This Chana Dal lettuce wrap is the perfect vegan recipe to keep you full, satisfied and nourished. The stir-fried chana dal gives you the fullness of plant protein plus the added benefit of fantastic fiber levels. The rest of the ingredients are really up to you – depending on how much prep time you have or what veggies you have on hand.
I love chana dal!! A 1/4 cup serving has 14g net carbs which, compared to most grains and lentils Indians use is -*relatively speaking* – great low carb, high fiber, low glycemic ingredient. If you are interested in learning why chana dal is a great option for diabetics, read Mendosa.com.
This recipe is a modern, upgraded twist to a traditional method of making chana dal used in South Indian dishes like Paruppu Usili, etc. I have posted the step by step process of steaming the chana dal (with pictures) in the recipe post for making Chana dal ladoo. Be sure to check it out if you are unfamiliar with this technique.
Recipe
Steamed and stir-fried chana dal is stuffed inside cool, crunchy lettuce and topped with strips of tofu, fresh veggies and creamy tahini sauce
- 1/2 cup Chana Dal
- Onion
- Herbs (Dill, Parsley, Coriander)
- Salt, Pepper
- 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
- Butter Lettuce
- Cucumber Slices
- Sliced Olives, (Any Veggie Strips)
- 1/2 packet Firm Tofu
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Tahini
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
- 1/2 Finely Grated Garlic
- Water to thin out sauce
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Soak chana dal in water overnight.
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The next day, using a food processor grind the soaked chana dal into coarse sand-like pieces.
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Steam the ground dal in an idli plate or a steamer lined with cheesecloth for about 10-15 minutes. Once cool, crumble the pieces in hand.
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Add 2-3 tsp oil to a heated wok. Add chopped onions, stir fry till pink.
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Add crumbled chana dal, herbs, salt, pepper and stir fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes. The high heat + oil will give you some crispy pieces in the edges (that is yummy).
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Cut tofu into rectangular strips. Add the tofu strips, soy sauce, and rice vinegar and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes in a shallow pan. Turn the strips once in a while and let all sides absorb the flavor of the sauce.
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Take out the strips and add it to a non-stick pan (lined with oil – optional) and give it final caramelization on direct heat. Turn strips around and let it caramelize on all 4 sides
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Blend all ingredients
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Layer all ingredients one by one on a butter lettuce leaf. Serve.
Conclusion
This method of processing chana dal (soak, grind and steam) gives you a lot of freedom to treat this protein-rich lentil like a grain.
Given the multiple steps needed, it is best to bulk process the chana dal for multiple meals together and refrigerate it. I do batches of about 1.5 cups of chana which comes easily for 2 or 3 meals.
This is a very filling breakfast. The chana dal + tofu combo keeps you satiated for many hours. The low carb levels in this breakfast is a good break from the grain-rich breakfasts in typical Indian households like upma or poha.
I hope you try this protein-rich vegan wrap recipe. There are so many ideas to use up the leftover chana dal – like a protein-rich “upma”, “fried rice”, or even a salad. Please try this method and let me know your thoughts and comments.
Summer Camp Update:
I hope you all are having a great summer. I am thrilled to report that with the summer cooking camps, I was able to raise $1200 for the animal shelter. Jennifer was thrilled with our contribution and had a list of dental and other checkups she scheduled for 3 dogs that were, otherwise, falling behind on treatment due to lack of funds.
So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all those who attended and to you my dear readers who support this blog. You gals/guys are the best!!
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