Shajahani Dal

Shajahani Dal

Cooked chickpeas are blended and cooked with coconut milk and cream. You can guess how the taste would be. This dal is thick, creamy and full of aroma.  I have adapted this recipe from Tarla Dalal's Cookbook. You can also serve this dal as soup and enjoy with rice or roti.


Ingredients :

• 1 cup white chickpeas (kabuli channa) - soaked overnight
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup cream (malai)
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 green chilies - finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• asofoetida - a pinch
• salt to taste
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp cardamom seeds powder
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander

Method :

• Pressure cook channa with 2 cup water for 3-4 whistles. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Drain the water completely.
• Grind cooked channa in a mixer to coarse paste. Heat 2 tbsp oil/ghee in a pan or kadhai. Add asofoetida,cloves, cinnamon and cardamom seeds powder.
• Saute a while. Add chopped onions and green chilies. Cook for 2 mins. Add red chili powder. coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well and cook for few secs.
• Add channa puree and salt to taste. Coot it covered on low flame for 5 mins. Add coconut milk and cream. 
• Cook it covered on low flame till the dal thickens. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or any indian bread variety.