1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
6 black cardamom pods, broken open
6 whole cloves
1/3 cinnamon stick (1" piece)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed
1 1/2 cups chana dal, cleaned, soaked in water for 2 hours and drained
2 1/2 cups pearled barley
1 tablespoon salt
4 1/2 cups water

Heat oil in cooker on medium-high heat. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and cumin seed. Stir for a few seconds till cumin seeds darken a few shades.

Add dal. Stir fry for about 3 minutes. Add barley and stir fry till barley just begins to color (approximately 3 minutes). Add salt and water. Stir. Cover tightly and cook about 40 minutes. Open, fluff, and discard bay leaves, cardamoms and cinnamon. Serve hot with plain yogurt or raita (yogurt-cucumber dressing)

To use a pressure cooker, close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 3 minutes. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally. Release pressure. Open cooker. Fluff up gently with a fork to separate grains. Discard bay leaves, cardamoms and cinnamon. Serve hot, accompanied with plain yogurt or raita.

1 1/2 cups Chana Dal (may substitute yellow split peas)
2 cups finely chopped onion
1-2 inches ginger, finely mashed/chopped
1/4 cup garlic, finely mashed/chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup spicy butter or olive oil (below)
1-2 tablespoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
white or black pepper to taste
salt to taste

Indian variation: you will add 2 cups diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup diced mild green chilis after the onions are translucent. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder and 1/2 tablespoon garam masala with the other spices. Garnish the cooked dish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Sort and wash Chana Dal, removing all black or green pieces as these add bitterness. Cover with water , 3 inches above the level of the beans. The liquid will provide the "gravy" for this dish. Simmer gently. When dal are almost translucent and are softened, set aside. Some of them may split; this is okay. This step can be done ahead, but the dish is even better if the whole stew is completed and then allowed to blend together.

Meanwhile, in another heavy pot, sweat the onions in a little bit of water until very translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and saute' for a minute or two. Add oil or butter and saute' until the mixture is very softened. This must not burn or bitter taste will result. Add the remaining ingredients except salt (will toughen dal...add at end to taste) and fry until the oil separates.

Add the dal with their liquid and cook until the dal are very soft, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

To make spicy oil/ butter, gently heat a pint of olive oil (preferably extra virgin) or ghee (clarified butter) with sliced onions, smashed garlic heads, smashed ginger, cracked or ground nutmeg, black peppercorns, a little turmeric, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods. You are not frying, you are actually simmering the spices in the oil. The result will be a colored and fragrant ghee or olive oil. I use about a tablespoon of each spice, adjusting the onion or garlic to taste. Strain the oil into a dry container and store refrigerated.

Chana Dal Guacamole

Puree cooked chana dahl and mix with equal parts pureed avacado. Use your favorite guacamole recipe.