Trail Grub: Channa Dal

I had never heard of Channa Dal (made from Channa kernel, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, spices and Urad kernel) before and bought it on a whim at our local health food store. This particular version is made by Jyoti Natural Foods and aside from having to add 1/4 cup of water, it is simply a 'heat and serve' meal that can be made in minutes on a camp stove.

Ordinarily you would add it to rice, but we though we'd try it on its own for lunch after a cold morning of paddling and portaging. The pouch keeps the contents pretty safe, is nice and flat (and rolls up to a small size once used to pack out), and I had no fear of it accidentally popping open under pressure (and it was easy to tear open without the need of any tools). The best before date wasn't for another year and a half so it has a good shelf life as well.

Well we were in for a treat as it was absolutely delicious and I was scraping the bottom of the stove for every last morsel. If you are trying this as a meal on its own, bring a separate pouch for each person as its pretty tasty! It's not too spicy, but enough has been added to give it a certain flair and it is also Gluten-free and Vegetarian friendly. Jyoti Natural Foods has other options in their line-up as well such as Mung Dal (made from Mung Beans) that we'll have to try next.