The flavors of chana dal, okra, and fresh coconut work amazingly well together. Here, the rich split chickpeas taste fresh and light, thanks to the influence of the other ingredients. You’ll find this dish very easy to make. Serve it with chapati or rice.

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'Chetna's Healthy Indian' by Chetna Makan. Buy the full book on Amazon. For more from this book, cook this Butternut Squash With Red Lentils and Tamarind.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　250g (9oz) split chickpeas (chana dal)

　　1½ tsp. salt

　　1 tsp. ground turmeric

　　1 liter (about 4¼ cups) boiling water

　　1 Tbsp. ghee

　　1 tsp. black mustard seeds

　　10 curry leaves

　　4 dried red chiles

　　4 banana shallots, cut into thin circles

　　400g (14 oz.) okra, cut into ½-inch pieces

　　½ tsp. chile powder

　　1 tsp. ground cumin

　　1 tsp. garam masala

　　100g (3½ oz.) fresh coconut, very finely chopped

　　

Step 1

Put the chana dal into a deep saucepan with 1 teaspoon of the salt, the turmeric, and the measured boiling water. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium–low heat for 45–50 minutes, until the chana dal is soft and all the water has been absorbed. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

Heat the ghee in a separate large saucepan over medium–low heat. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chiles and cook for a few seconds, until they begin to sizzle. Stir in the shallots and cook for 2 minutes, until they begin to soften.

　　

Step 3

Increase the heat under the saucepan to medium, mix in the okra and cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to turn slimy (don’t worry about the slime at this point—it will disappear during cooking).

　　

Step 4

Stir in the remaining salt, the spices and coconut, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15–20 minutes, until the okra has softened and the slime has disappeared.

　　

Step 5

Add the cooked chana dal to the okra, mixing well. Serve immediately.

　　Images and text from Chetna’s Healthy Indian by Chetna Makan; photography by Nassima Rothacker. Buy the full book from Octopus Books or Amazon.