Black lentils are considered an excellent source of protein and are often included in the diet. They are usually cooked with potatoes as a vegetable dish or made into a chat. However, if you want to prepare something spicy and unusual from this protein-rich lentil, you can make the famous Phanu from Uttarakhand, which is made from black lentils.
Black lentil Phanu is very popular in the mountains, especially in winter, as it is believed to warm the body and aid digestion. Preparing this dish does not require much effort, and it cooks very quickly. Black lentil Phanu has an excellent taste and is served hot with rice.
When you don't feel like cooking dal or a vegetable dish, you can make black lentil Phanu. Below is a simple way to prepare this dish, which uses only homemade spices. Both adults and children will enjoy this Phanu, and after the first time, you will want to cook it again.
To prepare black lentil Phanu, you must first grind the black lentils.
Take black lentils soaked overnight, wash them thoroughly, and drain the water. Then place the lentils in a food processor along with ginger, garlic, and green chili, and grind until a coarse paste forms. After grinding, spread the paste on a plate and set it aside.
Next, crush whole cumin, coriander, and dried red pepper in a mortar. Transfer this paste to a bowl, then add turmeric, pepper, coriander powder, garam masala, and water to form a paste.
If you want to achieve an authentic mountain flavor, heat a cast-iron skillet on the stove. Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, ajwain, and asafoetida to create an aromatic tempering. Then add finely chopped onion and fry until golden brown. After frying the onion, add chopped tomatoes and namar (tomatoes) and let them cook.
When the tomatoes become soft, stir in the ground spice mixture and the lentil paste. Then cook the lentils in the spices for another 5 minutes. Finally, sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro and serve hot with rice. In the mountains, it is also traditionally eaten with mandua flatbreads.
