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Cholar Dal

Sweetish Bengali chana dal with coconut slivers, raisins and ghee — the festive partner of hot luchi.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chana dal, soaked 2 hours
• 3 tbsp fresh coconut, cut in small slivers
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 3 green cardamom
• 3 cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp bhaja moshla (roasted cumin, coriander and chilli powder)
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

Method

1. Pressure cook the soaked dal with 3 cups water, turmeric and salt for 2 whistles. The grains should be soft but whole.
2. Heat oil and ghee. Fry the coconut slivers till golden and keep aside.
3. Add bay leaves, cumin, dry red chillies, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon to the pan. Let them splutter.
4. Add ginger paste, stir 30 seconds, then pour in the dal.
5. Add sugar, raisins and the fried coconut. Simmer 8 minutes till thick.
6. Sprinkle bhaja moshla, add a final teaspoon of ghee and serve with luchi.

Tip: Cholar dal should be thick enough to sit on a luchi without running off.