Drain the soaked dal
And put it in a pressure cooker with 1½ cups of water, half of the salt and turmeric
Cook until the dal is soft but still remains whole
Heat a cooking pot with the mustard oil until it smokes. Then add all the whole spices, along with the hing
When these turn aromatic, lower the flame and add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, crushed ginger and chilis, with ¼ cup water
When the raw smell of the spices and ginger go away, add the boiled chana dal, salt to taste and the sugar. Also, add ½ cup of water
Let this simmer on a medium low heat until you achieve a semi-thick consistency. Then turn the heat off and drizzle the ghee and garam masala
Keep covered for five minutes and then serve the cholar dal or Bengali chana dal with rice or any Indian flatbreads of your choice. Enjoy!
