Easy Chana Dal

There are probably hundreds of ways to make chana dal aka chickpea stew. This one “cheats” because it uses canned chickpeas and canned tomatoes but who cares? It’s delicious and sometimes you don’t want to make a recipe that you needed to start yesterday, amirite? This recipe was adapted from one of my MIL’s cookbooks. I’ll update when I figure out which one.

INGREDIENTS:
– 3 T butter
– 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
– 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
– 8 oz onion, diced
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 1/2 tsp ginger, peeled and minced
– 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
– 1 Roma tomato, diced (optional, I just wanted more tomato action)
– 1 can chickpeas
– 4oz baby spinach

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a deep skillet or medium pot, melt butter on medium low. Once it’s warm, add the mustard seeds. In a minute, they should start to pop. Add the cumin seeds. Once fragrant, add the onion and salt. Cook until most of the onions are translucent. This can take longer than you think but it’s worth it.

2. Add the turmeric, garlic, and ginger. Cook for another minute or so until fragrant. Dump in the diced tomatoes and your optional Roma tomato. Cook until your fresh tomato has softened and you can smash it with the back of your spoon, about 6 minutes.

3. Finally, add the whole can of chickpeas, including the liquid, and your spinach. Cook until your spinach has wilted and the chickpeas are heated through. Serve over rice with your favorite Indian dishes.