What are pulses, do you ask?  I wondered the same thing when I arrived in Rome and kept hearing references to the  health and food security benefits of pulses at the Food and Agriculture Organization.  The UN has designated 2016 as the International Year of Pulses.  Pulses are part of the legume family, but pulse refers only to the dried seeds such as lentils, dried peas, edible beans, and chickpeas.  To promote the International Year concept, the organization has just published a book full of recipes and stories from around the world.  

Growing up in a South Asian family pulses where always on the menu, we just never thought of them as a unique category of food.  Although I use a lot of fresh beans and canned chickpeas in my cooking, I was always intimidated with getting the cooking technique right for the dry variety -which are cheaper and easier to transport.  Always a plus for city living. 

Maybe it was because I lack the discipline of soaking pulses overnight like my Mom.  Pressure cookers are also still a foreign concept to me, but I recently learned a trick from my cousin to start boiling the dry pulse while I prep the other ingredients.  It really cuts down the active cooking time so I decided to try Beef with Channa Dal – a staple dish back home.  

Channa dal – also referred to as split Bengal gram- is a type of split chick pea.  Several vendors at Esquilino Market in Rome carry channa dal.  In the United States you can find it at any South Asian grocer or even online at Amazon.   Variations of Channa Gosht (the Persian word for meat) appear throughout the Indian subcontinent.  In Hindu areas the meat of choice is usually goat or sometimes chicken.  In Bangladesh, the beef version is popular.  Channa dal also works well in vegetarian curries too.  Will post other versions soon.  

Print Recipe

Beef with Channa Dal

Course

International Year of Pulses

Cuisine

Bangladeshi

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram Beef cubed and rinsed
• 2 cup Channa Dal rinsed
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 4 large Onions chopped
• 1 tbsp Ginger chopped or mased
• 1 tbsp garlic chopped or mashed
• 2 medium Tomatoes chopped
• 2 tbsp Coriander chopped

Whole Spices

• 3-5 Cardamom Pods
• 4-5 Cloves
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• Coriander Seeds

Dry Powder Spices

• 2 tsp Tumeric
• 2 tsp Chilli Powder
• 1.5 tsp Curry Powder
• 1.5 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1.5 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1.5 tsp Salt (or to taste)

Course International Year of Pulses Cuisine Bangladeshi Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Servings people Ingredients 1 kilogram Beef cubed and rinsed 2 cup Channa Dal rinsed 2 Tbsp Oil 4 large Onions chopped 1 tbsp Ginger chopped or mased 1 tbsp garlic chopped or mashed 2 medium Tomatoes chopped 2 tbsp Coriander chopped Whole Spices 3-5 Cardamom Pods 4-5 Cloves 2 Cinnamon Sticks Coriander Seeds Dry Powder Spices 2 tsp Tumeric 2 tsp Chilli Powder 1.5 tsp Curry Powder 1.5 tsp Coriander Powder 1.5 tsp Cumin Powder 1.5 tsp Salt (or to taste)

Instructions

1. Place 2 cups rinsed channa dal in a deep pot. Add enough water to submerge them completely. Boil over medium heat.

   
2. While the channa is boiling, chop onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes. (Love this mortar and pestle I bought during a cooking class in Bangkok to make the ginger-garlic paste, but you can also finely chop instead.)

   
3. In a separate large pot (6-7 quart) heat oil, onion, and whole spices over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt and stir.

   
4. Mix in the dry spices and cook for another 2 minutes. Rinse the beef and stir to coat with spices. Continue to cook the beef for about 10 minutes. Stir as necessary.

   
5. Check on the channa. It should have started to soften. Rinse and add to the pot with the beef. The channa will continue to cook with the beef. Stir to coat with the beef and spice mixture.

   
6. Cover with lid and and let the spices soak the channa. About 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot water, stir, and re-cover.

   
7. Add chopped coriander and chilies. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes (longer if you prefer the channa to completely break down).

   

Recipe Notes

I prefer to make a big pot of curry on weekends and freeze a few small batches for work nights, but the recipe can be modified for smaller portions too.  To save time you can buy beef that is already cubed and most South Asian stores also carry ginger-garlic paste if you want to skip that step as well.

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