Iftar Chana Daal

This right here is my favorite Ramadan food, so much so that me and my siblings refer to it as “the Iftar Daal!” It’s one of those dishes that is so satisfying to my heart and my stomach! Iftar Daal was something my Nana (grandfather) loved and made every Ramadan. Since he passed away, my mom continued the tradition and made it every Ramadan. Now that I’m on my own, I do the same and remember him every time I make it.

Iftar is the traditional meal Muslims around the world eat to mark the end of their fast each day during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

This dish is so satisfying to your palate. It’s filling, it’s satisfying, it’s healthy and MOST IMPORTANT- it’s incredibly easy to make!

How to make Chana Daal

You want to make sure that you wash the daal really well. I use hot water to wash mine because it softens the daal which helps when you’re cooking it. Chana Daal is known to take a long time to cook so in other variations of the recipe you’ll see people soak it instead of boil it. I wash it repeatedly until the water runs clear (4 or 5 times).

I boil it for about 25-30 minutes on high heat. You don’t want the daal to become mushy. It should retain its shape but be able to be smushed easily.

• 

• 

Once it’s boiled, drain the water and put it in a mixing bowl. Throw in the salt, black pepper, cilantro, jalapenos and lemon juice and mix really well. Make sure to taste a little to see if the seasonings are to your liking!

And that’s all there is to it! Serve it warm and tag us on Instagram when you make it!