Bengali Cholar Dal Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal),1/2 cup Fresh coconut – cut into small bits,1 tablespoon Ghee,1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi),Salt – to taste,1 tablespoon Mustard oil,3 Dry Red Chillies,2 Cloves (Laung),1 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini),1 Bay leaf (tej patta),1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera),2 Green Chillies – slit into halves lengthwise,1 inch Ginger – peeled and grated

Instructions

1. To begin making Bengali Cholar Dal, first wash and soak chana dal in water for an hour or so.Cook soaked dal with 2-1/2 Cups of water , turmeric powder, salt to taste and cook dal for 8 whistles / 30 minutes until the dal is cooked completely. See how to cook lentils (dals/pulses). Let the pressure release naturally and keep aside.In a pan heat mustard oil over medium heat, add the coconut pieces and fry until they turn golden brown. Turn off the heat. Transfer the fried coconut pieces in a bowl. Keep aside until required.In the same pan heat a tablespoon of mustard seeds and add cumin seeds, once seeds crackle add dry red chilies, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green chilies and grated ginger.Saute for a few second and add the cooked dal and roasted copra into the pan.  Briskly boil Bengali Style Cholar Dal for three to four minutes and turn off the heat.Transfer the Bengali Style Cholar Dal into a serving bowl; finally garnish with a few more of the roasted coconut pieces and serve hot.Serve the Bengali Cholar Dal with Begun Bhaja  and steamed rice for a wholesome weekend lunch or dinner.

Recipe Details