Bengali Tok Dal (Kancha Aamer Diye Tok Dal, Toker Dal) is a Bengali dish where lentils are cooked with green mangoes. Make it using my traditional recipe (vegan, gluten-free).
Here are some more Bengali recipes that you may like – Tomato Khejur Chutney, Chaler Payesh, Veg Pulao, Mishti Pulao, and Cholar Dal.
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About Tok Dal
Bengali Tok Dal (Kancha Aamer Diye Tok Dal, Toker Dal) is sweet and sour Bengali-style lentils with green mangoes.
It is a light lentil soup that is very popular in Bengali households during summer months when raw green mangoes are in season.
Aamer tok dal with plain white rice is soul food for many Bengalis and it is a great dish paying tribute to the king of fruits, mango.
You can cook the lentils in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or in an instant pot. I am sharing both methods in the recipe card below. Choose the one that suits you the best.
My recipe serves 6 but it can be easily doubled or tripled. I made it in a 3-liter pressure cooker (or 6-qt instant pot). If scaling the recipe, use a bigger pressure cooker or an 8-qt instant pot.
Ingredients
Lentils – This dish is popularly made using red lentils (pink masoor dal) but you can also make it with toor dal (arhar dal) or moong dal.
Green Mangoes – Use tangy and sour raw green mangoes (kancha aam). You can also replace green mangoes with hog plum (amra).
Others – You will also need turmeric powder, salt, sugar, mustard oil, dried red chillies, and panch phoron.
If mustard oil is not available, then use vegetable oil in its place.
You can make panch phoron at home or use a store-bought spice mix.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this bengali dal with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, or rotis.
Toker dal can also be served with a side of aloo sheddo or sautéed vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, and green beans.
For a more substantial meal, serve it with chicken or lamb curry.
Storage Suggestions
Toker dal can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Leftover dal can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
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Recipe Card
Bengali Tok Dal Recipe (Kancha Aamer Diye Tok Dal, Toker Dal)
Ingredients
For The Dal
- 1 cup red lentils (pink masoor dal)
- 1 large green mango (or 2 small green mangoes, peeled and cut into wedges)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 4 and ½ cups water (divided)
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 a pressure cooker.
- Add green mango, turmeric powder, sugar, salt, and 3 cups of water and stir gently.
- Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook for one whistle on 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 of the cooker and gently mash the dal with the back of a ladle.
- Add the remaining water and mix well.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Note – To cook the dal in an instant pot, add dal, mango, turmeric powder, sugar, salt, and 2 cups of water to the instant pot. Close the lid and press PRESSURE COOK. Set the timer to 12 minutes. Once the timer goes off, do a 10-minute NPR followed by QPR. Open the lid and mash the dal. Add the remaining water and mix well. Check for salt and add more if needed.
Temper The Dal
- Heat mustard oil in a small pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add dry red chilies and panch phoron and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the dal and mix well
- Serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!