Cholar Dal is a traditional Bengali recipe of chana dal or split Bengal gram cooked with coconut and spices. It is made without onion and garlic and best served with luchi or poori.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Bengali

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chana dal ((split and husked bengal gram))
  • 2.5 cups water (for pressure cooking or 4 to 5 cups water for cooking in a pot)
  • 1 tablespoons golden raisins (- optional)
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoon cashews (- optional)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar (or add as required)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (or add as required)
  • 1 medium tej patta ((Indian bay leaf))
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 to 3 dried red chilies (- broken and seeds removed)
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger (or finely chopped ginger)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped coconut (or 2 tablespoons fresh grated coconut)
  • 2 tablespoons ghee ((clarified butter) or oil - for a richer taste, use ghee)
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms

Method

Preparation

  1. Pick and rinse the dal well.
  2. Soak the dal for an hour in water.
  3. Meanwhile take 1 inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms and 2 to 3 cloves.
  4. Crush the whole spices in a mortar-pestle, till they are powdered. place the spice powder aside.
  5. If you want to reduce the soaking time of dal, then heat water and soak the dal in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain the water.

Making cholar dal

  1. Once the dal is soaked, then drain all the water. Add the soaked chana dal and turmeric powder in the pressure cooker.
  2. Next add water.
  3. On a medium to high heat pressure cook the dal for 4 to 5 whistles.
  4. The grains should be separate, but cooked thoroughly.
  5. Once the pressure settles down naturally, then remove the lid
  6. Add sugar and salt to the dal. if using cashewnuts and raisins then add them now.
  7. Stir and keep the cooker on a low heat to simmer the dal, till the water reduces a bit.
  8. When you add the tempering to the dal, it should have the right consistency - meaning it should be slightly thick.
  9. Remember that on cooling the dal will become more thick.
  10. While the dal is simmering and beginning to thicken, prepare the tempering.

Tempering for cholar dal

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee or oil in a pan. First add the following spices - 1 bay leaf (tej patta) and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
  2. Next add 1 teaspoon grated ginger. Also add 2 to 3 dried red chilies, 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing) along the powdered whole spices.
  3. Fry till they become fragrant. This takes a few seconds. Then pour this tempering in the dal. Mix well.
  4. Stir and then add cumin powder and red chili powder. Mix well.
  5. Simmer the dal for 1 to 2 minutes more. Switch off the heat. Cover with a lid and set aside.
  6. In the same pan take 1 tablespoon ghee or oil. Add 2 tablespoons chopped or grated coconut. fry till the coconut becomes light brown.
  7. Add the fried coconut along with the ghee or oil to the dal. Mix well.
  8. Serve Cholar Dal with luchi, koraishutir kachori and even steamed rice if you prefer.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.