Ingredients

• 2 cups - channa dal
• 2 - Onions
• 3 to 4 cloves - Garlic
• 1/2 inch - Ginger
• 2 - Tomatoes
• 2 pinches - Asafetida
• 1/2 tsp - Cumin seeds
• 2 to 3 - Cardamoms
• 2 to 3 - Cinnamon
• 2 to 3 - Cloves
• 1 tsp - Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder
• Oil to fry
• Salt to taste

How to Make Dhokar Dalna

• Soak the channa dal overnight and grind it into a thick coarse paste with very little water.
• Make a paste of onion, ginger, garlic and tomatoes.
• Now keep a pan on fire and add 1 tbsp of oil.
• When the oil turns hot, put one to two pinches of asafoetida and a few cumin seeds.
• Wait till the cumin seeds pop.
• Then put 1/3 of the ground paste into it.
• Stir till the oil separates from the puree.
• Now put the ground channa dal and stir continuously so that it does not stick to the pan.
• Add some salt and turmeric.
• After the water evaporates and the whole mixture becomes semi-soft, turn off the stove and pour the mixture on to a greased plate.
• Make the surface even with your hands.
• Now let it cool.
• Cut it into many diamond shaped pieces and deep fry them.
• You can serve these as snacks with tea or you can put these into a curry.
• For Curry:
• Heat oil in a pan and put the remaining ground paste.
• Now add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder.
• Stir it well.
• After the mixture separates from the oil, add a bit of water and bring to a boil.
• Now before turning off the gas, add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
• The curry will turn aromatic.
• Now put the fried pieces into the curry and keep the vessel on fire for 5-7 minutes.
• Dhokar Dalna is ready.
• Serve with hot steaming rice.