Chana Dal Remixed

I make Chana Dal a lot at home, I love the smell, the spices, the warmth and zen of the entire process of cooking it and it makes me feel so good inside.  The other night (it was cold), I decided to mix it up and add some potatoes and kale and it was out of this world.
Here is an update to my old recipe, which I made a bit smaller since the original makes a lot. I also made it on the stove top this time around (click here to view the original version).

Chana Dal Remixed

1 1/2 Cups Chana Dal - (Indian style yellow split peas - Lentils also will work here)

4 1/2 Cups of Water

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp ground Turmeric

1 tsp ground Cumin

1 tsp ground Coriander

1/8-1/4 tsp Cayenne (depending on how hot you want it, you can start small and add more later, I like it HOT so 1/4 tsp did the trick!)

3 medium carrots diced
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small mild red pepper, diced
8 small potatoes (mine were the size of large marshmallows) - just eye ball it
1 bunch of tuscan kale (take the rib out), chopped

Heat heavy bottom pot hot enough that water skids and dances across the bottom of the pot.  Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add garlic and other spices and mix together, add carrot, red pepper, dal and water and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer for about an hour until the dal is just about done (el dente). Add potatoes and continue to simmer until potatoes are cooked. You may need to add more water at this point if your dal is too thick with the addition of the potatoes, I added about one additional cup of water. When potatoes are soft, add kale and cook about 5 more minutes until kale is soft but not super limp. Scoop into your favorite bowl and enjoy!