CHEERING ON CHANA

Chana daal (also known as chana lentil, Bengal gram or split peas) are baby black chickpeas, split and polished. In Urdu and Hindi, the word ‘daal’ means lentil, and ‘chana’ means chickpea. It’s chana lentil that, when ground, forms gram flour (chickpea flour or besan in Urdu and Hindi).

In texture, chana daal is a more substantial pulse, and makes for a hearty meal. Its larger shape means it takes a while to cook. It’s good to rinse it a few times to get rid of any debris, and soak for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Chana daal is sweet, nutty and nutritious, with a corn-like flavour. It’s used in soups, stews, desserts, salads and is very digestible when soaked and washed. Because of its size, it tends to be