Chickpea Energy Bars (Okkarai)

1. 1

   ["Preheat oven to 250 F. Line a medium sized baking sheet with aluminum foil (in which case, brush liberally with ghee or melted butter) or parchment paper.", "In a skillet toast the chana dal till golden brown. Add to a container containing scalding hot water. set aside for about 2-3 hours or preferably overnight for the beans to soften. Drain the water and and add the garbanzo into a food processor. (it should be whole, yield to some firm finger pressure, but not mushy in the least) Grind the dal in a food processor to a coarse consistency, adding water as needed. (It should be a coarse gritty mixture with some whole pieces of the dal visible , NOT a batter).", "Place the almonds and pumpkins in a single layer on a baking sheet & toast till they become light golden brown & start emitting an aroma. Combine with the cardamom powder and the salt.", "In a heavy bottomed skillet combine the coconut palm sugar & cane sugar with very little water & heat to form a syrup. When the syrup reaches a 'soft crack' (the syrup forms thin malleable threads when dropped into cold water) stage, add the dal mixture and the nuts. Mix to combine all ingredients. At this stage the mix will seem a bit soft, even runny, due to residual water in the cooked dal.", "Transfer the mixture to a greased & parchment lined baking sheet & spread into an even layer.", "Bake in a 250 F Oven for about 20-30 minutes till sugar at the edges appears to caramelize. Switch off oven & let the mix rest inside for ~ 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Using a pizza cutter, cut the okkarai sheet into bars.", "Remove bars after they've completely cooled & store in an airtight container."]

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.