Cholar Dal is a traditional Bengali dish prepared from Chana Dal, ghee, coconut and other spices and is best paired with luchi or steamed rice. Here is how to make it.
Bengali Style Cholar Dal is a Bengali dish prepared from Chana Dal, ghee, coconut and other spices.
This spicy goodness is packed with nutrition as chana is high in fibre and protein.
It takes hardly any time to prepare and makes for a simple yet satisfying lunch.
This Bengali chana dal recipe is a saviour when you need to rush to the office but want to carry home-cooked food.
It is traditionally served with Bengali style poori called Luchi but you can also prepare this and combine it with Bajre ki Roti for a healthy, nutritious yet oh-so-delicious ‘Dabba’.
This dal also goes very well with steamed rice.
It is light on the stomach, keeps you full and energetic all day long. If you are preparing this for special occasions try serving it with Bengali Luchi for that extra dash of festive mood.
So waiting for what? Here is how to make Bengali Cholar Dal.
This dal is slightly thicker in consistency. So make sure to not add a lot of water to it while cooking.
Pro Tips by Neha
Being a North Indian, the addition of sugar in savoury recipes is a big no-no for me but trust me, a hint of sugar in this recipe elevates the taste to the next level.
So do not miss adding that tad bit of sugar however reluctant you be.
No cholar dal is complete without some fried coconut slices garnishing it and a few raisins added in it.
Soaking the dal for 30 minutes before cooking it makes the cooking process faster and saves the fuel.
This dal is supposed to be thick, a consistency like a latpati sabzi.
I sometimes like to add dry spices to this dal but makes it without the spices too. Try both the versions and see which one you like better.
To make dal with spices, add 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and ½ tsp garam masala powder in the tempering and roast them for a few seconds along with the other below mentioned ingredients .
Then add the tempering in the dal.
Serving Suggestions
This dal is best served with luchi , koraishutir kochori or radhavallabhi.
It also tastes great with steamed rice or jeera rice.
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Step By Step Recipe
Wash the dal and add it in a pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water, turmeric powder and salt.
Pressure cook just until done. The dal should not be mushy.
Heat ghee for tempering in a pan. Add coconut slices and fry until golden brown. Remove the slices in a plate.
In the same ghee, add cumin seeds and hing and let them crackle for a few seconds.
Add dry red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and bay leaf and fry for a few seconds.
Add ginger and green chilli and fry for another few seconds. You can add spices like coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala at this stage and fry for a few seconds. Pour the tempering over the dal along with raisins and sugar.
Bengali Cholar Dal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chana Dal
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
For Tempering
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- ¼ cup Fresh Coconut (Thinly Sliced)
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- ¼ tsp Hing
- 4-5 Dry Red Chillies
- 3-4 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2-3 Green Cardamom
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 1 tsp Ginger (Grated)
- 1 tsp Green Chilli (Chopped)
- 2 tbsp Raisins
- 1 tsp Sugar
Instructions
- Wash the dal and add it in a pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water, turmeric powder and salt.
- Pressure cook just until done.
- The dal should not be mushy.
- Heat ghee for tempering in a pan.
- Add coconut slices and fry until golden brown.
- Remove the slices in a plate.
- In the same ghee, add cumin seeds and hing and let them crackle for a few seconds.
- Add dry red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and bay leaf and fry for a few seconds.
- Add ginger and green chilli and fry for another few seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the dal along with raisins, fried coconut and sugar.
- Mix well.
- Serve hot.
