Chana Dal and Uttappam

If you don't eat Indian food, this might not look very appetizing.  But this dish just explodes with flavor.

 First I made the Chana dal. This is the recipe:

• 1 ½ cups of Split Yellow Lentils (washed & drained)



5 cups of Water





½ tsp. Ground Turmeric 





2 slices of fresh Ginger





¾ tsp. Salt





¼ tsp. of Garam Masala





3 tbsp. of Clarified Butter (Ghee) or Cooking Oil





½ tsp. Cumin Seeds 





2 cloves of Garlic (peeled & chopped)





¼ tsp. Red Chilli Powder

1. Combine lentils in a heavy pot with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and remove any surface scum. Add the turmeric powder and ginger.





Cover, by leaving the lid slightly open, turn heat to low, and simmer gently for 1 ½ hours or until the lentils are tender.





Stir every 5 minutes or so during the last half hour of cooking to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of pan. Remove ginger slices. Add salt and garam masala and stir to mix.





Heat the oil or clarified butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the cumin seeds and garlic.





Stir and fry until the garlic pieces are lightly brown. Add the red chilli powder into the pan. Immediately lift the pan off the heat and pour the entire content (oil and spices) into the pot with the lentils. Stir to mix.

 This is the ghee, cumin seeds and garlic cooking.  It sure smells good.

 I use a Uttappam mix because I don't make these often so I don't stock the ingredients.

 The finished chana dal.

 Heat a non-stick pan and brush with oil.

 Dice some green peppers, red onion and tomatoes.  Keep some garam masala handy.

 Pour some batter into the pan and thin it out.

 Drop some of the diced vegetable on the pancake and sprinkle with some garam masala. Flip and cook until they start to turn golden.

 Serve with some chutney, lime pickle and mango pickle.  Mmm Mmm Mmm!