Coconut and Sultana Chana Dal

This recipe is Bengali by origin and was taught to me in my 20s by my mother-in-law. Chana dal is also known as cholar, Bengal gram and yellow split chickpeas (do not confuse it with yellow split peas, which are completely different and cannot be used here!). This dal has delicate sweet undertones from the coconut, sultanas, and a little bit of added sugar. The thickness is totally up to you. Do not add salt to the lentils until they have softened completely at the end of the cooking proces