Chanadal Chaaru (Sanagabedala Rasam)
As I get older, like many of you, I am becoming thankful for our culinary heritage. I think our cuisine is the best kind diet out there, simply because it doesn’t need or depend on farm-raised animal and ultra-processed products for flavor and sustenance. Natural plant based ingredients have divine powers and most of the Indian recipes are based on that valuable khajana. Example is the following recipe. This lentil based chaaru is a frequent guest at family table, and all it needs is a fistful of chana dal, few vegetables and good, old spices. Chana dal is known to reduce and maintain blood sugar levels, plus it is a low calorie lentil. For those of you who are on diet, trying to control sugar levels or thinking of some new rasam, this chana dal chaaru is the best fit for a filling stomach.
Chana Dal (Sanaga Bedalu)
Chana dal Chaaru
(for 4 to 6 servings)Ingredients:
1/3 cup of chana dal
1 small shallot or red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 small ripe tomato, cut to small pieces
2 tablespoons – tamarind pulp or lemon juice
1 tablespoon, rasam or garam masala powder
1/2 teaspoon each – chilli powder and salt
1/4 teaspoon – turmeric
For Hing tadka: a tablespoon of peanut oil, one sprig of fresh curry leaves, pinch each – asafetida (hing), cumin and mustard seedsMethod:
1. Take chana dal in a pressure cooker. Rinse and add about 2 cups of water. Pressure cook the dal the soft. Mash the dal to smooth with a wood masher.
2. Add onion, tomato and tamarind to the mashed dal. Stir in rasam powder, chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Add about half cup of water. Partially cover the pot and simmer the chaaru for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat.
3. At the end, do the hing tadka and add it to the rasam. For hing tadka, heat peanut oil in a small pan or vessel. Add and toast curry leaves, hing, cumin and mustard seeds in that order. Stirring, toast to fragrance. Add this hing tadka to the simmering chana chaaru. Mix well.
4. Serve hot or warm over cooked rice with some papad or pickle. Or good as it is to sip like soopa.
Good for Diabetics, Chana Dal Chaaru for Meal Today and for
Home Remedies Event at Talented Ruchika Cooks
Hi Indra,
This rasam is very interesting to me because I thought rasam is usually prepared with moong or thoor dhal. Channa dhal is interesting to me. Will book mark it and give it a try. thank you.
well said Indira, we are blessed to have a cuisine so rich in variety, just plant sources and few spices and creations we can whip up limitless.
I was drawn to your site by the subtitle “cooking with consciousness”. It is what makes food preparation a labour of love, not a chore. I balance the raw food I prepare with mostly Indian (vegetarian) dishes. I find no other food as nourishing and grounding both in its preparation and its consumption. I thank the sumptuousness of Indian cuisine for enabling me to transition my family to a plant-based diet, and no matter what else I prepare, I find myself coming back to it time and time again 🙂
Oh I have always believed and felt conceited even sometimes to think our cuisine is the best. My friends taunt me saying that every person thinks the same and then I start outlining the benefits from our cuisine! LOL! Its great to hear the same reflection here at Mahanandi. Love this simple dal..its oft repeated menu at our table too
yes, I totally agree about the blood sugar balancing property of this chana dal. I love kootu or sundal made with this dal, time to give rasam a chance too!
I love rasam, amma calls me rasa priya 🙂 I thought we can only make rasam with toor dal, chana dal rasam looks tempting.
Happy Birthday to Mahanandi. As usual I am late in wishing.
I’ve never had chana daal rasam…only toor daal rasam. This looks good. Will have to give it a try. Does it taste different from toor daal rasam?
Thanks for a wonderful recipe.. Tried this today with a twist..cooked a Radish chaaru with Chana Dal..and tasted yum yum..Thanks again for this recipe and many more
!!
your recipe is very nice indira garu. everybody liked this rasam,thankyou.
Chana dal rasam comes at the right time :)I am on South Beach diet and being an ardent lover of Indian cuisine, I am trying to cook Indian most of the times instead of relying on the salads and dishes that always includes meat and cheese. And I followed your pesarattu recipe with some variations (based on the availability of ingredients in my pantry) and it came out really well. Thanks for sharing the wonderful and authentic recipes with us Indira.
This became Soopa for my lunch… Simple ingredients, fulfilling taste and it sort of felt like, the soup for this hungry Soul.. Totally new way of using channa dal for me and i loved it.. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day…
Srimati: Let me know how you like it when you try. Thanks.
Candice: I agree with you completely about Indian food preparation and consumption. Thanks for the good words about Mahanandi.
I have to try your sunflower sprouts. I never had them before. Are they sweet like mung sprouts?
Sreelu and DK: I know how difficult it is to say some good words about our cuisine in this butter is best world. Thanks for that.
Kay: I think you are going to love it. You can also make it without tomato or by adding some more vegetables like carrot, drumsticks etc.
Thanks RC for the wishes.
Nitya: Not so much. But it has that distinctive, chana dal flavor, which makes it very easy to enjoy. Give it a try. Add sugar or jaggery if you have sweet rasam tradition.
Vidya, Gayatri, Radhika and Pdk: It feels really great to know that you tried and liked the recipe. From my dinnerplate to yours. Cheers!:)
different recipe..i will try
I tried it yesterday, Indira and we loved it!!! thank you! 🙂
Hi Indira
I have always loved ur blog and am ardent fan of ur recipes. I have tried and tasted most of ur recipes
and each one has always been loved by my family
this is the first time I am posting a message.
chanadal charu chaala bagundhi udupi sambar mee brinjal recipes anni adurs thanks so sharing these amazing authentic andra recipes
Hi, I had this charu when I visited family in Bellary and loved it. Never had the chance to get the recipe? So thanks for posting this. It has an amazing taste not to be found in any other rasam thanks to the Chana dal!