Name: Cholar Dal
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
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 chilli powder (or add as required); 1 medium tej patta ((indian bay leaf)); ½ teaspoon cumin seeds; 2 to 3 dry red chilies; 1 pinch of asafoetida ((hing)); 1 teaspoon grated or finely chopped ginger; 2 tablespoons fresh grated coconut or chopped coconut; 1.5 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or 2 tbsp oil ((for a richer taste, use ghee)); 1 inch cinnamon; 3 cloves; 2 green cardamoms

Cholar dal recipe with step by step photos – cholar dal is a festive dal that is often made for celebrations in bengal and this includes the durga pooja celebrations. Just like Dal makhani is part of every Punjabi wedding or celebration, similarly, cholar dal is made for special occasions like wedding, festival or a special guest.

Again like Luchi, when I made this cholar dal today, I was like why I did not make it earlier. Cholar dal is made with chana dal or bengal gram. The dal is slightly sweet and fragrant due to the addition of whole spices or garam masala like bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Unlike many other Bengali recipes, this dal does not use the 5 spice mix – Panch phoron.

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Coconut bits are also added to the dal which gives a good texture to the dal. You can even skip the coconut if you don’t have it. This Bengali festive dal does not have onion or garlic added to it.

Cholar dal is usually made thick unlike other Indian dals like Dal tadka or Dal fry. if you prefer you can make the dal with medium or slightly thin consistency.

Traditionally cholar dal is always accompanied with luchi or koraishutir kachori. I had made both matar kachori and luchi to go with the dal. You can also serve it with radhaballavi. I think even just plain steamed basmati rice or jeera rice would be great with this dal. Yet another popular combination of chana dal and fried bread, which I remember is the sindhi dal pakwan.

This cholar dal recipe has been adapted from the book “the calcutta cookbook” by jaya chaliha and minakshie dasgupta.

How to make cholar dal recipe:

1. Pick and rinse 1 cup of chana dal (split bengal gram) well. Then soak the dal in enough water for one hour. if you want to reduce the soaking time, then heat water and soak the dal in hot water for 30 minutes. Then drain the water.

2. Meanwhile take 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini), 2 green cardamoms and 3 cloves in a mortar.

3. Crush or powder the whole spices with a mortar till they are powdered. place the spice powder aside.

4. After one hour, drain all the water from the dal.

5. In a pressure cooker, add the soaked chana dal and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.

6. Next add 2.5 cups water in the pressure cooker. For cooking in a pot or pan, you can add 4 to 5 cups water.

7. On a medium to high flame, pressure cook the chana dal for 4-5 whistles.

8. Once the pressure settles down on its own, then remove the lid.

9. The grains should be separate and yet cooked thoroughly.

10. Add salt as required to the cooked chana dal.

11. Add 2 teaspoons sugar or add as required. Mix well.

12. Next add cashews and raisins. mix again. On a low flame, simmer the dal till the water reduces a bit. When you add the tempering to the dal, it should have the right consistency – meaning it should be slightly thick. Remember that on cooling the dal will become more thick. Cashews and raisins can be skipped.

Tempering for cholar dal

13. While the dal is simmering and has begun to get thick, prepare the tempering. heat ½ tablespoon ghee or oil in a pan. Add 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf) and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.