Carrot Dal

Carrot Dal

Bengali dal preparations are usually without onions or garlic. They are simmered in a simple tempering of spices. It does not look fancy but it can beat any good looking dal face down in the taste arena. It is generally an amalgamation of legumes and vegetables and you bet it cannot get any healthier than this.  In short this is a meal in itself.
 However in Bengali cuisine a dal is just part of an elaborate meal that starts with sheddo or boiled veggies and ends in chatni or chutney. Meal time is a rhapsody of food with all elements or tatva of food being catered to. 

Ingredients

1 cup moong dal, dhuli
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp ginger paste (has to be fresh)
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 carrots, peeled and cut into roundels

Heat a pan and dry roast the dal till it becomes brownish. Be careful not to burn it. Switch off the flame and add 2 cups of water and let the dal sit for 10 minutes. Pressure cook the dal along with salt and turmeric. Switch off the flame after 3 whistles.
Heat a pan and add the ghee. Add the cumin seeds. Once they start crackling add the ginger paste. Fry for a few seconds then add the carrots. Saute for a minute or two. Add the carrots along with the cumin seeds to the dal in the cooker. Add a pinch of sugar and check the salt. Close the lid and give one more whistle. Your dal is ready. 

Dal Murg

Dal Murg

My son will eat only chicken. Nothing else. Everything else has to be forced down his throat. My lectures on health and nutrition fall on deaf ears. So I decided to make chicken with all kinds of healthy things thrown into it. Chicken in dal is not only tasty but I think will be a protein boost for him. 

Ingredients

¼ cup arhar/toor dal
¼ cup moong dal
¼ cup sabut masoor dal
500 gm chicken
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 onions, sliced fine
1” ginger
2 green chillies
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
4 tbsp chopped coriander

Soak the dals overnight. Next morning pressure cook them with some salt and turmeric. 
Marinate the chicken in 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste and salt for 1 hour. 
Heat a pan. Fry the chicken pieces for 8 minutes. Remove from the pan. You will see that the chicken has left behind some fat. 
In the same oil add cumin seeds. Add pounded ginger and green chilli paste. Add the sliced onions. Fry till the onion become pinkish. 
Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder, chopped coriander and salt. Sauté for some time. 
Add the chicken pieces, cover and cook till the chicken is done. Now add the cooked dal and cook for 10 more minutes. 

Shahjahani Dal

Shahjahani Dal

Ingredients 

½ cup chana dal

½ cup coconut cream

2 green cardamoms

2 cloves

1 stick cinnamon

1 onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

2 green chillies

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

Boil the lentils with some salt. Heat some butter. Add the cardamoms, cinnamon and cloves. Sauté the onions and green chillies.

 Once they turn translucent add the tomatoes. Now add the dal and turmeric powder. Add some water and bring to a boil. 

Now add the coconut cream. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Heat some ghee for tempering. Add the red chilli powder and pour over the dal.

Dal Shahi

Dal Shahi 

I am not a dal person but with this one it was love at first sight. It is a very simple dal unencumbered by spices and ghee and alll that. And the beauty is that you can make it as rich or as simple as you want and it will taste awesome either way.  

Ingredients

1 cup dhuli moong dal

1 tsp grated ginger

2 dry red chillies

1 tsp mustard seeds

4-5 curry leaves

Salt to taste

A pinch of sugar

1 cup milk

2 tbsp chopped cashew nuts

1 tbsp raisins

Pressure cook the dal in 2 ½ cups water with grated ginger and some salt. 

Switch off the gas after two whistles and let the pressure fall on its own.

Heat some ghee. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies. Add the cooked dal and mix well. 

The dal already has water so you don’t have to add any more. 

Once it starts simmering slowly add the milk and mix well.

 Add the cashews and raisins. 

Check the seasoning, cover and simmer till done.  Garnish with some curry leaves and red chilli flakes.

Tito dal

Tito dal

Matar dal is very frequently used in the Bengali kitchen, especially when you have to add some vegetable to the dal. Mango, bittergourd, radish, carrots, peas, drumsticks, bottle gourd..you name the vegetable and it can be added to this dal to make a satisfying meal. 

Why it is more appropriate for summers is that it uses no masalas. Just a tempering of panch phoron, a pinch of turmeric and seasoning with salt and sugar and that’s it!!

Using both salt and sugar does not mean that it is supposed to be sweet and salty and bitter as in this recipe. We add just a pinch of sugar to balance the saltiness of the dish.

Ingredients

¾ cup matar dal

2 bittergourd, cut into thick roundels

Salt to taste

½ tsp turmeric

Pinch of sugar

Panch phoron consisiting of a pinch of rai, kalonji, methi, saunf and jeera

Wash and boil the dal in the cooker with a little bit of salt. Heat some ghee. Add the panch phoron. Add the karela and fry for some time. now add this karela to the dal kept in the cooker. Add turmeric, salt and sugar. Switch off the gas after one whistle. Your dal is ready. 

Dal Makhni

Dal Makhni

1 cup sabut urad dal/whole black beans

½ cup rajmah/kidney beans

4 cups water

2 tbsp ginger paste

2 tbsp garlic paste

1 tsp salt

5 large tomatoes, blanched, skinned and pureed

2 bsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp kasuri methi

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp butter

½ cup milk

4 tbsp cream

Salt to taste

A pinch of sugar

Soak the dal and rajmah overnight.

Pressure cook the dal and rajmah in 4 cups of water along with 1

 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste and ½ tsp salt. After two 

whistles put the flame on low and cook for about 20 minutes. Once 

the pressure drops mash the dal and rajmah a bit.

Heat some butter.

 Add the tomato puree and cook till the water 

evaporates. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, tomato ketchup,

 garam masala, coriander powder, red chilli powder and kasuri 

methi. Sauté till the oil separates.

Add the dal and butter. Cook for sometime. Now slowly add the 

milk. Traditionally this dal is left to simmer overnight on large 

degchi. This is what imparts it its unique flavor. The dal will be

 ready after simmering for about 20 minutes. However what I do is 

leave it on low flame to simmer for as long as possible.

Once the dal is done switch off the gas and add the cream. Garnish 

with some fried makhanas.