- Wash and soak the chana dal for at least 4hours in 1lt of water along with baking soda. Discard the water and spread the chana dal on a kitchen towel dab to remove any excess moisture from the dal. Heat oil in a deep vessel and fry the chana dal on medium heat, increase the heat after few minutes to cook them completely. For the masala mix all the ingredients together and keep aside. Remove the chana dal from the oil using a strainer and place it in a bowl, while it is still hot sprinkle the masala and toss them together. Once it cools down completely serve it.