Dal-na holey cholena

Dal- A special Bengali lentil soup

Musur Dal (Red Lentils) with Onions
- Red Lentils- 200 gms
- Kalunji/Onion Seeds- quarter spoon
- Onion medium sized- 1 thinly sliced
- Sugar- 1 teaspoon
- Dried Chilli- 2
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric Powder- 1 teaspoon
- Cooking oil- 1 tablespoon
- Water- 2 cups

Boil the water in a pan and pour the Red lentils in it. Reduce the heat and let the Red lentils get cooked.
Once the dal/Red lentils are cooked beat it with a hand held egg-beater. Add the turmeric powder, salt and sugar in it and let it thicken a bit. If it is too thick add a bit of water or if its too dilute let it boil for a while and get thicker. Now remove it from the heat.

Heat the oil in a separate pan . Add the Kalunji/ Onion Seeds and the dried chillies in it. Once they start sizzling add the sliced onions to it and fry them. Add the Dal to the browned onions and allow it to boil.

Serve the Dal with white rice and eat it wiith Beguni (Brinjal Fritters) or any sort of Bhaja .

Am Dal/ Red Lentils with green unripe mangoes.

- Red Lentils- 200 gms
- Cumin Seeds- ¼ spoon
- Green Mango- 1
- Sugar-½ teaspoon
- Dried Chilli- 2
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric Powder- 1 teaspoon
- Cooking oil- 1 tablespoon
- Water- 2 cups

Peel the mango and cut it into small pieces. Boil the water in a pan and pour the Red Lentils in it. Reduce the heat and let the Red Lentils get cooked. Once the dal/Red Lentils are cooked beat it with a hand held egg-beater. Add the turmeric powder, salt, sugar and mangoes in it and let it thicken a bit. If it is too thick add a bit of water or if its too dilute let it boil for a while and get thicker. Now remove it from the heat.

Take another seperate pan and pour the oil in it and let it be hot. Add the Cumin seeds and the dried chillies in it. Once the Cumin seeds start sizzling add the Dal and allow it to boil. Serve the Dal with white rice and eat it wiith Beguni(Brinja Fritters). This is a very common item in the Bengali's summer lunch menus.

Bhaja Mung Dal- Dal with toasted Yellow Mung Lentils.

- Mung Dal- 200 gms
- Cumin Seed paste- 1 tablespoon
- Ginger Paste-½tablespoon
- Sugar- one ½ teaspoon
- Green Chilli- 4 sliced
- Bay Leaves- 2
- Cumin Seeds- ¼ tea spoon
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric Powder- 1 teaspoon
- Cooking oil- 2 tablespoon
- Water- 2 cups

First dry roast the Mung Dal in a pan. Boil the water and pour the Mung Dal in it. Reduce the heat and let it get cooked. Once the Mung dal is cooked beat it with a hand held egg-beater. Add the turmeric powder, salt, sugar, ginger paste and cumin paste in it and let it thicken a bit. If it is too thick add a bit of water or if its too dilute let it boil for a while and get thicker. Now remove it from the heat.

Take another seperate pan and pour the oil in it and let it be hot. Add the Cumin seeds and the dried chillies in it. Once the Cumin seeds start sizzling add the Dal and allow it to boil. Add the green chillies before removing it.

Variations: You can also cut a small cauliflower into small pieces and get 1 cup of Peas and add it to the Dal to make it Vegetable Mung Dal.

Serve the Dal with white rice and eat it wiith Beguni (Brinjal Fritters).

Rui Macher Matha diye Muger Dal/ Mung Dal with
Rohu fish head( Carp fish heads will be appropriate)

- Mung Dal- 250 gms
- Rohu Fish or Carp Fish head medium sized- 1
- Cumin Seed paste- 1 tablespoon
- Ginger Paste- ½ tablespoon
- Garam Masala- ½ teaspoon (mixture of powdered Cardamom and Cinnamon)
- Sugar- one ½ teaspoon
- Green Chilli- 4 sliced
- Bay Leaves- 2
- Cumin Seeds- ¼ tea spoon
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric Powder- 1 teaspoon
- Cooking oil- 3 tablespoon
- Ghee- 1 tablespoon
- Water- 2 cups

First pour 2 table spoons of oil in a pan and allow it to be piping hot. Add the fish head to the oil and fry it thoroughly until it is brown. Break the fried fish head into pieces.
Now dry roast the Mung Dal in a pan. Boil the water in a pan and pour the Mung Dal in it. Reduce the heat and let it get cooked. Once the Mung dal is cooked beat it with a hand held egg-beater. Add the pieces of the fried fish head, turmeric powder, salt, sugar, ginger paste and cumin paste in it and allow the fish head to get cooked properly. Remove it from the heat when the fish head pieces are cooked.

