Bengali Tok Dal Recipe (Kancha Aamer Diye Toker Dal)
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Tok dal (kancha aamer diye toker dal) is a Bengali dish in which lentils are cooked with green mangoes. It is a light lentil soup popular in Bengali households during summer, when raw green mangoes are in season.
Here are some more lentil recipes that you may like: dal tadka, Malwa dal, panchmel dal, green moong dal, and raw mango dal.
Quick Look: Tok Dal
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: Approx. 160 per serving
Dietary Info: Vegan, gluten-free, no onion, no garlic
Skill Level: Easy
Tools Needed: Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker, small pan for tempering, and a whisk.
Table of Contents
What Is Tok Dal?
Tok dal (kancha aamer diye tok dal, toker dal, aam dal) is a Bengali lentil soup made by pressure cooking red lentils (masoor dal) with sour raw green mango, then topping it with whole spices sizzled in hot mustard oil.
Tok means sour in Bengali. The dal is thin, tangy, and lightly sweet, and Bengali families eat it with plain rice all summer, when green mangoes are in season.
My mami is Bengali, and most of what I know about Bengali cooking started in her kitchen. The last time I made tok dal, it was part of a full Bengali lunch at home with luchi, Bengali aloo dum, tomato khejur chutney, and kosha mangsho. The mutton was the showpiece. This dal is what made the plate feel complete.
Aamer tok dal with plain white rice is soul food for many Bengalis, and it is one of the easiest dals I make. Everything except the tempering goes into the cooker together. I have written out both the Instant Pot tok dal method and the stovetop pressure cooker method below.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Red Lentils – Split and skinned pink lentils (masoor dal) are the classic choice. They cook fast and break down into a smooth soup. Toor dal (arhar dal) or yellow moong dal also work.
- Raw Green Mango – Pick a firm, sour, fully green mango (kaccha aam, or kancha aam in Bengali). Hog plums (amra) are the traditional swap. Frozen green mango from the Indian store works too, and I prefer the slices over the cubes.
- Mustard Oil – Mustard oil (sarson ka tel) gives the sharp, nose-tingling flavor that makes this dal taste Bengali. Any neutral cooking oil works if you don’t have it, but the dal will taste milder.
- Panch Phoron – This Bengali five-spice mix includes whole fennel, cumin, nigella, fenugreek, and mustard seeds. Use my homemade panch phoron or a store-bought packet. Plain black mustard seeds are the closest single-spice swap.
- Dried Red Chili – One whole dried red chili (sukhi lal mirch), broken into pieces, adds gentle heat and a smoky note. Leave it out for kids.
- Sugar – A little granulated white sugar (cheeni) rounds off the mango’s sharp edge. Jaggery (gud) works as well.
- Others – You will also need turmeric powder (haldi) and salt.
How To Make Tok Dal
Cook The Lentils
Step 1: Rinse 1 cup of pink masoor dal 2-3 times with water, then add it to the inner pot of an Instant Pot. Add the following ingredients and stir gently.
- ½ large green raw mango (peeled and cut into wedges)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups of water
Many Bengali cooks fry the mango in the tempering first and then pour boiled dal over it. I pressure cook the mango with the lentils instead. It saves a pan, and the mango turns soft enough to melt into the dal when I mash it.
Step 2: Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing.
Step 3: Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 12 minutes at high pressure. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid. Lentils foam a lot, and a quick release can push that foam out through the valve, so the 10-minute wait is worth it.
Step 4: Gently mash the dal with the back of a ladle or a wire whisk until the water, mangoes, and lentils become one smooth soup. Add more water to adjust the consistency. Everyday dal in India is close to a thin soup, and that is how I serve this one. If you prefer a thick, porridge-like dal, don’t add any extra water. Check for salt and add more if needed.
To cook the lentils in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker, add the rinsed dal, mango, turmeric powder, sugar, salt, and 3½ cups of water to a 3-liter pressure cooker. Cook for one whistle over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid, then mash and adjust the water and salt exactly as in Step 4.
The stovetop version takes more water because a whistling cooker lets steam escape the whole time. An Instant Pot loses almost none.
Temper The Dal
Step 5: Heat 2 tablespoons of mustard oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add 1 dry red chili (broken into 2-3 pieces) and 1 teaspoon panch phoron and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Step 6: Pour the tempering over the dal and mix well. Serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
Plain steamed rice is the classic partner. Short-grain gobindobhog rice is traditional, and basmati works well too. Add something dry or fried on the side: aloo posto (potatoes in poppy seed paste), aloo bhaja (crisp fried potatoes), or begun bhaja (pan-fried eggplant slices).
Some Bengali families like tok dal at room temperature on very hot days. I serve it hot.
Storage Suggestions
Leftover tok dal can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The dal sets thick in the fridge, so loosen it with a splash of water and reheat it in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a boil.
Tok Dal FAQs
Yes. Simmer the rinsed dal, mango, turmeric, sugar, and salt in a covered pot with enough water to keep everything submerged. The lentils turn soft in about 25 to 30 minutes. Top up with hot water as needed, then mash and temper as usual.
Mustard oil in US stores is usually labeled “for external use only” because the FDA has not approved it as a cooking oil. Itis an everyday cooking oil in Bengali kitchens, and it is what I use for this dal. If you would rather avoid it, use any neutral oil and temper the spices the same way.
Tok dal is thin, lightly spiced, and finished with mustard oil and panch phoron. Other regions of India also cook lentils with green mango, usually thicker and with more spices. My North Indian raw mango dal is another version to try.
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Bengali Tok Dal Recipe (Kancha Aamer Diye Toker Dal)
Ingredients
For The Dal
- 1 cup split and skinned red lentils (pink masoor dal)
- ½ large green raw mango (or 1 small raw mango, peeled and cut into wedges)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
For Tempering
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil
- 1 dry red chili (broken into 2-3 pieces)
- 1 teaspoon panch phoron
Instructions
Cook The Dal
- Rinse the dal with water 2-3 times and add it to an instant pot.
- Add green mango, turmeric powder, sugar, salt, and 2 cups of water and stir gently.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 12 minutes at high pressure. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
- Gently mash the dal with the back of a ladle or a wire whisk until the water, mangoes, and lentils become one smooth soup. Add more water to adjust the consistency. Everyday dal in India is close to a thin soup, and that is how I serve this one. If you prefer a thick, porridge-like dal, don’t add any extra water. Check for salt and add more if needed.
Temper The Dal
- Heat mustard oil in a small pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add dry red chili and panch phoron and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the dal and mix well. Serve hot.
This dal is very light and comforting. Do give it a try!