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Directions

  In the pressure cooker pot, without the lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently so the vegetables don't brown.

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 stalk (about 1/2 cup) celery, finely diced

2 tablespoon butter

  Add the beans to the pressure cooker along with the waterk. Fasten the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Start the timer after the pressure relief valve begins to whistle.

1 cup chana dal, rinsed

4 cups water

  Turn the heat off and allow the cooker to cool sufficiently to remove the lid.

  Add the spices and the chicken stock, and simmer for 10 minutes. The dal should be pretty thick, so either cook longer or add water as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

2 cups chicken stock

  Adjust the flavor by adding salt as needed. Five minutes before serving, stir in the cilantro.

1 kosher salt to taste

2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced

Kids!

Chop the onions and measure the spices.

Notes...

This basic recipe works with almost any type of lentil. Chana dal, which is basically chickpeas with the husk removed and then split, makes a less mushy soup than other choices. However, I've had good luck with split yellow peas as a substitute. This recipe uses a pressure cooker to speed the process.