Peel and split 2 onions in half. Peel the ginger.
If using instant pot: Add the beef, chana daal, onion halves, ginger, garlic, salt and all the whole spices into the instant pot. Mix everything well. Set to pressure cook on high for 40 minutes. Then release the pressure and open the lid.If using pressure cooker: Add the beef, chana daal, onion halves, ginger, garlic, salt and all the whole spices into the pressure cooker. Mix everything well. Cook for about 40-50 minutes on low heat.If using a normal pot (on stovetop): Add the beef, chana daal, onion halves, ginger, garlic, salt, all the whole spices into the pot along with half a cup of water. Mix everything well. Cook on low heat for about 90 minute. Check after every 30 minutes. If it looks too dry, add some more water and cook further. Check the meat for doneness. It should be really soft and tender. Using tongs, remove the garlic, onion, bay leaves and black cardamom from the pot and discard.
Prepare a large bowl by placing a big sieve onto it. Pass the prepared kabab mixture through the sieve, separating the solids from the liquid. Put it aside to cool down for a few minutes.
In the meanwhile, roughly chop the remaining onion and the coriander and green chili. Add these to a chopper/food processor and whizz until finely chopped. Transfer them onto a large tray.
Now, add the cooled down mixture into the chopper/food processor and whizz until a smooth and homogenous mixture is formed. You may have to do this in batches. Scrape down the sides from time to time to get an even mixture. Transfer the mixture into the same tray as the chopped veggies.
Add the garam masala and half cup of the strained liquid (earlier from kabab mixture). Use your hands to knead and mix everything together until a soft and homogenous mixture is achieved.
Take a small portion of the kabab mixture onto your hand and start forming a ball. Flatten it by pressing between your palms and even out the edges to make flat disks. You can lightly moisten your hands to keep it from sticking. Keep the kababs similar in shape and size so they fry evenly. If you want to freeze the kababs, you can do it at this point (read instructions to freeze above).
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat and add the oil. Once the pan is hot, place the kababs onto it and fry on low heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the kababs turn brown. Add a few more drops of oil if needed.
Serve with green chutney and marinated onion.
