Chholar Dal



	Chholar Dal main dish, vegetarian, indian 1 cup chick peas, soaked 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1 each green chile 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon cumin, ground 2 tablespoon raisins 1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 each bay leaf 1 each dried red chile 5 each cardamom pods 1 each 2 cinnamon stick 2 each cloves 1/4 teaspoon kalonji seeds 1 tablespoon green chile, seeded & minced 2 tablespoon coconut, shredded 1/4 teaspoon garam masala 1 ghee, optional Cook chickpeas in water with turmeric & whole chile for about 1 hour or until they are very tender. Discard whole chiles. Add salt & cumin & remove from heat. Puree one cup of the dal mixture in a blender, adding a little water if necessary. Return to the pan, add raisins & bring back to a simmer. Keep warm. Heat oil in a small skillet. Fry bay leaf & red chile until the chile darkens. Fry cardamom, cinnamon & cloves for 5 seconds. Add kalonji & fry a few seconds longer. Turn heat to low & add minced chile & coconut. Cook for a few seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat & pour over the dal. Simmer a couple more minutes & remove from heat. Garnish with lemon wedges, sprinkle with cilantro & ghee & serve. Bharti Kirchner, "The Healthy Cuisine of India: Recipes from the Bengal Region"