Take another seperate pan and pour the rest of the oil in it and let it be hot. Add the Cumin seeds, Bay leaves and the dried chillies in it. Once the Cumin seeds start sizzling add the Dal and allow it to boil. Add the green chillies and the Ghee before removing it.

Serve the Dal with hot white rice and eat it wiith Beguni (Brinjal Fritters).

Narkel Kishmish diye Cholar Dal/ Yellow Split Dal with Coconut and Sultanas

- Cholar Dal (Yellow Split Dal)- 200 gms
- Cumin Seed paste- 1 tablespoon
- Ginger Paste- ½ tablespoon
- Sugar- 1 ½ teaspoon
- Green Chilli- 4 sliced
- Bay Leaves- 2
- Cumin Seeds-¼ tea spoon
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric Powder- 1 teaspoon
- Dried Chilly- 1
- Coconut- thinly sliced 3 tablespoon
- Sultana- 1 tablespoon
- Cooking oil- 2 tablespoon
- Garam Masala- 1 teaspoon( Mixture of Cardamom and Cinnamon)
- Ghee- 1 tablespoon
- Water- 2 cups

Boil the water in a pan and pour the Cholar Dal in it. Reduce the heat and let it get cooked. Once the dal is cooked beat it with a hand held egg-beater. Add the turmeric powder, salt, sugar, sultanas, ginger paste and cumin paste in it and let it thicken a bit. Fry the Coconut slices in the oil and pour in the fried coconut slices along with the oil in the Dal. If it is too thick add a bit of water or if its too dilute let it boil for a while and get thicker. Now remove it from the heat. Take another seperate pan and pour the Ghee in it and let it be hot. Add the Cumin seeds bay Leaves and the dried chillies in it. Once they all start sizzling add the Dal and allow it to boil. Add the green chillies before removing it.

Peyanj Lau o Dhoney pata diye Cholar Dal/
Yellow Split Dal with Marrow and Coriander Leaves.

- Cholar Dal (Yellow Split Dal)- 200 gms
- Marrow- 500 gm
- Onion- Medium Sized 2
- Cumin Seed paste- 1 tablespoon
- Ginger Paste- ½tablespoon
- Sugar- 1½ teaspoon
- Green Chilli- 2 slited
- Chilli Powder- 1 teaspoon
- Bay Leaves- 2
- Cumin Seeds- ¼ tea spoon
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric Powder- 1 teaspoon
- Dried Chilly- 1
- Coriander Leaves- finnely chopped 1 tablespoon
- Cooking oil- 2 tablespoon
- Water- 2 cups

Wash the Dal and soak it in hot water for an hour. Cut the Marrow/ Lau into 1 inch cubes. Thinly slice the onions. Allow the water to boil in a pan. Add the Cholar Dal/ Yellow split Dal in the hot water. When the dal is halfway cooked add the Marrow/Lau pieces, salt and turmeric. Once the dal and the marrows are cooked remove it from the heat. Take another seperate pan and pour the oil in it and let it be hot. Add the Cumin seeds bay Leaves and the dried chillies in it. Once they all start sizzling add the sliced onions, ginger paste and cumin paste. Stir it thoroughly and finally add the dal. Allow the dal to to boil. Add the green chillies and coriander leaves before removing it.

Serve it with white rice and any Bhaja

Arohor Dal/ Toor Dal

- A small bunch of coriander leaves.
- Water- 6-8 cups.
- Turmeric paste- 1 teaspoon.
- Cummin paste-2 tablespoon.
- Coriander paste-1 tablespoon.
- Ginger paste-1 tablespoon.
- Green chillies- 6-8, slitted
- Sugar-1 to 2 tablespoon.
- Ghee-1 tablespoon.
- Panch Phoron-1/2 teaspoon.

Wash the dal and add to the boiling water in the pan. When the dal comes to boil add turmeric and salt. Mix well and simmer over medium heat. Once the Dal is cooked add the coriander, cumin and ginger pastes, slit green chillies, sugar. Mix thoroughly and simmer until the dal is cooked.
In a pan heat the ghee and add panch phoron and once it starts sizzling pour in the dal. Stir, bring to boil and remove from fire.

Serve it with hot rice.