I tend to buy many things in bulk.  The obvious upside to this is that I have lots of whatever item I just bought (20 lbs of brown rice – yes, please!).  The downside is just the same, however.  In my effort to clean out my pantry, I decided to clear out some neglected chana dal and basmati rice.  This recipe sounds simple in flavor, and it is, but that doesn’t make it any less appetizing.

Ingredients:

2 cups of chana dal, dried

1 cup of basmati

1 yellow or red onion, chopped

1 teaspoon of coriander

2 teaspoons of cumin

2 teaspoons of salt

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 cups of water

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Assembly:

Take your dried chana dal, give it a wash, and soak in 2 and 1/2 cups of water for 4 hours.   This step is crucial or else you’ll be cooking the dal for hours and you’ll be left starving by the time you’re done.  I also recommend soaking the basmatic rice for that long as well.

Fast forward 4 hours – drain your chana dal and rice and set aside.

Take your chopped onion, garlic, and saute with olive oil over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes until the onions become slightly brown.  To the onions, add the chana dal, rice, cumin, coriander, salt, and water.  Bring it to a bubble and turn down the heat to just above a simmer.  Cover for 20-25 minutes and stir occasionally until rice is fully cooked.

Voila, you’re done.