Ingredients

• 500ml water
• 250g/9oz chana dal, thoroughly cleaned
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 heaped tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• salt, to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil, unsalted butter or ghee
• 5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp brown mustard seeds
• 1-2 dried red chillies
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3 heaped tbsp flaked or desiccated coconut

Method

• Using the pressure cooker, heat the water, lentils and turmeric bring to pressure, then cook for 13 minutes.  And leave to release naturally
• Stir in the coriander, garam masala, salt and sugar, to taste.
• Cook until the lentils are completely so and beginning to break up, adding more water as required
• Heat the oil or butter in a small pan. Fry the cardamom pods, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, mustard seeds, chillies and bay leaves for 30 seconds. (Be careful as the seeds may pop a bit.) Add the coconut and stir until it turns golden-brown.
• To serve, stir the spice mix into the lentils and divide among four serving plates.