a soup with crusty bread · Roti and a tomato-onion salad

Method

Step 1: Put the rinsed split peas in a large pan with the water, turmeric and bouillon. Bring to the boil, skim off the foam, then simmer, partly covered, for 40–45 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and breaking down.
Step 2: Meanwhile heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 8 minutes until golden. Add the cumin, asafoetida, garlic, ginger, chilli and purée and stir for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Stir the onion mixture into the dal and simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk to a thick, porridge-like texture, adding a splash of water if needed.
Step 4: Stir through the coriander and season with salt.
Step 5: Cool, portion into 70g blocks and freeze.

Hotter: double the chilli flakes and add a green chilli.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	69	4.1g	10.1g	0.8g	3.2g	0.24g
Per 3 blocks	207	12.3g	30.3g	2.4g	9.6g	0.72g

Cook’s notes

True chana dal (split Bengal gram) from the world-food aisle is a like-for-like swap; soak 1 hour first.
Check the bouillon label if you need it gluten-free; not all are.

Serve it

Rice and lime pickle · Thinned as a soup with crusty bread · Roti and a tomato-onion salad.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 207 kcal and 12.3g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Chana Dal questions

What is asafoetida, and can I leave it out?

It is a pungent spice sold as a powder in the world-food aisle, and a pinch gives dal a savoury, oniony note. Leave it out if you can't find it, and check the label if you need it gluten-free, as many brands contain wheat flour.

Why fry the onion and spices separately?

Frying them in hot oil and stirring them in near the end keeps their flavour bright. Boiled with the split peas from the start, they would taste flat.

Can I use red lentils instead of split peas?

Red lentils cook much faster, in about 20 minutes, and give a softer, smoother dal. Keep an eye on the texture and add the onion mixture once they collapse.