Lucchi cholar dal is a classic combo. I made luchi for puja today, so I had to make cholar dal also today😀. The savory but little sweet cholar dal is one of a Bengali classic dish. Love the warm flavors of it. It is really an easy dish. I recall my mom used to make, and still today, she makes this dal in every puja or for a special occasion. I think every Bengali family has its own cholar dal recipe. Usually, we do not use onion or garlic for this recipe, rather this dish is full of coconut and hing (asafoetida) flavor. Hing and coconut are must ingredients for this cholar dal dish.
PREP TIME: 4 hours Cook TIME: 30 MINUTES SERVINGS: 4 to 5
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Cholar Daal / Split chickpea lentils (wash and soak overnight)
1/2 cup thinly sliced Coconut
3 tablespoon Mustard oil
4 Bay leaves
2 Dried red Chilies
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)
1 tablespoon Ginger paste
1teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Coriander powder
1 teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon salt or according to your taste
2 tablespoons of grated coconut for garnishing
METHODS:
Rinse the dal and soak it in water for at least 4 hours to overnight.
Then boil the dal in a pressure cooker. Dal needs to be perfectly tender and cooked, but not too smooshy.
Heat tablespoon of mustard oil in a saucepan on medium heat, and once the oil is hot enough, add the thinly sliced coconuts. Fry until the coconut turns golden brown. Remove from the oil and set aside.
Add rest two tablespoons of more oil to the same oil. Then temper the oil with the bay leaves, dried red chilies, and cumin seeds. Add in the hing and allow everything to fry for about 15 seconds.
Add the ginger paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric powder, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup of water. Fry on medium heat until the spices' raw smell is gone, and all the spices are incorporated. This may take about 3 minutes.
When the spice mix releases the oil, add the boiled dal along with 2 cups of water to the pan. Add more water if it needs more. Cover it with a lid and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for 10 mins.
When the water dries off, and you get the thick desired consistency, add the fried sliced coconut and mix well.
Check the seasoning, if it needs more salt and sugar add more.
Garnish with grated coconut, and serve the cholar dal with Lucchi, Paratha, or any flatbread.