Bengali Style Chana Dal

It is yet another protein rich lentil dish of Bengali cuisine made on special occasions like Durga Pooja, weddings etc. In this Bengali chana dal recipe, chana dal is first boiled with turmeric powder and then it is tempered with Indian spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and green cardamom and finally it is mixed with fried coconut, raisins, sugar and ghee. It is best enjoyed when served with luchi (Bengali style deep fried puffed bread) and makes for an ideal lunch treat. 

Ingredients

1 cup chana dal
1 tsp ghee
1/2 cup coconut, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 bayleaf
1 clove
1/4 cup of raisins

1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
A pinch of sugar
2 1/2 cups of water
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cardamoms
2 red whole chillies

Method

● Soak a cup of chana dal for 15 minutes.
● Add ghee to a pan and fry the chopped coconut in it, until it turns golden brown.
● Put the soaked dal in a pressure cooker, add cinnamon, clove, raisins, bay leaf, fried coconut, turmeric,  salt and sugar, and mix thoroughly. Add water.
● Take ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and red chilli , and saute them well.
● Pour it over the cooked dal in the pressure cooker. Mix well.
● Garnish the dal with chopped and fried coconut.