Servings : Serves 4
A delicious curry that my family LOVES! Goes really well with Jeera/Cumin rice or toasted bread and fresh mango/carrot pickle.
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow channa/chickpea lentils/dal (soaked overnight or at least 4 hours)
- 1/2 cup boiled and shredded meat (you can use any...chicken, beef, mutton/lamb, you can even leave out the meat)
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp methi/fenugreek leaves, chopped
- 1 green chilli
- 1 star anise/badiyan, broken into its petals
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 tbsp whole jeera/cumin
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 5 whole black pepper
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 1 heaped tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- juice of half a lemon
Instructions
Drain the soaked lentils and put them in a pan. Add water to cover the lentils by about 3 inches. Add 1 tsp. oil, 1 tsp. salt, 1 chopped green chilli and a quarter tsp. garlic paste. Simmer on medium heat until the lentils are soft, you can add water if necessary. Skim off any froth that rises to the surface. They should be done in about 20-40 minutes. Let the lentils cool slightly, then blend to a rough paste consistency. Set aside.
Heat the oil and add the methi/fenugreek leaves and the star anise pieces. Then add all the whole spices, let them splutter, and add the onion. Fry until onions are golden but not dark brown, then add the garlic paste, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder and tomato paste. Cook these on low heat for a few minutes. Now add the shredded boiled meat and stir fry on low heat for about 10 minutes. If it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, you can add a bit of water.
Add the blended daal and green chili, and let it simmer on very low heat for as long as you can allow. The best thing about this dish is that the longer you cook it the more flavorful it gets. So if you have the time, let it simmer for up to an hour or more.
If you're stretched for time, just simmer until the color looks good and flavor has developed nicely. Adjust water, salt and you can sprinkle a bit of chili powder if you like. Right before turning off the heat, squeeze juice of half a lemon and sprinkle 1 tsp. garam masala. Stir and serve hot with rice or rotis!
You can boil some quartered potatoes and add them into the curry if you like.
love ur recipes !! 🙂
This shredded meat daal tastes amazingly superb. My husband jst loved it. Ur recipes are just so marvellous. Thnks alot for sharing it with us 🙂
Hi,
How many servings will it make?
Regards,
Farwa
Should easily serve 8 people.
assalamualaikum
is this chana dhal or tuwer dhal?
W/Salaam, channa daal.
Jazakallah
Zille Huma, are you from Preston?
Assalamualaikum.Will this tastes like haleem?
W/Salaam, no it will be more of a curry than the thick haleem.
Can we use 1 tbsp dry methi leaves?
Use half a tsp, a tbsp would be too much.
Salams
Salams
I have tried this recipe a few times and am doing something wrong as I keep needed to add water throughout the cooking process. When you blend the Daar do u keep the water in it?
W/Salaam, it’s normal for
W/Salaam, it’s normal for some daals to absorb more moisture and require more water than others. I blend the dar with the water in it, I do not discard the water.
Can I make this without the
Can I make this without the star anise?
Yes you can.
Yes you can.
Assalam can u confirm whether
Assalam can u confirm whether the dhall is yellow dhall not sure that we have this dhall can u suggest sny alternative dhall that can be used. Does the shredded meat have to be boiled with ingredients like garlic pepper etc if yes plz explain n giv the qty. Thanks
Shameema
W/Salaam, where are you from
W/Salaam, where are you from exactly? Yellow daal is channa daal and it is available just about anywhere in the world. I boil the raw meat in water with just a bit of salt and pepper, garlic and ginger pastes until tender then shred and use. About half a tsp of everything should be fine.
Assalam
Assalam
Does a mixture of channa dhall and lentils have to be used or only one of them?
What should the consistency be after it is cooked? Thick or can it be served on rice just as any other dhall..
Thanks
Shameema
W/Salaam, I use only channa
W/Salaam, I use only channa dal for this recipe. Those are all names for the same thing. It should be medium thickness consistency, but really depends on your own preference, you can thin it out or let it thicken. And yes over rice or with bread.