I felt I needed to do a video on this simple snack because I found that there are definitely a few tips needed to make this snack properly. Eating this homemade dal is different to buying it readymade from a shop because you can taste the freshness. Plus, you'll avoid those odd chana dal that are so hard that they break a tooth! If you've come across one of those, you'll know what I mean!
Although this snack is simple, it's easy to kick it up by adding some fresh ingredients like chopped onions, tomato, coriander and a few spices like chili powder and chaat masala or black salt. I have a separate blog on this, so do check it out HERE! Enjoy!!
Crispy Fried Chana Dal Recipe Cooking Time: 30 Minutes (Approx)
Soaking Time: Overnight
Serves 6-8 People
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups (400g) Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas)
Sunflower or Vegetable Oil to Fry
Salt
METHOD
Place 2 Cups Chana Dal in a large bowl. Look them over to remove any foreign particles.
Rinse the dal in warm water several times. Then fill the bowl with plenty of water and leave the dal to soak overnight. This is important as you want the dal soaked VERY well.
In the morning, remove the water from the bowl and rinse the dal. Let it drain completely for about 15 minutes so all the water comes out.
Place the drained dal in a towel or cloth and fold it up so that you are tying the dal up, almost to wring it. Let it sit for a few minutes.
Then open it up rub the dal with the towel to remove any remaining water. You want the dal to be as dry as possible because it cooks quicker as there is less water to burn off and it spatters less too.
Place oil in your pan so that it sits 1" deep. You don't want too much oil as it may overflow. Heat the oil on a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.
Test if the oil is ready by putting one dal in the oil. If it sizzles, it's ready. Add only 2 handfuls of dal to the oil by placing it in the slotted spoon then adding it to the oil. This helps by ensuring you are adding all the dal at the same time, so they cook evenly and it also prevents you from getting burnt.
Let the dal fry in the oil. You can mix it around to ensure the oil doesn't overflow if needed.
Initially, you'll see a lot of bubbles forming. This is the water burning off. As the dal cooks, the amount of bubbles will reduce and the sounds of the sizzle will reduce also. This indicates that the dal is done. You will notice that the colour of the dal will not change too much while frying, so don't wait for it to go brown or you'll end up burning it!
Remove the dal to your first plate lined with a paper towel. Add some salt and mix this in. Then remove the salted dal to another plate lined with a paper towel.
Continue frying in small batches until all the dal is done.
Let the dal cool completely. Then place in an airtight container with a paper towel in the bottom. The dal should stay fresh about a month or two, but it's best eaten fresh!
To make a delicious tea-time snack from it, click HERE!
