Channa Dal

1C channa dal
1t black tea leaves
1t salt
5C + 1T water
3T ghee
1/2t cumin seeds
1/4C finely chopped onion
1T scraped,finely chopped fresh ginger root
1/2t tumeric
1/2t ground cumin
1/2t corriander
1/2t garam masala
1/4t red pepper flakes
1T finely chopped cilantro

Soak dal overnight. Drain and put into a 3-4 quart saucepan and add tea leaves, salt and 4 C water. Boil over high heat, partially cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 1 hour.

In another pan, heat ghee over high heat until water droplet sputters when added. Add cumin seeds and stir 30 seconds; add onion and ginger. Lower heat to moderate and, stirring constantly, fry 7-8 minutes or until onion is soft and goden. WATCH HEAT AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY! Stir in tumeric, cumin, corriander, garam masala, red pepper flakes and 1T water. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over high heat, cover tightly, reduce heat to low and simmer 2-5 minutes. Stir into channa dal and continute cooking for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Serving Size: 6 servings