Bengali Niramish Cholar Dal recipe | Bengali Style Chana Dal (no onion garlic)

Bengali niramish cholar dal recipe – a Bengali style no onion garlic chana dal (cholar dal in Hindi) recipe – easy to cook with simple step-by-step detailed pictures. This Bengali veg dal is for all vegetarians, especially Bengali vegetarians and vegan too.

Cholar dal is a slightly sweet authentic bengali chana dal recipe prepared with split bengal gram pulse, coconut, garam masala, hing, and ghee without onion & garlic. Luchi, kochuri, dal puri, or even radhaballavi, and even paratha go best with this Bengali chana dal, especially for breakfast. To celebrate Bengali festivals or occasions (biye bari to puja bari) cholar dal is a highly rated popular dish. Serve with khasta luchi and begun bhaja (deep-fried eggplant).

For making cholar dal, boiled bengal gram pulse is cooked with tomato, ginger-green chilli paste, grated coconut (narkel) accompanied by tempering of whole cumin, bay leaf, red chilli, and whole garam masala in ghee. However, If you don’t consume coconut or have some health problem with coconut then just skip it. This chana dal won’t be bad in taste without coconut. But must add ghee and garam masala powder to enhance its flavor and make it scrumptious like other niramish bengali recipes.

Coconut enhances the taste of cholar dal and also made a connection with my Grandma’s style cholar dal cooking. Like my grandma, twice I use coconut in this dal, first I add coconut (grated) while roasting the masala and lastly add some small pieces of fried coconut (in ghee) for garnishing which makes this dish more scrumptious.

I prepare this yummy chana dal to make a surprise breakfast or dinner for my family with luchi (bengali poori), roti, or paratha. Even we all prefer this dal more than any niramish tarkari or vegetable curry. Because of the sweet taste and slight dry gravy, this chana dal is generally not served with rice like other dal recipes. However, in my house, my mom serves this chana dal with no onion garlic sweet yellow pulao, or Bengali fried rice for pujor bhog prasad during Durga puja. That is amazing too.

Benefits of cholar daal/chana dal/Bengal gram pulse – Cholar dal is itself, a great source of iron and protein, and is rich in fiber which helps in weight loss and reduces cholesterol. And adding coconut actually helps to boost metabolism with a addintion of fat loss. So the combination of this dal with coconut is as healthy as tasty as well. 

In spite of being pure non-vegetarians, we Bengalis(especially Indian Bengalis) have a lot more favorite veg recipes and this chana dal is one of them. On any occasion (Durga puja to biye bari), especially all of our Bengali festivals are incomplete without luchi – cholar dal or luchi – aloor dum combination.

You make this cholar dal at home and can taste with

• Koraishutir kochuri (Bengali style green peas kachori) recipe
•  Radhaballavi recipe (Bengali urad dal kachori)

You may also try some other simple vegetarian recipes

• amish aloo dum recipe(with onion & garlic)
• niramish aloo dum recipe
• chanar dalna recipe

Bengali niramish cholar dal recipe

Ingredients of cholar dal

• 1 cup Cholar dal/ Chana dal/ Split Bengal gram
• 1 1/4 tsp Ginger paste
• 1 Green Chili 
• 1 medium size Tomato(chopped)
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 1/2  tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 3 tbsp Freshly grated Coconut( Kurano narkel)
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tsp Garam masala powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
• A pinch of Hing or Asafoetida
• Salt (as per taste)
• Water (as required)

For tempering this dal

• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Whole Red Chilies
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 Green Cardamom(shredded)
• 4 Cloves
• 1-inch Cinnamon stick

Garam Masala Powder for cholar dal

• 4-5 Green Cardamom
• 6 Cloves
• 1-inch Cinnamon stick

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 20-25 mins

Served in: 40-45 mins

Cuisine: Bengali

Course: Breakfast | Dinner

Served for: 5 people

Author: Moumita Paul

How to make Bengali niramish cholar dal recipe step by step with pictures

Instructions

Soaking the dal

• Take a cup of cholar dal/ chana dal or split bengal gram pulse.
• Wash it 4-5 times thoroughly under running water.
• Soak the dal in water for about 1 hr before cooking, long hours soaking of dal helps to cook it faster.

How to boil the dal in the pressure cooker

• Take a pressure cooker, and add the soaked dal (after straining the water),1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp turmeric powder.
• Add 2 cups of water to it, and close the lid of the cooker.
• Place the cooker on the medium-high flame and wait for 3 whistles. 
• Turn off the flame and let the pressure cooker completely cool down or let automatically release the pressure.

Making Cholar Dal

1. First, take a deep bottom pan, and add 1+1/2 tbsp ghee to it.
2. Now add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and whole dried red chili into the pan.
3. Let’s crackle the cumin seeds. Add a pinch of hing or asafoetida for getting the wonderful aroma.

• Then add chopped tomato and 1/4 tsp salt to it. Fry and then mash the tomato with the help of your ladle.
• Add ginger and chili paste. Roast them well.
• Then it is time to add cumin powder, sugar, and 2 tbsp of freshly grated coconut (or desiccated coconut or 1/4 cup coconut milk) to the pan with the roasted spices. Roast the spices until the raw flavor of the spices goes off.

• Now add the boiled dal to the pan and stir it gently.
• Add water as required. I add I cup of water, you can add water according to your requirement.
• When it starts boiling add the garam masala powder, which has been described above. And add the rest of the coconut (1 tbsp of grated coconut). salt as required. Mix it well.

• Let boil for a few minutes, though this dal is generally served thick you can make it according to your requirement.
• Turn off the flame and lastly add 1 tsp ghee to the top of the dal. Gently stir and cover it with a lid to spread the aroma of freshly added ghee all over the dal.

• Bengali niramish cholar dal is ready, can garnish this dal with fried coconut in ghee (ghiye bhaja narkel) and cashew nuts(if you wish).

       Serving Tips 

• Want to serve this dal with rice? Make a thin consistency of this chana dal by adding 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp salt until get the right consistency.
• For quick and easy soaking of dal, add 1/2 tsp baking soda while soaking the dal in water for 15 mins and then boil. In Bengali restaurants, cholar dal is boiled in soda, a common practice for quick boiling of dal. Do not use soda in cooking any dal, that method is injurious to health.
• If you are a beginner and you have overcooked the dal, the quick and simple solution is to keep the dal in the freezer for 15 mins and then cook it. This method prevents dal grain to get mushy for further cooking.
• Do you want to make this chana dal recipe without soaking the dal? Then after washing the dal, cook it in a pan or in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp turmeric powder. If cooking in pan, cook it on low heat by covering the pan until the dal gets soft. If cooking in a pressure cooker, cook the dal for 20 mins on low heat.

Summary

Recipe Name

cholar dal recipe | bengali style chana dal | bengali niramish cholar dal

Author Name

Moumita Paul

Published On

2018-06-22

Preparation Time

20M

Cook Time

25M

Total Time

45M

Average Rating

5 Based on 1 Review(s)