Vatli Dal / Seasoned Ground Chana Dal.

"Vatli Dal / Seasoned Grounded Chana Dal" ... A Naivedyam prepared on Ananta Chaturdashi Day by Maharashtrians for Visarjan to bid adieu to Ganapathi Bappa ... bringing in an end to the 10 day festival ... May Lord Ganesha shower his choicest blessings on all of us ... Sharing Naivedyam with all my friends here ......

** Vatli Dal / Seasoned Ground Chana Dal is a Maharashtrian special dish mostly prepared during festive season as an offering of Naivedyam to God. This is prepared specially during Ananta Chaturdashi on the 10th day / last final day that ends Ganapathi festival as Visarjan Naivedyam. It is also prepared during Chaitra month ie on spring arrival when raw mangoes are available in plenty. A little bit of grated raw mangoes are added to bring in the sourness to the dish too if available. The name vatli dal basically means a dal that is ground in Marathi language. Vatli mean grinding and hence the name. It is also known as Chana Dal Khirapat in some places, another Maharashtrian name. I came across this awesome dish when I dropped in on the 10 day to seek blessings from Ganapathi Bappa in my neighbor’s home, where they bring in Bappa home for 10 days.

** My neighbor aunt always prepared this dish on the 10 day as a bhog to Lord Ganesha before bidding him adieu and wishing him to come back soon the next year. I loved the dish Aunty prepared as she always prepares it very tasty. The dish is spicy and sour too and tickles the tongue in just the right way. I asked her the recipe and prepared the same and offered it as Naivedyam to Lord Ganesha on the 10 day though in my home we do not observe the festival by bringing in the clay Idol. However, we avoid non-veg on these 10 days and attend the festival in our community centers and also prepare many types of Naivedyam to our home deity Lord Ganesha who lives with us all through the years. It is my belief that he should be honored too as he lives with us, guides us, takes care of us and brings in prosperity into our home.

** Recipe Credit goes to my dear friend and neighbor Mrs. Surekha Barve ... Thanks Aunty

** Here is the simple method of preparing "Vatli Dal / Seasoned Grounded Chana Dal" ... My Style … My method differs slightly from the traditional Maharashtrian method were in many do not pressure cook the dal once it is ground and proceed with the preparation straight away. But Aunty does so, and I too preferred this method, also made some minute variation to suit my way of cooking, to ensure that the dal is cooked to right consistency.

** Ingredients :

Chana Dal / Split Bengal Gram Dal : 1 heaped cup

Coconut : ½ cup freshly grated.

Coriander Leaves / Dhania Patta / Kothambari pallo : ½ cup finely chopped fresh leaves only.

Green Chillies : 6-8 (less spicy one’s)

Mustard Seeds / Rai / Sasam : 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera : 1 tsp

Turmeric / Haldi Powder : ¼ + ¼ tsp

Asafoetida / Hing Powder : ½ to 1 tsp depending upon its aroma

Curry Leaves / Kadipatta / Karbevu : 8-10 fresh leaves

Sugar / Shakkar : 1 tsp (Optional) I have not added.

Lemon Juice / Nimboo Ras / Limbiya rosu : of 1 large sized lemon.

Salt to taste

Oil : 2-3 tblsp

** Wash the chana dal and soak in plenty of water for 2-3 hours. Some soak it overnight or for about 6 hours, but I have soaked only for 2 hours. Drain and wash in plenty of water and put it in an colander and keep aside for 10-15 minutes shaking it in between to drain off all the water in it. The water should be drained off properly.

** Put the drained chana dal in a mixer grinder and grind to a coarse rava consistency paste. I ground the same in food processor which gives a good textured coarsely ground mixture. If a few of the chana dal remain whole or halves, don't worry, it tastes crunchy and great. Remove the ground mixture and put this in a vessel with one cup of water, ¼ tsp of haldi powder, salt to taste, a few drops of ghee / oil and mix well.

** In a pressure cooker keep the bottom plate that is available on purchasing the cooker. Add about 1-2 cups of water, keep the vessel in which the chana dal is added. Cover and pressure cook on high for one whistle, then lower the heat and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Remove and let cool before you open the lid.

** Once the pressure has fallen and you are able to open the lid, do so, remove the cooked dal and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once it cools, you will be able to break it into granules easily with a fork, like how we prepare for Idly usli. Do so till you get evenly broken small pieces of the cooked dal.

** Now heat the oil in a thick bottomed kadai, when hot add in the mustard seeds, once they begin to splutter, lower the heat and add in the jeera, finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves, remaining turmeric, hing powder and let fry for few seconds. Now add in the broken cooked dal, pinch of salt only as we have added the same to dal while cooking, sugar if you want to add, I have not added and mix well. Cover and let cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes.

** Finally, add in the finely grated coconut and finely copped coriander leaves to the above dal and mix well. Once again cover with a tight lid and let cook on its own steam for about another 5 minutes. Remove from fire and add in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and mix well. You can also add in some grated raw mango when in season fro which the same will have to be added along with the dal once the seasoning is done.

** "Vatli Dal / Seasoned Grounded Chana Dal" is done and ready to be offered to God and Naivedyam after which you can distribute the same among your family and friends. You can also prepare this and relish as a snack anytime of the year, if you are fond of the same. Children simply love it and is good dish to be served when they are hungry coming back from school. Some even relish this as a side dish with roti/chapati. You can serve the same as per your wish, tastes great with poori too.