Chana dal with squash
I made this last night. It was very good. The sweetness of the squash goes well with the spices. If you want to try something similar then the following steps may get you there.Firstly soften a finely chopped onion in ghee. When the onion is translucent but not brown add a good heaped tablespoon of ginger paste (If I’d had some I probably would have added a clove or two of garlic here too. With the benefit of hindsight it’s not necessary. Add some if you like). Cook this for a minute or two then add the spices. I used a level teaspoon of turmeric: two heaped teaspoons of ground coriander, two teaspoons of garam masala and a teaspoon of chilli powder. Cook the spices for a minute or two. The smell will be fantastic. Now add about four handfuls of chana dal stir well and add enough water to cover the lentils and spice mixture twice over. Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer. The dal will take just over an hour to cook.
After the dal has been cooking for about 40 minutes add a roughly chopped squash. I’m not sure what type of squash I had but it tasted similar to butternut. Any winter squash will do.
Check the dal every 10 minutes or so. You will need to add more water occasionally. It is cooked when the dal is tender and the consistency is as you desire. Ideally some of the squash will have broken down into the dal but you’ll still have a few recognisable chunks.
You can temper the dal if you like (I didn’t bother). Heat some ghee in a pan then add a good pinch of asafoetida powder and a teaspoon of black mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop add the mixture to the dal and stir to combine.
Serve with chapatis.