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

Method:

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

Recipe courtesy of Ratna Munshi